Former Notre Dame QB Drew Pyne is kind of returning to South Bend

Drew Pyne played quarterback at Notre Dame from 2020 to 2022. 

He transferred to Arizona State ahead of the 2023 season but after an uneventful and injury-filled stint in the desert, he once again entered the NCAA tranfser portal on Dec. 1st. 

As it turns out, Pyne will be back at Notre Dame. In an ironic twist, though, he won't be part of the Fighting Irish football program.

According to ESPN, Pyne is enrolling back at Notre Dame for the spring semester in order to finish his degree at the school. When he transferred to ASU, he was one semester away from graduating. 

"I've decided to return to Notre Dame to earn my degree and finish what I started," Pyne told ESPN. "It means I will fulfill a lifelong dream, and be part of that community forever, which was always very important to me."

Fighting Irish fans may be dismayed to learn that once Pyne graduates, he will once again leave Notre Dame in order to play his fifth college season elsewhere. Where that will be is still up in the air, but he will enroll at his new school in June, 2024.

Pyne was 8-2 as Notre Dame's starting quarterback.

"We are thrilled with Drew's decision to return to Notre Dame to complete his degree," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said. "Drew has always been a great fit with the values of Notre Dame so we are especially pleased that his degree will come from here."