No Aaron Lynch Until 2013 For South Florida

Aaron Lynch Will Sit Out 2012 After USF Transfer After All

University of South Florida defensive end Aaron Lynch will sit out the 2012 season after his waiver for eligibility was denied by the NCAA, according to a tweet by USF coach Skip Holtz. Lynch, who transferred to USF from Notre Dame in April, will be eligible to play for the Bulls in 2013.

Lynch, who joined the Bulls just 10 days after officially departing South Bend, Ind., was expected to be a major contributor for USF if he had been cleared to play by the NCAA. A freshman All-American at Notre Dame, Lynch recorded 33 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 14 pressures and a forced fumble in 2011.

The 6'6, 270-pound defensive end was a highly touted recruit coming out Island Coast high school in Cape Coral, Fla., and picked Notre Dame over offers from Florida, Florida State and Miami. His decision to transfer to USF was made primarily to be closer to home and his family.

Aaron Lynch Indeed Transferring To South Florida, Skip Holtz Announces

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive end Aaron Lynch is officially transferring to play for the South Florida Bulls, coach Skip Holtz announced Monday afternoon. The former four- or five-star recruit (depending on where you look) will enroll in USF's Summer B session, which begins June 25.

The Irish's leading pass rusher last year will have to sit out a year before joining the Bulls, but he'll have three years worth of eligibility remaining. Shortly after the season ended, rumors flourished that Lynch was homesick. He's from Cape Coral, Florida.

With linebacker Devekeyan Lattimore (seven sacks) and defensive end Ryne Giddins (4.5 sacks) among those who could still be around by the time Lynch takes the field in Tampa, the Bulls could field a pretty mighty pass rush in 2013.

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For more on USF football, visit South Florida blog Voodoo Five, plus Big East blog Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

Aaron Lynch Transferring To USF, Says Fellow Former Irish Player

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive end Aaron Lynch is transferring to a school in Florida in order to be closer to his family. The South Florida Bulls have been the favorite all along, though the Miami Hurricanes and others have been mentioned as potential candidates.

Lynch is indeed headed to the Bulls, says defensive back Spencer Boyd, another Cape Coral native who once transferred from Notre Dame to USF himself.

#USFNation show love and follow my bro @tHa_Killa_19 ! He'll be joining the USF family in the summer! Big addition to the team!

— Spencer Boyd (@S_Boyd31) April 19, 2012

The future teammate-confirmed transfer isn't always the most rock solid piece of evidence, and Boyd himself is in some sort of semi-suspended state.

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For more on USF football, visit South Florida blog Voodoo Five, plus Big East blog Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

Aaron Lynch Transfer Damages Notre Dame's Depth Chart

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have lost star defensive end Aaron Lynch, a rising sophomore who had 5.5 sacks in 2011. He wants to head to a school closer to home in Florida, with the South Florida Bulls emerging as a potential candidate. The move heavily damages an Irish defense that was counting on its front seven to make up for secondary losses.

If not for the return of Manti Te'o, Notre Dame would return no players with four or more sacks last year. As it is, no returning defensive lineman amassed more than two. Lynch led all defensive linemen in tackles for loss (7) and ranked second at his position group in tackles (33).

All isn't lost, as the Irish do still have a talented pair of ends. Freshman bookend Stephon Tuitt becomes the biggest name on the line, while big Kapron Lewis-Moore is an experienced end who saw limited playing time last year, picking up 32 tackles before suffering an injury. He has 29 career starts to his credit already and figured to work into the starting rotation anyway. Chase Hounshell, Sheldon Day and Kona Schwenke are among the players likely to contend for backup time.

Notre Dame blog One Foot Down has been anticipating this for a while, despite hoping for the best.

In a pair of statements, coach Brian Kelly and Lynch each talked about the move:

"Aaron recently approached me about his desire to leave Notre Dame and return to Florida," Kelly said in a release. "I've always known and appreciated the affinity Aaron has for his home in Florida. However, the stark reality is you can't make it at Notre Dame if your head and heart are not here. I am proud of the effort Aaron made in the classroom and on the field at Notre Dame. I wish him all the best in the future."

"I want to thank Coach Kelly for giving me this great opportunity to attend Notre Dame and be part of the Fighting Irish football family. This was one of the toughest decisions I have had to make, but I want to go back home to Florida. I'm grateful to Coach Kelly for understanding and allowing me to return home."

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For more on Irish football, visit Notre Dame blog One Foot Down, plus SB Nation Indiana.

For more on USF football, visit South Florida blog Voodoo Five, plus Big East blog Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

Aaron Lynch Leaving Notre Dame, Possibly For South Florida

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will indeed lose promising defensive end Aaron Lynch to a transfer. After what appeared to be a bout of homesickness, the star sophomore is heading closer to his native lands.

Notre Dame starting DE Aaron Lynch is transferring. "I want to go back home to Florida," Lynch said

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyCBS) April 13, 2012

The South Florida Bulls have become the most popular potential destination prediction:

I'm expecting Aaron Lynch to enroll at #USF possibly by this summer -- ow.ly/ag7lm

— Josh Newberg (@joshnewberg247) April 13, 2012

Lynch led the Irish in sacks as a freshman last year. He has personal ties all around the Tampa area.

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For more on USF football, visit South Florida blog Voodoo Five, plus Big East blog Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

While we're here, let's watch some college football videos from SB Nation's new YouTube channel together:

Aaron Lynch Rumors: Notre Dame Coach Expects Star DE To Return

Aaron Lynch is expected back at Notre Dame spring practice next week, says Brian Kelly.