Josaih Hayes: Stay Humble, Stay Faithful, And Stay Honest
Josaih Hayes - Horn Lake High School - Class of 2020 - University of Kentucky Commit
Kentucky recruit, Josaih Hayes, prioritizes three things above the rest - God, People, and Sincerity.
His value for people begins with his mother, Thomosa Rogers, a nurse at an assisted living facility. She’s taught Josaih what it’s like to put others above yourself. He sees her go to work every day during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the potential risk. She’s shown him what true sacrifice looks like as she’s raised him and his two-year-old brother Isaiah. It’s why, “if it’s God’s will,” he looks forward to being able to help those who live in poverty and the children at his high school alma mater.
When it came to religion and his belief system, his grandmother, Thomosa Atkins, was his pillar of guidance. For her, it was God first and school second. She and his mother let him know early and often that “if you have homework due, get it out of the way so you don’t have to worry about it later.” She also preached to Isaiah the importance of spending quality time with God and family. Whether it was at church or the nearby water park in Auburn, Alabama, she built their relationship on the notion that “no one is bigger than God and family.” He holds that close to his heart and still prays whenever he needs guidance in a stressful situation.
Growing up in Horn Lake, Mississippi, Josaih’s primary focus was basketball. Starting with middle school AAU, Josaih’s athleticism and early growth spurt translated seamlessly to the court. Yet, by ninth grade, he saw a more expedient route to success on the football field. His uncle, Lekendricks, was a key reason for his initial success, teaching him what he had learned from his high school playing career. Hayes saw the benefits of those lessons with growing success at Horn Lake High School.
Like many SEC players, Josaih is looking forward to the high level of competition. It’s one of the main reasons all of the schools on his final commitment list were in the conference. After going undefeated on his way to a state championship at Horn Lake, he’s used to high-level success and looking forward to contributing to a winning culture in Lexington. He’s faced his share of close games, including the championship game, but “learned that even in dominant wins, it’s the little things that really make the difference.”
Those little things will be key when facing powerhouse programs like LSU and Georgia in the fall. Almost thankfully, he already has an introduction to that level of competition and the trash talking that comes with it due to his close relationships with Georgia’s Nakobe Dean and LSU’s Raydarious Jones. Both played at Horn Lake with Hayes before graduating a year ago, Dean being the #1 overall ranked inside linebacker recruit and Jones a four-star athlete who the Tigers converted to defensive back. They’ve both already begun the friendly trash talk with Hayes telling him “you better be ready to lose next year.” They’ve also been encouraging, telling him “don’t be scared. Go in there hungry.”
That’s something you definitely don’t need to tell the young defensive lineman as he knows he’s set to eat on and off the field. Off of it, he’s focused on a healthy diet and putting on the right type of weight, usually with chicken and other types of protein. He will miss his mom’s home cooking though, noting “everything she cooks is great.” On the field, he’s looking forward to putting in the hours sharpening his technique. Before Hayes committed, Kentucky’s inside linebackers coach, Jon Sumrall, told him “you work hard and bust your butt, and you’ll get snaps.” Hayes appreciated Sumrall and the coaching staff’s “no bs” approach and felt like “they never sugar coated it” for him during his on-campus visit. During that visit, he got the chance to witness the environment during a game in Lexington and spend time getting to know his future teammates. That sealed the deal for Josaih saying “I just felt like they were real with me and the coaching staff cared about me as a person.”
“I just felt like [University of Kentucky] were real with me and the coaching staff cared about me as a person.”
That message resounded with him after getting that same message from his high school coach, Brad Boyette. When recruiting began, Boyette told Hayes to take everything slow and go where you feel is right for you. That message is a major reason why Hayes decommitted from Ole Miss earlier in the recruiting cycle. Although that decision resulted in a few upset Rebel fans on Twitter in his home state of Mississippi, he knows he’s found a place where he’s wanted. “People will talk,” he says, “I try to not pay attention to that part of social media.” He knew that type of attention would come when he got his first high major offer. He had already seen many of his teammates getting offers far before he did, but he had confidence in himself and focused on remaining patient. It was from LSU. “The process to get you down there for a visit was great,” he recalls, “not everyone gets that chance.”
He knew to appreciate every moment of the process while still following his mother’s principles of “keeping your grades up and “staying humble.” He’ll have his relationships and education to fall back on if his path changes, potentially leading him into physical therapy or a career in the FBI. Wherever that path leads, there’s only one way he’s pursuing it “going in full with everything in [him].” If he’s got God guiding him and genuine people around him, that’s all he’ll need to wake up every day making the next day better than the last.