Golson owed his teammates and university after he was kicked out for his academic issue. The easy decision at the time would have been to move on but he didn't do that. He came back, worked hard, got his degree, and tried his best to carry a football team with a disappointing offensive line and a very weak defense on his back. Obviously the last part didn't work out, but at the very least the ledger between Golson and the university/his teammates should have been considered even. The notion that he left his teammates in the lurch after spring shows me that some people are only looking at the situation from one perspective - the football program. Almost everyone agrees that Golson had a lot to prove in the spring after his turnover riddled season, and rightfully so, but they forget there was another perspective to consider. Golson's. Suiting up for spring ball was also an opportunity for Golson to see if some of the other problems had been fixed like the offensive line and the defense, and of course it was an opportunity for Golson to see if he could progress as a QB under Kelly and that staying for his 5th year would give him the best opportunity to make it to the NFL. In the end he obviously decided moving on gave him the best opportunity to pursue his dream.
Look, no one that I know of has ever tried to make the case that every player with a 5th year of eligibility deserves to automatically be given a roster spot. ND, like all other programs, does what's best for the team and many of those players are forced to move on. This shouldn't be a one way street. Players with 5th year options who can come back shouldn't be looked down upon when they decide not to come back.