Gunner Kiel was once the hottest high school football recruit in the nation. After struggling at Notre Dame, he made the transfer to Cincinnati and during his junior season with the team, he had a rather up-and-down performance.
The quarterback dealt with multiple injuries, including one after a scary hit early in the 2015 season that nearly left him paralyzed. He battled with redshirt freshman Hayden Moore for the starting job and it looked like his time could be up with the Bearcats after he missed the team’s appearance in the Hawaii Bowl amidst “personal reasons.”
However, according to cincinnati.com, Kiel will return for his final year of eligibility with the Bearcats in place of being a graduate transfer for the 2016 season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville said that he is excited to have the quarterback back on their roster.
“Gunner Kiel is back in school and he’s doing well, after his personal problems,” Tuberville said. “We’re excited to have him back on the team.”
Despite Kiel being back for his final season, Tuberville has also explicitly told him that he would have to work to take the starting role back from Moore.
“As I told him, he’ll start from the bottom and work back up,” Tuberville said. “We all know what he’s done over the last couple years. He’s had some highlights and some lowlights. He’s got the potential but again, this is his last and senior year coming up. I expect him to be a leader.”
Kiel threw for 2,777 yards and 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in ten games during 2015. Moore threw for 1,885 yards and 9 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
