Is Notre Dame a Viable Transfer Option for Former Oklahoma State QB Wes Lunt?

Notre Dame could be an option for Wes Lunt, the former Oklahoma State quarterback who is trying to find a new school to call home. Starting Irish quarterback Everett Golson was suspended for the fall term due to an academic violation, as reported by WNDU on Saturday.

Oklahoma State will not release Lunt from his scholarship if he selects a Pac-12 or SEC school. Notre Dame was not included on the list of restricted schools. 

Lunt has Louisville and Illinois on his teams of interest. He has already visited Illinois and will be visiting Louisville on May 28, according to ESPN's Joe Schad.

What makes Notre Dame an interesting option is that Lunt is from Rochester, Ill., which is about a four-hour drive from Notre Dame's campus. Not only is Notre Dame an hour closer to his hometown than Louisville, but its Midwest feel could appeal more to Lunt.

Louisville may still be the better option for Lunt. 

Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is on 2013's Heisman watch lists and is projected to declare for the 2014 NFL draft. That would give Lunt a year to absorb the playbook before competing for the starting quarterback job next year. Unless Bridgewater has an unremarkable year and decides to return in 2014, Louisville looks like a great destination for Lunt.

But what about Notre Dame? 

Notre Dame is a more high-profile school than Louisville. The problem for Lunt is that he would be competing against Malik Zaire next season. Zaire was an early enrollee this year and was impressive in spring camp. While Tommy Rees looks like the front-runner going into fall camp, Zaire shouldn't be counted out. If Zaire were to be named starter this fall, Lunt would have a difficult time unseating a quarterback with starting experience next season.

Head coach Brian Kelly is impressed with Zaire. More from Scout:

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From the mental end of things, he's in the top group of guys that I've coached that really understands the nuances of the position and can understand coverages and rotations and pressures and movement keys. He's really at a high level there. His is simply we've got to tighten him up a little bit, quicker release, we've got to work on his footwork —the things we had to work on with Everett. But he's really got a good mind for the game.

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Notre Dame may be a viable option for Lunt to consider, but with Golson announcing that he will have an opportunity to return to Notre Dame this winter, Louisville and Illinois look like better options.