Yes, it’s a punter, but still...
In somewhat of a surprising move, Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville confirmed Tuesday that punter Pat O’Donnell has decided to leave the Bearcats for a transfer to Miami. Tuberville said the Palm Beach (Fla.) product decided to leave UC in order to be closer to home.
“He wants to be more around his parents right now,” Tuberville said according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I understand that. Miami is closer to home for him.”
O’Donnell was a first-team All-Big East performer in 2011 and earned second-team honors last year. He averaged 42.6 yards per punt as the Bearcats’ starting punter the past three years.
Another surprising part of this move? O’Donnell was listed as the Hurricanes’ starting punter on the post-spring depth chart released by the football program Tuesday -- and he’s not yet enrolled in school. That’s expected to happen at the start of either the summer or fall semester, the Miami Herald reports.
O’Donnell will graduate from UC later this month and will be eligible to play for the ‘Canes immediately in 2013.