Linebacker Jordan Genmark Heath exits Notre Dame football program

Linebacker Jordan Genmark Heath has stepped away from the Notre Dame football team, the program announced Monday night.

The senior will no longer practice with the team, plans to complete his degree in November and explore other football opportunities, the shared statement said.

Genmark Heath could have two seasons of eligibility remaining following a graduate transfer, because the NCAA has agreed to give all fall athletes an extra season of eligibility with an extra year to complete it.

That should mean Genmark Heath will have six years to complete five seasons of eligibility. He will have used three seasons of eligibility in four years by sitting out this season.

Earlier Monday, junior Shayne Simon and Marist Liufau were named as the co-starters at buck linebacker. Genmark Heath was competing for that opening on the Irish defense.

"Making this decision wasn't easy, but I believe that it's the right decision, and I look forward to earning my degree in November," Genmark Heath said in part of a statement he shared on Twitter. "I will determine what my next chapter looks like when that time comes."

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Genmark Heath played in all 39 games of his first three seasons at Notre Dame. His role was mostly limited to special teams with one start on defense coming against Northwestern in 2018. Genmark Heath tallied 42 tackles and one sack in his Notre Dame career.

Genmark Heath joined the Irish in 2017 as a safety out of San Diego Cathedral Catholic. 247Sports slated him as a four-star recruit and the No. 23 safety in the 2017 class. Rivals ranked him as a three-star recruit and the No. 67 athlete, a designation for players with uncertain position projections.