Any depth concerns Georgia had across its defensive front were eased Wednesday with the announcement that Notre Dame graduate transfer Jay Hayes will join the Bulldogs for his final season of eligibility.
The 6-foot-4, 289-pound Hayes played in all 13 games for the Fighting Irish last season, collecting 27 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and a sack. He had 10 tackles in 10 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2016.
"This is it!" Hayes posted on Twitter. "In a month, I'll be heading down to Athens to play for the Georgia Bulldogs. Go DAWGS!"
Hayes was a four-star signee in the 2014 class out of Brooklyn, N.Y. He played at Poly Prep Country Day, which is the same program that produced Bulldogs redshirt freshman offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson.
After announcing his departure from Notre Dame earlier this month, Hayes committed to Oklahoma. But he attended the G-Day spring game this past Saturday, when more than 82,000 showed up inside Sanford Stadium, and removed "BoomerSooner" from his Twitter bio afterward.
Laguins leaving
Georgia redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Jaleel Laguins announced Wednesday he is transferring.
The 6-2, 230-pounder from Watkinsville, Ga., was a four-star signee in 2016 and played in six games that season. He was redshirted last year and did not record any stats in his brief career.
He posted on Twitter that "it's time to start a new journey ... I am open to all options and excited to get to work."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.