Is it over yet? I’ll wait until I actually see the top-rated 2012 high school quarterback takes a snap in a game.
Gunner Kiel (6-4, 220), one of the most coveted high school football players in the country, has committed to his third different college. Notre Dame announced Tuesday that Kiel had signed his scholarship and was enrolled in classes.
“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 in a school news release.
“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.
Kiel originally committed to play for Coach Wilson and Indiana on July 27th. Less than three months later, on Oct. 21st, he decommitted.
Then on Dec. 28th, he gave another verbal commitment to LSU. And three weeks later, he decommitted, again.
To me, Kiel’s recruitment is a red-flag.
I’m not sure he knows what he wants. Did he allow others to direct his recruitment early or late? Did he rush into a decision and not visit schools multiple times?
Being indecisive is not a good trait for a quarterback. In the end, it appears proximity to home was the biggest factor.
Gunner heading to Indiana would have been huge, but the lack of on-field success and how the coaching staff went about things turned him away. His older brother Dusty, who would have been a redshirt-junior next season, has decided to transfer.
For Notre Dame, this is huge. In his second year, Brian Kelly’s team went 8-4 and lost to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl. Gunner will challenge Tommy Rees for the starting position right away and will now follow in the steps of his uncle, Blair Kiel, who played for the Irish from 1980-1983.
In his senior season at Columbus East, Kiel passed for 2,517 yards and 28 touchdowns and rushed for 482 yards and 11 scores. He was later named Indiana’s Mr. Football and the Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year.
“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.”
Let’s hope this commitment sticks.