College Football

Oregon TE Colt Lyerla leaves program

Lyerla leaves Eugene after putting together two impressive seasons with the Ducks.

By Scott Coleman@scottcoleman55 Oct 6, 2013, 9:51pm EDT

Oregon Ducks tight end Colt Lyerla has withdrawn from the University of Oregon and is no longer with the football team, according to an official release.

Lyerla was suspended for Saturday's game against Colorado, and while Oregon never officially said why he didn't make the trip with the team, it's being reported that he was repeatedly late and absent from team activities. Lyerla and head coach Mark Helfrich have reportedly been at odds for a few weeks now.

Lyerla, a junior, was expected to play a significant role in Oregon's offense this season. After hauling in 32 passes for 539 yards and 11 touchdown passes in 2011 and 2012, he got off to a bit of a slow start under Mark Helfrich.

Lyerla will look to continue his playing career professionally and will not transfer to a different school, according to the release.

At 6'5 and 250 pounds, Lyerla had the size and speed to be a difference-maker for the Ducks. In his absence, look for sophomore Pharaoh Brown and freshman John Mundt to get a majority of the reps at tight end.

In an official statement, Lyerla said, "I love everyone at Oregon; everyone's on good terms, I believe. Just for my own benefit, it was time to move on." He also added on Twitter: