Daelin Hayes

Credit: Detroit Free Press

In Kelly-Harbaugh Recruit Fight, It’s Tied

January 19, 2017 by andrewwinn

In the constant tug-of-war for the attention of high school student-athletes, Brian Kelly and Jim Harbaugh are currently deadlocked. Brian Kelly and his staff have convinced 21 student-athletes with Michigan offers to commit to Notre Dame, while Jim Harbaugh and his group have persuaded the same number to forgo Notre Dame offers and come to Ann Arbor, according to Her Loyal Sons research. Michigan and Notre Dame have historically battled for outstanding players in midwestern states, ...

Credit: Michigan St. Athletics

Defensive Line: Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy

August 30, 2016 by Steve Price

You can have the best playmakers in the country, whether it be wide receivers, cornerbacks, or running backs, and it doesn’t mean you are going to win. The game of football is won up front, in the trenches, with the big boys. If you missed it, we covered Mike McGlinchey of the offensive line. In this installment of Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy, we cover the players who take a pounding every year: the defensive line. For The Irish: DT Jarron Jones (Sr.), 6-foot-5, 315 lbs After missing the ...

Analyzing the Fall Camp Depth Chart

August 11, 2016 by BJ Konkle

Fall camp produces the perfect mix for any college football junkie - immeasurable aspirations coupled with unlimited potential. The 2016 Fighting Irish are no exception. Many positional battles follow #NDFB into fall camp and understandably so with the solid depth at all positions. Let's do a quick rundown of what to expect. Depth, baby! Everything this fall will revolve around the exceptional depth that has slowly been built year over year. The coaching staff has recruited exceptionally well ...

Credit: ND Recruiting

After Trolling ND Fans, C.J. Holmes Is All Irish

July 8, 2016 by andrewwinn

Four-star running back C.J. Holmes announced his commitment to Notre Dame this morning, mere days after excluding the Irish from a "top 4" graphic he released on Twitter. Holmes, a 5-foot-11, 200 pound dynamo out of Chesire Academy (CT), is at Nike's The Opening camp this week in Oregon. Holmes attended Irish Invasion and had previously admitted he considered committing at that time. He held offers from Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee and UCLA, among others. He released a top ...

Freshman Reveal Jersey Numbers

June 20, 2016 by andrewwinn

With Notre Dame's summer classes commencing last Monday, 18 freshman have now officially joined the Irish football team. All have already picked their numbers, with some announcing them through social media. Here's the rundown: #12 QB IAN BOOK: Book sported #11 in high school, which is currently sported by redshirt sophomore running back Justin Brent. Book said last Tuesday that he'll be wearing #12, which was most recently worn by fellow quarterback Brandon Wimbush. Wimbush, a sophomore, ...

(Photo: Eddie Burch, Greenville News)

Notre Dame Football’s Most Promising “Rookies”

June 6, 2016 by andrewwinn

The Irish Illustrated staff collectively ranked the top Irish "rookies" based on who they felt would have the best Notre Dame careers. My top 10 list differed from theirs, so let's take a closer look: 1. Brandon Wimbush (II Staff: #2) If you consider the question, you'll notice it's a little tricky. "Who among the three dozen will have the best careers at Notre Dame?" Brandon Wimbush is a quarterback with all the tools: strong arm, fleet of foot and accurate. I'm not certain that ...

Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaac Rochell. (Robin Alam/Icon SMI)

Will The Irish Defense Improve Its Pass Rush?

May 27, 2016 by BJ Konkle

Welcome to a series of posts we’re calling “Five Question Marks.” In this entry - the second on a series - BJ Konkle answers a question on the minds of many Notre Dame fans: Will Brian VanGorder and the Notre Dame defense have a disruptive pass rush this season? It has been no secret that the Irish defense has significantly lacked a strong and consistent pass rush the past few seasons under Brian VanGorder’s defensive system. Yes, there have been flashes of well-designed blitzes and ...

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 11: Jarron Jones #94 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rushes against Jon Heck #71 of the North Carolina Tar Heels at Notre Dame Stadium on October 11, 2014 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Blue Gold Game Preview: Defensive Line

April 15, 2016 by chrisavila_01

In our final day of previews, HLS takes a look at quite possibly the strongest aspect of the Notre Dame defense: the defensive line. Defensive line coach Keith Gilmore's defensive front will face a number of challenges due to personnel changes and the development of defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder's scheme, but has a good shot at being more disruptive up front than last year's squad. We’ve seen a blitz work at times for Van Gorder when linebackers and others in the secondary crashed the ...

Photo courtesy of Student Sports

Jonathan Jones Saved ND’s Class of 2016

February 4, 2016 by Fresno Domer

Jonathan Jones, the three-star linebacker from Florida, became the key to Brain Kelly’s 2016 recruiting class. I doubt that anyone who followed this class would’ve have said that before Signing Day. But given that Caleb Kelly committed to Oklahoma - despite the Irish pushing hard until the end - and Ben Davis signing with Alabama, Jones “saved” the class, at least on the defensive side of the ball. Daelin Hayes, a 247sports composite four-star OLB and early enrollee, is certainly the ...

Early Enrollee: Daelin Hayes

February 1, 2016 by Moons

Perhaps the biggest and most dramatic get for the Irish during in-season recruiting came when 247 Sports' Composite Rankings #10 outside linebacker, Daelin Hayes, made his announcement that he'd be joining the Irish. Hayes, an Army All-American, missed a good chunk of his senior season with a shoulder separation, but was still one of the most highly coveted players in the nation. At 6'4" and 249 pounds, he's already well built to play either outside linebacker or defensive end. And therein ...