Gunner Kiel, the top-rated quarterback in the 2012 signing class, enrolled at Notre Dame on Tuesday. Kiel had committed to LSU.Nearly 29,000 students began spring semester classes Tuesday at LSU, but Gunner Kiel was not among them.
The nation's No. 1 high school quarterback prospect committed to the Tigers late last month but enrolled Tuesday at Notre Dame, a program rich in tradition but just 31-31 the past five seasons. His uncle, Blair Kiel, quarterbacked the Irish from 1980 to '83 and was the starter most of that time until getting supplanted his senior season by freshman Steve Beuerlein.
"This recruitment process was a roller-coaster ride at times, but I know I have made the right decision for my family and me," Gunner Kiel said Tuesday through a Notre Dame 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."
He threw for 2,517 yards and 28 touchdowns this past season in leading Columbus East to Indiana's Class 4A semifinals. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder also rushed for 482 yards and 11 scores.
Rivals.com's top pro-style quarterback and No. 20 overall prospect committed in July to Indiana, where older brother Dusty plays quarterback and had starts this past season against Penn State and Illinois. He reneged on his nonbinding pledge to the Hoosiers in October.
Kiel's latest change of heart leaves former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger as the clear favorite to take over at LSU. The 6-5, 222-pounder played in five games for the Tigers in 2011 after transferring from Butler County (Kan.) Community College, and he completed 8 of 11 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown in LSU's 49-3 trampling of Northwestern State.
Mettenberger's challengers this spring will be Jerrard Randall and Stephen Rivers, who signed with the Tigers last year and redshirted. Rivers is the younger brother of San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.
"I don't think they skip a beat," ESPN recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg said. "It's LSU, so you're talking about one of the most loaded programs in the country. One kid is not going to make or break their class."
A rare canning?
Former Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez recently resigned after two seasons as Oklahoma's secondary coach. His departure has allowed Sooners head coach Bob Stoops to hire younger brother Mike Stoops, who will coach defensive backs and serve as co-defensive coordinator with Brent Venables.
The Tulsa World reported that it was more of a force-out than a resignation for Martinez, who according to the paper becomes the first assistant in Stoops' 13 seasons to be let go.