College Football Recruiting: Will RB Justice Hayes Commit to Notre Dame?

The time has finally come for one of the top prospects from Michigan to announce his college commitment. Four-star running back Justice Hayes is ranked as the No. 15 RB on Scout and the No. 5 APB on Rivals.

He was originally expected to make his announcement sometime during his senior season, after he'd had the opportunity to monitor the success on and off the field of each of his finalists before coming to his decision.  It appears that one school made such an impression on Hayes that he's decided to bypass his original plans and make his commitment on Friday at 11 a.m. 

"It was a combination of one school just jumped out and really hit me in the head and I finally knew where I wanted to go, and that was I was getting tired of the recruiting process and the media and stuff," Hayes said. "At a certain point you can only take so much, and I think I've reached that point."

While Hayes is sure which school he will be attending, the rest of the world, including the winner of his recruitment sweepstakes, will have to wait until tomorrow.

Of the five finalists, most experts predict that Notre Dame will be the selection when Hayes makes his call tomorrow morning. 

The other finalists include Northwestern, Iowa, Michigan State, and Michigan.

Hayes decision came down to four key factors: playing time, how he'll be utilized, the chance to play for an elite program, and most importantly, education. 

Let's explore what each of these schools have to offer and predict who will get the call on Friday and who will be left out in the cold. 

Education: The National Universities Rankings

With education being the most important part of the equation, it appears that Notre Dame and Michigan have the advantage based on Hayes' comments, even though Northwestern is the best academic school of the bunch. 

"The academics, that's number one with Notre Dame," Hayes said. "Both [Michigan and Notre Dame] are great academic schools. I really can't go wrong. If the football part does not work out that's where my life starts. I'll get a job and have kids and do the family thing and be a success at it."

But education isn't just important to Hayes, it's the key factor his parents have stressed from day one of this process. 

"[My parents] just want me to go to school and get a great education," Hayes stated. "That's basically what they preach: education, education, education. So I definitely have that in mind and I feel the same way about it. I just want to go to school where I'll be set when I get done with college. That's basically what I am really thinking about, me getting a great job coming out."

With that in mind, here's where each of Hayes finalists rank among the US News 2010 National Universities Rankings:

Northwestern: 12th 
Notre Dame: 20th
Michigan: 27th 
Iowa: 71st 
Michigan State: 71st

Potential Playing Time: The Most Touches

How Will Hayes Be Used: Did Iowa Do the Best Selling?

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TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: Shonn Green #23 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Playing for an Elite Program: Does Notre Dame Offer the Best Exposure?

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SOUTH BEND, IN - DECEMBER 11: Brian Kelly attends a press conference where he was named new football head coach at Notre Dame University on December 11, 2009 in South Bend, Indiana. Kelly most recently led the University of Cincinnati to two consecutive

The Prediction: Reading Between the Lines

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SETPEMBER 19: Armando Allen #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs against (L-R) Roderick Jenrette #40, Greg Jones #53, Trevor Anderson #58 and Eric Gordon #43 of the Michigan State Spartans on September 19, 2009 at Notre Dame Stadium i