Will Notre Dame Flip USC 4-Star Commit Daelin Hayes?

The rivalry between Notre Dame and USC often spills over to the recruiting trail, and this year figures to bring another heated tug of war between the two titans over 4-star linebacker Daelin Hayes.

The 6'4", 235-pound Michigan native has been committed to the Trojans for more than a year.

However, as Tom Loy of Irish247 noted, Hayes has locked in a visit to South Bend on Oct. 17, when the Irish will square off against the Trojans.

But is USC in danger of losing its most tenured pledge of the 2016 cycle?

Hayes is saying the right things about still being committed, but with this latest development, it certainly appears to leave the possibility open for a switch down the road.

"I'm committed to USC, but I look forward to getting down on my official visit to Notre Dame and seeing what the Irish have to offer," Hayes told Loy.

Loy also notes a trip to this weekend's season opener against Texas isn't out of the question for Hayes.

Hayes insists his flirtation with the Irish is simply a matter of covering his bases in case something happens with USC, according to Loy:

"

I spoke to head coach Brian Kelly and defensive line coach Keith Gilmore. With the recent events going on at USC, I've wanted to keep doors open. I talked to Coach Kelly and Coach Gilmore about setting up an official visit to Notre Dame. My official visit date will be predicated on when I'm free and when we don't have something going on with my team, because they're my first priority. I'm going to get down to South Bend and see what they're talking about and hopefully continue to build a relationship with Notre Dame.

"

Despite Hayes being a longtime verbal to the Trojans, Kelly and his staff have continued to push for him to consider the Irish.

As Loy detailed, Hayes actually grew up a fan of the Irish, which he admits has kept the program on his mind:

"

Notre Dame has always been there. Growing up, it was always the dream school. With USC, I had never seen California when I went out there. So, I went out there and fell in love with California, the school and the coaches, so I pulled the trigger on it. Notre Dame was always in the back of my mind though.

"

There are still a lot of positives for the Trojans in the quest to retain Hayes' commitment.

The fact he will get a glimpse of the Trojans squad on his official visit to Notre Dame can be viewed as a positive.

However, if Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff hope to hold onto Hayes, at the minimum, it appears there's work to be done in holding off the Irish.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand, and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani