Notre Dame Football: Former Irish Defensive Lineman, Jay Hayes, Commits To Oklahoma

Jay Hayes, the former starter at defensive end for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, has officially committed to play for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2018.

It was less than two weeks ago that we found out that Hayes would transfer elsewhere for his fifth year, and at first it seemed a bit confusing.

Hayes is set to graduate in May so there are no academic issues that we are aware of (which means NO ISSUES) and there weren’t any problems with his off the field behavior (arrests, draconian du Lac rules, or otherwise). Hayes started every game for the Irish in 2017 - a season that saw tremendous improvement on that side of the ball.

This spring, however, things were starting to change. Khalid Kareem was getting more and more reps with the starting defense, and Ade Ogundeji has been improving steadily. Was this all about snaps for Hayes? Was this a “personal matter,” or after four years of clashing with whatever coaching staff was there, did Hayes finally say “that’s enough”?

The Sooners are in need of defensive lineman, and this gives Hayes a chance to hook back up with the coach that recruited him to Notre Dame in the first place; Bob Diaco.

Good luck to Jay and his future, and as Notre Dame fans, you should always wish the best on a football player leaving South Bend with a degree from Notre Dame.