LZHS Grad Expected to be Leader for University of Minnesota Football

Jack Lynn, a 2012 graduate of Lake Zurich High School and former Bears football standout, is expected to be an anchor for the University of Minnesota defense this year.

The linebacker enters his senior season coming off a stellar 2015 season in which he played in all 13 games, started ten and recorded 76 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His 11 tackles for a loss were the best for a team that finished 6-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten.

But Lynn has set his sights much higher ahead of the 2016 campaign, which begins Thursday, Sept. 1 when the Gophers host Oregon State at TCF Bank Stadium.

Lynn says he was actually banged up a bit in 2015, and the best “is yet to come.”

"Individually, I just want to develop more in the film room,” said Lynn, a 2015 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection who says the Gophers’ team goal this year is to win the Big Ten championship. “We need to understand what offenses are trying to do to us, stay healthy and understand the defense as a whole."

In addition to himself, Lynn says Gopher fans can look for defensive lineman Scott Epke to have a big year.
“He was banged up last year. He is looking to be healthy and is going to take his game to the next level,” Lynn said.

Lynn was part of a Lake Zurich team that advanced all the way to the IHSA Class 7A championship game while he played locally. He says “the whole process of going to state” and “being with the brothers” during that year remains the highlight of his football playing career.

That, of course, could change if the Gophers follow up on several forecasts that they could be an under the radar contender in the Big Ten this year.