Coach Kelly confirmed Tuesday that quarterback Gunner Kiel is going to transfer. Sports Director Dean Huppert reported Kiel's decision to leave two weeks ago.
Kiel was the number one recruit in the country and had previously decommitted from Indiana and LSU.
Kelly says Kiel had a chance to compete for the starting QB job, but he felt Notre Dame wasn't the right fit. He says Kiel is looking at a number of regional and national schools.
"I don't know that I'm surprised. We had kind of created an opportunity for him to compete in the spring. So maybe a little surprised from that standpoint because he was actually told that he would be given an opportunity to compete.
Sometimes when you don't hear that, you know what I mean, you wouldn't be surprised because, I'm on the bottom of the depth chart," Kelly said.
"I think you never want to see guys not stay in the program. You don't bring guys in expecting them to transfer. There's always a sense from my end that we wish he would have given it an opportunity.
But kids make decisions based upon what are important factors to them. Gunner and his family felt like it was best for them to pursue other opportunities."
