Texas A&M in the top eight for elite 2024 LB Adarius Hayes

On3 imageby:Tim Verghese09/30/22

TimVerghese

2024 Largo (Fla.) High four-star linebacker Adarius Hayes is down to eight schools: AlabamaFloridaGeorgiaOhio StateTexas A&MUCFOklahomaNotre Dame and Texas A&M.

Of his top eight, the four-star has only visited Florida, UCF and Notre Dame. He was offered by the Aggies back in May, but has yet to make the trip to College Station.

Hayes, who stands 6-foot-4, 210-pounds is being pursed as both a linebacker and an edge rusher, and given Texas A&M’s success recruiting the state, especially defenders from the state, the Aggies could look to make a move in his recruitment in the coming months.

Although he is down to eight schools, one program is trending heavily right now in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). With an expert pick from GatorsOnline recruiting insider Corey Bender in their favor, Florida currently has an 88.9 percent chance of securing Hayes’ commitment. He’s visited Gainesville four times in the last six months.

“UF is the dream school for me and I grew up watching them play on TV,” he told On3’s Corey Bender. “I used to watch Tim Tebow play football for the Gators. I also like the Gators’ mascots Albert and Alberta.”

Still, there’s time for Texas A&M to make their move. He doesn’t plan to announce a commitment until next year, and though he’s yet to visit College Station, that very likely could change before he makes his decision. He previously told On3 he’s still quite open in his recruitment.

“I’m open,” he told On3’s Mike Singer.

He added.

“I’m looking for the right program for me to continue my education,” Hayes said.

Texas A&M currently holds just one 2024 commit in Longview (Tex.) Pine Tree four-star defensive lineman Dealyn Evans.

Scouting Report for Adarius Hayes

“Inside linebacker prospect who is an excellent processor and has a quick trigger. Possesses stopping power when meeting ball carriers in the hole. Quality free blitzer from the inside backer position or off the edge. Has some tightness in his hips and can get stuck in quicksand a bit when changing direction. One of the older prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings 

Hayes ranks as the No. 55 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 6 linebacker and the No. 15 junior recruit in the state of Florida. The four-star holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $80K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.