12/18/2019 football Edit

Signed: Dayon Hayes

Jim Hammett • Panther-lair

Staff

Dayon Hayes just might be the important member of the 2020 recruiting class. The product of the Pittsburgh City League went from a relatively unknown recruit last February to one of the more highly sought after defensive linemen in the Northeast.

Hayes committed to Pitt back in June, and has been a big ambassador and leader of the recruiting class ever since. Hayes has shown leadership qualities for months and should hit the ground running once he makes the move to Oakland.

The Westinghouse star was recently lifted to four-star status in the Rivals.com database and is the third-ranked recruit in the entire state. He built up an impressive offer sheet last spring and opted to stay and play for his hometown school over the likes of Penn State, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and more.

“I felt like it was time; I felt like something special was going to happen at Pitt,” he told Panther-Lair.com following his commitment back in June. “I looked at more as a family than an organization or a program. They made me feel like more of a family.”

Hayes will join a family-atmosphere specifically in the defensive line room headed by Pitt Assistant Head Coach Charlie Partridge. The defensive line flexed its collective muscles this season and was the backbone of a very strong Pitt defense. Hayes works out with Aaron Donald in the offseason and will look to pick up his work ethic and bring that to Pitt with him.

In the 2019 high school season, Hayes helped lead Westinghouse High School to a Pittsburgh City League championship. It was the Bulldogs' first city title in 23 years. Hayes' helped lead a defense that pitched three shutouts this season and allowed just one score in three other games. In the City League final, Westinghouse won the game 12-2 in a defensive struggle.

The Pitt defensive line is the strength of the entire football team, and finding playing time may be hard for a true freshman, but with Hayes' pedigree and physicality, he should have an opportunity to come in and at least push for snaps next season.