Justice Hayes, after initially committing to Notre Dame, re-evaluated his decision and ultimately decided to go to Ann Arbor. Now, the Grand Blanc graduate finds himself in a position to fight for playing time with a stable of running backs at The University of Michigan — another competitor, oddly enough, is Flint Northern’s Thomas Rawls.

Hayes, a power back with speed in high school, is concentrating on getting faster for a much faster game in college. Here’s what he told the AnnArbor.com recently:

Over the past few weeks, Hayes — a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com — said he’s felt a range of emotions about his upcoming future. He’s been eager and excited, nervous and getting ready to try and see the field as a true freshman.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Hayes said after finishing his final track event at Saturday’s Division 1 state finals. “You want to know how things are going to go when you get down there and you’re excited as well. I think it’s going to be fun playing football for one of the best teams in the nation with one of the best traditions in the nation.

“A little bit of nerves, too, because you don’t know what to expect when you get there. It’s why you have to prepare yourself before you get there so you won’t be surprised.”