For the second time since becoming the head coach at Kansas, Charlie Weis is bringing in a transfer player he had recruited during his underwhelming stint at Notre Dame.
Tight end Mike Ragone confirmed to the South Bend Tribune that the NCAA Thursday granted him a sixth season of eligibility. Instead of using it at Notre Dame, however, Ragone has decided to transfer to the Jayhawks after not being invited back to the Irish program, the Tribune wrote.
“I’m pretty excited right now,” Ragone told the paper. “I want to do big things, now that I have this chance.”
Ragone missed the entire 2008 season with a knee injury suffered during summer camp, and was granted a fifth season of eligibility. He tore another ACL during the third game of the 2011 season and missed the remainder of the year, leading to the NCAA’s no-brainer decision to grant him a sixth season.
During his injury-plagued career with the Irish, Ragone caught 11 passes for 109 yards. Ragone was a four-star member of Weis’ 2007 recruiting class and the No. 3 TE in the country.
A member of Weis’ 2008 recruiting class, quarterback Dayne Crist, announced in December of last year that he would be transferring to the Jayhawks from the Irish. Both Ragone and Crist will be eligible to play immediately as each has already graduated.
Ragone is actually the second transfer Weis has landed this week that will be eligible to play immediately. Late last night, it was reported that former Nebraska defensive end Josh Williams will finish his collegiate playing career in Lawrence.