Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsTuesday, August 4, 2026

Gunner Kiel lands at Cincinnati after leaving Notre Dame, according to ESPN

School No. 4 has reportedly laid claim to the former top-rated dropback quarterback prospect.

Gunner Kiel has picked his next - and who knows, maybe even his final - college destination, as the highly touted quarterback has settled on Tommy Tuberville's Cincinnati after leaving Notre Dame, according to ESPN's Joe Schad.

Considered the top pro-style quarterback prospect in the class of 2012, Kiel had been looking at Cincinnati as well as “three SEC teams” - Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Tennessee. He later was rumored to visit Ole Miss, where Hugh Freeze has recruited everything besides a five-star quarterback. Kiel was also linked to Kansas State as well as some MAC teams - not traditional options for an elite quarterback, but possibilities for somebody who has burned a few bridges as he seeks the right destination for his as-of-yet-unseen talents.

The Columbus, Indiana native has bounced around college football without ever having played a game. Once upon a time, he committed to Indiana. But that was fleeting, and soon he had chosen LSU. But that, too, was fleeting, and he was at Notre Dame - but not before Les Miles took some digs at him. Notre Dame seemed like the spot - close to home, nationally elite - but there was a problem: the guy considered the best quarterback in the country couldn't beat out Everett Golson for the team's starting spot, as the freshman played while Kiel redshirted. Rather than sit behind Golson for three years, Kiel announced he was once again on the move.

Kiel will have three years of eligibility left for the Bearcats, as he'll sit out the upcoming season due to transfer rules and has already used his redshirt season. Cincinnati already has two quarterbacks, Munchie Legaux and Brendon Kay, in the mix for its 2013 job, so he'll be a backup for now.

More from SB Nation:

Inside Butch Jones’ Tennessee

Two words: JurasSEC Park

DAN ON FIRE: Stop drafting SEC players

Nebraska’s Jack Hoffman makes the play of 2013?

MASCOT SMASH

How’s Auburn Scandal Week holding up?

College Football
College football rankings: Preseason top-25 teams, according to usCollege football rankings: Preseason top-25 teams, according to us
College Football

Here’s our top-25 teams in college football.

By Mark Schofield
NFL Draft beat
How NFL-ready is Arch Manning?How NFL-ready is Arch Manning?
NFL Draft beat

Arch Manning is the presumptive QB1 in the 2027 draft class that’s supposed to be generational. What does he need to improve in order to make that a reality?

By Doug Farrar
College Football
College Football 27 review: The greatest meal that leaves a bad taste in your mouthCollege Football 27 review: The greatest meal that leaves a bad taste in your mouth
College Football

Brilliant in so many ways, flawed in one key area.

By James Dator
NFL
Brendan Sorsby stuck as NFL announces NO Supplemental Draft in 2026Brendan Sorsby stuck as NFL announces NO Supplemental Draft in 2026
NFL

Another setback for the QB.

By James Dator
College Football
The NCAA can appeal Brendan Sorsby’s shocking reinstatement, but Texas law isn’t on their sideThe NCAA can appeal Brendan Sorsby’s shocking reinstatement, but Texas law isn’t on their side
College Football

A big can of worms has been opened in college sports

By Mark Schofield
College Football
Here’s your first look at ‘College Football 27’ and ‘Madden 27’Here’s your first look at ‘College Football 27’ and ‘Madden 27’
College Football

Mascot game! Tush push!

By James Dator