Irish DE Hayes will return for a fifth season

Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes is returning for a fifth year in 2020.

The 6-foot-3, 266-pound senior, who is out for the season after suffering a torn labrum Saturday against Virginia, announced his decision on Instagram on Monday.

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Before I stepped foot on a field field, before any ball was snapped, before any win or loss, I made a promise… A promise to use this game, this platform to glorify Your name regardless of outcome. To be a servant to both You and your word, my teammates, and overall community. And to fully embrace and attack each day with a heart of gratitude understanding that it was a blessing and a privilege to play this game. With these promises in mind, not only did I find a greater love for the game, but a greater love for the grind. Embracing the journey, the process, and maximizing each step along the way has brought me joy in unimaginable ways. It is in these lessons that I have found peace within my current circumstance. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to suit up for this University with the greatest brotherhood I’ve ever known. I am even more blessed to have been granted an opportunity to return next year for my fifth year. God willing, I promise to give everything I have in order to serve both my Brothers on this team and The University of Notre Dame ☘️

A post shared by Daelin Hayes (@d_hayes_9) on Sep 30, 2019 at 5:43pm PDT

A four-year player for Notre Dame, Hayes had 31 tackles and two sacks in 2018 and has already recorded five total tackles with three tackles for loss and one sack this season.

Despite being lost for the year, Hayes will benefit from the new redshirt rule allowing players to take a redshirt if they have not participated in more than four games in the current season. Hayes has played in each of his first three seasons on campus and is under the four-game limit for 2019, which will allow him to return for a fifth year of eligibility in 2020.

ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren and Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.