College Football

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.

By Rodger Sherman Apr 10, 2013, 1:44pm EDT

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.

Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting