On3 Industry Ranking Top-100 LB Adarius Hayes details National Signing Day flip to Miami

ORLANDO, Fla. — Adarius Hayes had a change of heart — as soon as “crunch time” in his recruitment hit.

Hayes, the No. 5-ranked LB in the On300 for the 2024 class, flipped his commitment in-state from Florida to Miami on National Signing Day last Wednesday. The four-star defensive playmaker from Largo (Fla.) High School said the decision came after his final visit back to Miami right before the Early Signing Period.

“It was getting to the end … to crunch time, really, and I needed to get ready to get to work, to get in the best position, and that was at Miami more than Florida,” Hayes said at Under Armour All-America Game Media Check-In on Friday.

“They had a good layout for me, they told me what’s the real about Miami, and that I can be the next Ray Lewis, to come out out of Miami.”

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Hayes enrolls in Coral Gables, Fla., next month.

Miami was a mainstay in his recruitment since his sophomore year and remained behind only the Gators for the bulk of Hayes’ senior year. The No. 13-ranked player from the state of Florida started trending toward the Canes earlier this month.

“It starts with the coaches when I went for a visit, it was my official visit that last weekend,” Hayes said. “It changed my mind big-time.”

The No. 80 overall player in the nation is set to man the middle of Miami’s defense.

“They have me as a Mike LB and the next Ray Lewis, to be honest. It feels good and I’m excited, ready to work,” Hayes said. “I wanna be the next ‘Hit Man’ since that’s my brand. When I told the coaches I was coming, they were excited. The Hit Man is coming home and it’s the U all the time.”

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