Georgia Football lands commitment of Graduate DE Jay Hayes

Georgia Football landed the commitment of graduate transfer defensive end Jay Hayes on Wednesday. Hayes comes to UGA from Notre Dame.

It doesn’t look like Kirby Smart is going to use any less than 85 scholarships. As Georgia starts to see some roster attrition due to transfers, Smart has brought in one more player. Jaleel Laguins and Pat Allen announced their decisions this week and one or two more are expected to follow. This movement has allowed Smart to find one more scholarship available and he’s chosen to use it.

Jay Hayes is a defensive end from Notre Dame. Having been in South Bend for 4 years, he has one year of eligibility remaining. Hayes has decided to transfer to UGA to play his final year of college football. Initially, it looked like he was going to go to Oklahoma, but Hayes was in Athens for G-Day and changed his mind.

Credit where it is due, Hayes is exactly what Kirby Smart needs right now. With the departure of Trenton Thompson, UGA is a little lacking in defensive line depth. Hayes played DE in Notre Dame but I could see him sliding inside and playing DT in UGA’s scheme. He’s almost exactly the same size as Thompson and would be a great sub for Tyler Clark.

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Hayes isn’t much of a pass rusher, but he’s a terrific run stuffer. That will also be invaluable with the departure of John Atkins. Overall, I like this move a lot. Hayes played good football last year and now has a chance to finish his college career on a high. UGA gets some depth and experience to help a young defense. That’s what I call a win-win.