The emergency removal of Jay Hayes‘ redshirt gives you an idea that Notre Dame’s coaching staff believes in the young defensive lineman. But burning Hayes’ redshirt was also immediately followed by a significant ankle injury against USC, making it difficult to get a season’s worth of work in the year’s final three games and bowl practices.
Nonetheless, Hayes moves forward better for the experience, even if he’s started his eligibility clock sooner than expected. And with Jarron Jones and Sheldon Day back, not to mention the emergence of Jerry Tillery this spring, Hayes is fighting for his spot in the interior rotation, suddenly a position of strength after being gutted last November.