Gunner Kiel
After a whirlwind recruitment process, quarterback Gunner Kiel is finally enrolled in college — and it’s Notre Dame. The school confirmed that in a release Tuesday, mentioning that he joined defensive lineman Sheldon Day and defensive back Tee Shepard as freshman early-enrollees. Running back Amir Carlisle, who transferred from USC, also enrolled in classes Tuesday.
“This recruitment process was a rollercoaster ride at times, but I know I have made the right decision for my family and me,” Kiel said in a statement. “There were three critical elements I was looking for in my future school: the quality of education I would receive, the distance from home and the comfort level I would have with the players and coaches in the football program. Notre Dame was the perfect fit for me because it hit all three areas.
Gunner Kiel
“Coach Kelly was great throughout my recruitment, as many times our conversations had nothing do with football. That really showed me he had my best intentions in mind. He was persistent yet also patient while recruiting me and I look forward to playing for him the next four years.”
Kiel, who is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds and Rivals.com’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the country out of East High in Columbus, Ind., verbally committed to LSU on Dec. 27 over a bunch of schools including nearby Notre Dame and Indiana. He had previously committed to Indiana.
Before that, Kiel had said Alabama and Oklahoma were his two finalists in early 2011.
By Nicole Auerbach
