Notre Dame Tight End Jake Golic Will Transfer To Cincinnati

(Courtesy Sports Illustrated)

The Bearcats got a nice surprise this morning in the form of an announcement from Mike Golic, co-host of ESPN’s radio show Mike & Mike. He informed his listeners that his son, Jake Golic, would be transferring from Notre Dame to Cincinnati. He will join former Irish quarterback Gunner Kiel who decided to come to Clifton early last month. Unlike Kiel, though, Golic will be able to play in 2013 for UC because of the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule.

Golic visited Clifton on Friday and, as it tends to go when players see what UC has to offer, he decided he didn’t want to be anywhere else. While at Notre Dame, the tight end had a tough time seeing the field. He played in a few games in 2010 but battled through injuries in 2011. That certainly hampered his development as well as his playing time last season when he participated in just two games. But like many transfers he will benefit from a new environment and the opportunity to go out with a bang in his final season.

For the Bearcats this is obviously great news on two fronts. Firstly, in 2013 there is quite the void to fill at tight end with Travis Kelce moving on to the NFL. Blake Annen and D.J. Dowdy will likely be the frontrunners to take over the starting role but there’s no saying that another player like Golic can’t supplant them. Plus offensive coordinator Eddie Gran could implement two-tight end sets this Fall, meaning there will be ample opportunities for all three (or others) to see the field. At the very least there is now plenty of depth at the tight end position with this transfer. Secondly, having a fan in the premier sports media outlet of ESPN is never a bad thing. With the line between perception and reality being continuously blurred nowadays, getting positive plugs from a national radio host in Mike Golic can only benefit UC.

Welcome to Cincinnati, Jake! Enjoy the Skyline!