By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor’s unanimous All-American junior defensive end James Lynch announced Monday morning on Twitter that he is foregoing his senior season and will enter the 2020 NFL draft.
The program all-time sack leader’s decision was expected as a flurry of speculation followed his season as he set the single-season sack record with 13.5. He finished his Baylor career with the most at 22.
His decision also comes less than a week after head coach Matt Rhule departed for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and safety Grayland Arnold also declared.
Early draft projections have slotted Lynch into the second day of the draft, the second and third rounds. There is every expectation that he will get invited to the NFL combine Feb. 24-March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The draft is scheduled for April 23-25 in Las Vegas.
With the decision official, Baylor has to replace the entire 2019 defensive front between Lynch, James Lockhart and Bravvion Roy for the upcoming 2020 season. Lockhart and Roy were seniors.
Lynch (6-4, 295) was named a first team All-America selection by all five outlets that are considered for consensus and unanimous All-America honors - AP, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Sporting News and Walter Camp. He also claimed the 2019 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by both the conference coaches and the AP.
The Round Rock native was one of the major additions to Rhule’s first recruiting class of 2017. Rhule knew next to nothing of him.
Lynch committed to USC in August 2016 before re-opening his recruiting in December, days after Rhule was hired. Rivals rated Lynch at 3-star recruit with a 5.6 rating.
He also had a penchant for blocking kicks as he did against West Virginia on a field goal attempt in 2018 and on Iowa State’s field goal attempt end of the half in the 2019 meeting at McLane Stadium.
Lynch joins select company of those who have earned unanimous All-American honors. He is one of 10 to do so but the fifth one in the decade of the 2010s.
The list:
BAYLOR UNANIMOUS ALL-AMERICANS
1956 - Bill Glass, OG
1980 - Mike Singletary, LB
1986 - Thomas Everett, FS
1991 - Santana Dotson, DT
2006 - Daniel Sepulveda, P
2012 - Terrance Williams, WR
2013 - Cyril Richardson, OG
2015 - Corey Coleman, WR
2015 - Spencer Drango, OT
2019 – James Lynch, DL
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