Lynn’s in at Minnesota

A mini reunion awaits a large linebacker in Minny.

“It’s home away from home,” said Lake Zurich senior Jack Lynn, who counts many aunts, uncles and close friends in the state of Minnesota. “My mom is actually from Baltimore, but my dad is a big fan of Minnesota.”

Count new Minnesota head football coach Jerry Kill as a fan of Jack Lynn.

Lake Zurich’s 6-3½, 210-pound linebacker recently gave the former Northern Illinois coach a verbal commitment to play football for his Minnesota Golden Gophers.

“They’re starting something new there with Kill, so I want to be part of it,” Lynn said.

Lynn said he turned down scholarship offers from Kill’s old school (Northern), Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan Akron, Ball State, Illinois State and Western Illinois. He looks forward to getting the chance to play for Kill, who takes over a program that is coming off a 3-9 campaign (2-6 Big Ten) and has had back-to-back losing seasons.

“He just seems like a player’s coach,” Lynn said. “He holds you accountable for everything you do, kind of like Coach Stortz. I like that about him.”

Under Lake Zurich head coach Bryan Stortz, Lynn has flourished in a 5-3 scheme that often finds him acting as a “cover linebacker.”

Lynn is entering his third season as a starter. He helped the Bears reach the Class 7A state championship game last year and the state semifinals in 2009.

“He’s just a long kid — long and lean,” Stortz said. “He’s not a big, overpowering type of kid. When he gets to college, they’ll put 40 pounds on him.”

Stortz loves Lynn’s ability to play in space and make plays thanks to his impressive wingspan, quickness, lateral movement and closing speed.

With a season still to go, Lynn ranks 15th on the Bears’ all-time list for tackles. He had 63 tackles, including 11 in a game against Libertyville, last season.

“He can play in a 20-yard area as well as anyone can,” Stortz said. “When it comes to work ethic, he’s one of the best. He works hard out there.”

Lynn, who also caught a team-best 12 passes as a starting wide receiver last year, is confident the Bears will continue their winning ways this fall. Lake Zurich opens its season two weeks from today, Aug. 26, at Fremd.

“We believe we can get back to where we were last year,” said Lynn, who’s a team captain this season. “We just got to work hard.”

His motor is revving, especially with his college selection out of the way.

“I’m really excited,” Lynn said. “It’s like a monkey off my back, really. It’s so nice now. Senior year, I can just focus on that.”