Johnny Williams will not be at Notre Dame this season, as he announced his intention to transfer in a message posted to his Facebook page.
According to the Associated Press, a university spokesman confirmed Williams' impending departure, though there appears to be no destination in sight as of now. The six-foot-four defensive lineman did not play at all last season and was expected to compete for playing time this fall.
Williams played in the Irish's annual spring game, the South Bend Tribune reported, and he was credited with a significant sack that sealed his side's victory.
"Obviously for Jhonny, he's worked really hard to put himself in a position physically to get out there and compete," Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly told reporters at the time. "He's a really good athlete.
"Transitioning to Notre Dame has been difficult for him. He was underweight and playing at the defensive end position. He's worked so hard on putting on weight and making that transition, and carrying all that weight has been hard for him. He's got to work really hard in school and all those things, so it was nice to see him have some success today."
Speaking with Irish 247's Tom Loy, Williams said he came to his decision because of matter within his family that he did not want to discuss.
"I love Notre Dame. I love the coaching staff. I love the players. I love every single thing about Notre Dame. This has nothing to do with the football program or anything with the staff," he said. "I can't say it enough how much I appreciate my time at Notre Dame. This was just a decision about family. My family has been going through some stuff and my mom is dealing with some stuff and I just want to be a little closer to home right now. My mind has been elsewhere and that's where my focus has been. Things are much better now, so I want to find a fresh start somewhere and put my focus and attention into it 100-percent."
