Defensive End Aaron Lynch Reportedly Transferring From Notre Dame; USF Possible Destination

Aaron Lynch missed Notre Dame practice midway through last week for “personal reasons,” but was

reported to return to the Irish

this past Monday. Instead, it appears now Lynch is leaving the program altogether.

CBSSports.com’s Brett McMurphy tweeted that Lynch said he wants to return to his home state of Florida.

Coming out of Island Coast High (Cape Coral, Fla.), Lynch was rated the No. 3 defensive end prospect in the nation. He failed to disappoint as a true freshman at ND, registering a team high 5.5 sacks and recording 34 tackles overall.

Lynch was a key component of the Irish’s No. 24 scoring defense. Lynch would have been the star on a stacked Irish line this season. ND returns interior lineman Louis Nix III, as well as end Kapron Lewis-Moore.

Opposing offensive lines would have to begin game planning around Lynch. His hulking 6-foot-6 (probably closer to 6-foot-7), 275-pound frame makes him a force rushing off the edge, and he was shocking speed for a player his size. He has future first round NFL Draft pick written all over his game. What university he transitions to the pros from is the question.

247sports.com reporter Josh Newberg tweeted he expects Lynch to enroll at USF, “possibly by this summer.” Lynch will not be eligible until 2013. Newberg’s tweet is unsourced though, so anticipate a flurry of high hopes emanating from the fan bases of several Florida programs.