After last Saturday’s no-show at Cincinnati’s Spring practice, punter Patrick O’Donnell is rumored to be transferring to Miami (FL), near where he went to high school:
Sounds like Cincinnati punter Patrick O'Donnell will finish his career at Miami. Went to Palm Beach Central HS. http://t.co/WSOjapABXo
— Luke Stampini (@LukeStampini) April 14, 2013
From a personal standpoint, the move makes sense. His family lives down there and the Hurricanes have a historically strong football program despite running into hard times of late. But his reason for leaving Cincinnati is still a mystery. Coming into his final season as a Bearcat, O’Donnell was a sure-fire selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. His size and especially his ability to flip the field translated extremely well to the pros. So why leave now when he’s spent the last 4 years establishing himself at UC? It’s all speculation at this point but I’d bet it was some kind of disagreement with the current coaching staff that led him to make the difficult decision.
Ultimately for Cincinnati, they will have a gaping hole at punter if these rumors of Pat O’Donnell’ transferring ring true. His leg has been integral in UC victories over the last few years. Now those responsibilities will have to fall on the shoulders of junior John Lloyd who will have the pressure of following a series of great punters before him.