Robert Hainsey to Notre Dame: Fighting Irish Land 4-Star OG Prospect

Robert Hainsey, a 4-star offensive lineman from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, announced Sunday he will play college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The prospect shared the news on Twitter:

Hainsey is the 70th-ranked overall prospect, 17th-ranked player from Florida and fourth-ranked offensive guard in the 2017 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Although he played left tackle more frequently during his high school career, Hainsey tends to get upright as a pass-blocker and is better suited at guard in college.

Despite Hainsey's tendency to raise his pad level, he has tremendous functional strength and is a mauler in the running game. His burst allows him to get to the second level of the defense quickly, where he can use his 6'4 ½", 276-pound frame to pancake opponents.

Hainsey has a relentless motor and aggressively pops defenders upon first contact. It won't be as easy to flatten linebackers at the dawn of his college career, but he has the tools to become a multiyear starter for Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish can either keep Hainsey trim and work on him as a project at tackle or bulk him up and plug him inside at guard. The latter option likely means Hainsey would see the field sooner since the position is more suited to his natural strengths.

With room for improved conditioning, refined technique, added weight and organic growth as he gets more reps, there's reason for Notre Dame fans to be excited about Hainsey's potential.

If he can improve his footwork in pass protection in particular and learn to do better with leverage, Hainsey may be versatile enough to play tackle. He certainly plays with enough tenacity and innate power to play in the trenches at a big-time program.

Star rating, rankings and measurements courtesy of 247Sports.