We are happy to get Dehonta Hayes. He was available right when we had that need. He makes our defense complete and fits with our defensive scheme. We need someone that is going to be a smart football player.  So we welcome hard hitting Hayes to the Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks.

*** 2018 Academic Honors Candidate ***

2019: Listed as a starter at safety on the preseason depth chart.

2018: Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. He had 41 tackles, three passes broken up and an interception during EWU’s seven-game winning streak from Oct. 27 to Dec. 15. In a 50-18 victory over Maine (12/15/18) in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs, Hayes led Eastern with a career-high 13 tackles, eclipsing his previous high of 12 versus Weber State (10/13/18). He also had a pass broken up versus the Black Bears, helping EWU establish a new season school record (total of 70 on the season). Against Southern Utah (10/6/18) in a 55-17 win, Hayes made the first start of his career and finished with what was then a career-high 11 tackles. He started nine of the final 10 games of the season for EWU, including all four games in the FCS Playoffs. He finished with 87 tackles to rank third overall on the team and first among defensive backs, and also had an interception and four passes broken up. Hayes had five tackles, an interception and a pass broken up in a 48-13 victory over Northern Colorado (11/3/18). He also had 12 tackles against Weber State (10/13/18). He was second on the team with 19 tackles and had a pair of passes broken up in three spring scrimmages. He also had an interception in the Red-White Game.

2017: Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. Did not start, but played in eight games as a backup safety and on special teams. He finished with six tackles on the season, including a career-high four in EWU’s season opener against Texas Tech (9/2/17). He had 11 tackles in three spring scrimmages.

2016: Played sparingly as a non-lettering squad member.

2015: Redshirted. Was selected as the team’s defensive scout team player of the week once.

HS: Graduated from Lincoln HS in 2015. Listed as a three-star recruit and was rated as the second-best safety and 16th-best prospect in the state of Washington by Scout.com. He was named by the Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. In his career, he had 15 interceptions, 240 tackles, five special teams touchdowns and three times was a team captain. As a senior in 2014, Hayes was a first team All-3A Narrows League selection as a defensive back and a second team selection at wide receiver and kick returner. He was also a second team selection at defensive back on the Tacoma News Tribune All-Area team. On the season, Hayes had 62 total tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes broken up, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. Offensively, he totaled 11 carries for 127 yards and four touchdowns, caught 25 passes for 437 yards and two TDs, and also had three kick returns (two punts and one kickoff) for touchdowns. Hayes was a two-way starter at wide receiver and defensive back. Lincoln would finish the season with an 11-1 record, losing only to eventual State 3A champion Eastside Catholic in the quarterfinals. In that game, Hayes scored on a 74-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give the Abes a 7-0 lead. He then added a 32-yard receiving TD in the second quarter that extended the lead to 14-0. He also had a 58-yard kick return in the eventual 28-21 loss. In Lincoln’s district playoff win against Nathan Hale, Hayes scored touchdowns three ways -- receiving, on a 60-yard interception return and on a 56-yard punt return. He also returned the game’s opening kickoff 50 yards and forced a fumble after chasing a running back on a 61-yard gain. Prior to the season, Hayes was named as a defensive back to the Ultimate Northwest Team, made up of players from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia by Scout.com. He was also named as a defensive back on the Tacoma News Tribune preseason All-State team. As a junior in 2013, Hayes was a starter at defensive back for the Abes and lettered a total of four seasons. He has a 40-inch vertical jump, a 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash, a time of 4.14 in the short shuttle and a jump of 10-1 in the standing broad jump. He also competed in track and field, placing third in the long jump (22-0 1/4) and fourth in the triple jump (44-3) at the State 3A Championships in 2015. He was ninth in the triple jump as a sophomore. He registered personal bests of 22-2 in the long jump and 44-6 1/2 in the triple jump as a senior. His Eagle teammate Jayson Williams (’15) also attended Lincoln. They were coached at Lincoln by Jon Kitna, who was a college teammate of Beau Baldwin’s at Central Washington. Hayes had a 3.6 grade point average in high school.

Personal: Communication studies major, and has a 3.81 grade point average thus far at EWU. Born 6/11/97 in Tacoma, Wash. Parents are Bryan Hayes and Jeannette Morales. Nickname is “Jet.” First name is pronounced “duh-hawn-tay.”

DEHONTA HAYES Top Tackling Performances (3 with 10+)

13 tackles – Maine – 12/15/18

12 tackles – Weber State – 10/13/18

11 tackles – Southern Utah – 10/6/18