Ex Notre Dame QB Gunner Kiel Reportedly Visited Cincinnati Scrimmage

Let the Gunner Kiel watch begin.

Transferring from Notre Dame, he is now a free man to test the waters and decide which school he wants to play for. Almost like free agency in a way, you can expect to hear updates about this kid as if he is Tim Tebow on ESPN.

The first school that has hopped on board is the Cincinnati Bearcats. According to Tom Groeschen of the Cincinnati Enquirer, (h/t College Football Talk), Kiel was spotted at the team's scrimmage last weekend, and he has spent the last two days with the program.

According to the Groeschen report, a Cincinnati source also says this may just be the beginning of a long journey for the former Rivals 5-star recruit.

“He’s looking at several schools,” the source said. “You never know. Throw your name in the hat, see what happens.”

The Bearcats could use an upgrade at the quarterback position, as they finished fourth in the Big East in passing yardage last season. The team does have two seniors leading the way this season in Munchie Legaux and Brendon Kay, both of whom were inconsistent last year.

But with both being on their last years of eligibility, a possible transfer to Cincinnati would allow Kiel the chance to start right away beginning in the 2014 season. A chance for immediate playing time is going to be big in his final decision. He decided to leave Notre Dame once he realized playing time might not have come as soon as he would have liked; the school is currently comfortable with Everett Golson.

This is also an interesting, considering current Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly spent four seasons in Cincinnati before leaving for South Bend. He put together a 34-6 record during that time and led the Bearcats to a BCS bowl back in 2008.

Cincinnati is entering its first season with head coach Tommy Tuberville at the helm. Despite facing many coaching changes over the years, this has become one of the more consistent programs in the Big East recently, winning double-digit games in five of the last six seasons.

Kiel received an offer from Cincinnati when recruited back in 2012, but he eventually ended up at Notre Dame after flip-flopping between Indiana and LSU before signing his letter of intent to play for the Irish.

While Cincinnati does appear to be an attractive option for Kiel, this isn't the last you are going to hear of the young man over the next several weeks.

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