Tyler Luatua flips on BYU transfer, will remain at Notre Dame

Tyler Luatua's career at BYU is over before it started, as the Notre Dame tight end has decided not to transfer and will remain with the Fighting Irish.

The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder announced in February that he was transferring to BYU for the fall semester in 2016, but has decided to remain with Brian Kelly's program in South Bend, Ind.

"Family is extremely important to me and I had a strong desire to be closer to them, which led to my initial decision to seek a transfer," Luatua said in a statement Friday. "However, once I was able to truly sit down with them and talk about everything, it became obvious that Notre Dame has become my home. I regretted my decision and realized that this place is where I should be, and need to be, moving forward."

Luatua has spent two seasons with Notre Dame, but has yet to catch a pass, being used primarily as a blocking tight end. Luckily for him and coach Kelly, there was a roster spot available for him to remain with the program.

"Tyler came to me in the last couple of weeks and expressed his unquestioned desire to rejoin the program," Kelly said. "Fortunately, we're in a position from the roster standpoint to bring him back. He's most certainly grateful for the opportunity and I'm convinced this is the right thing for him."

The Irish kick off the 2016 season with a massive trip to face Texas on Sept. 4.