Kiel's arrival ends a crazy 24-hour period of speculation, after Kiel changed his mind at the final hour.
“This recruitment process was a roller-coaster ride at times, but I know I have made the right decision for my family and me,” Kiel said. “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.
Last summer Kiel committed to Indiana but backed out of that pledge in October, and soon after made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame for its game against USC.
In late December, the Columbus (Ind.) East standout announced that he had selected LSU over Notre Dame and Vanderbilt, and was expected to enroll at LSU for the spring semester. Classes at LSU, like Notre Dame, begin Tuesday.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Kiel, however, reportedly did not show for a pre-spring semester meeting on the LSU campus, which fueled speculation that he may be pondering another change of heart.
“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. I couldn’t be happier to be a member of the Fighting Irish football team. I’m excited about the future of the program.”
Kiel is considered by most analysts to be the top high school quarterback in this year's recruiting class.
Spring semester classes begin Tuesday at Notre Dame.
