Jones started Notre Dame's season opener against Georgia Tech and fumbled twice in the 33-3 defeat — the worst opening loss in Irish history. He was one of three quarterbacks who failed to get their foundering offense moving.

The sophomore from Chicago didn't make the trip to Michigan for Notre Dame's latest loss. Last week, Notre Dame agreed to release him from his scholarship as long as he transferred to a school that is not on its schedule.

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly recruited Jones out of high school when he was the head coach at Central Michigan. Jones attended a Bearcats practice on Wednesday and decided to enroll a day later.

"When he got here, it was a very comfortable situation for him," Kelly said, in a phone interview last night. "He knew a lot about me. I really think that helped him make a quick decision."

Jones is known for his mobility and will be a nice fit with Cincinnati's wide-open offense, Kelly said.

"He's the perfect profile for what we want to do offensively," Kelly said. "He's athletic, got great size and vision. He just needs experience right now."

At 4-0, the Bearcats are off to their best start since 1954 and have moved into the national rankings for the first time since 1967. Kelly came to the school from Central Michigan last December, led the Bearcats to a win in the International Bowl, then installed his new offense.

The Bearcats won't have an open scholarship until several players graduate in December. Jones will pay his way until then, and is scheduled to start classes on Monday.

Under NCAA rules, a player must be enrolled prior to the 12th day of classes to be eligible for the next season. Cincinnati didn't start classes until last week, making it attractive to Jones.