Aaron Lynch, Sophomore, Defensive End, South Florida
Overview:
The big story on Aaron Lynch has been his transfer from Notre Dame to South Florida. Lynch and USF attempted to gain immediate eligibility due to family reasons, but were denied. As a result, the defensive end sat out the 2012 campaign after spending just one year with the Irish.
But it was one good year with the Irish. Lynch managed to earn six starts and make 12 appearances as a true freshman. He tallied 5.5 sacks, 7.0 tackles-for-loss and 14 quarterback hurries. At 6-6 and 244 pounds, he is a big lineman he can use brute strength to get into the backfield. But he is also surprisingly nimble for a man of his size. The expectations are extremely high, and should be, for Lynch as he prepares to play for the Bulls.
Final Projection:
With one season under his belt, Lynch is mostly riding on potential as far as the NFL draft is concerned. There is nothing the NFL does not like about a 6-6 pass rusher with potential. Lynch does need to keep the good times rolling through 2013. If he is going to remain a first round prospect, Lynch needs to show more than just potential at South Florida. He needs to be productive and continue to improve his footwork and fundamentals. Those are not unreasonable expectations and if all goes as planned, Lynch could be considered one of the top prospects in whichever draft he opts to declare for.
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