Alabama Football: Gunner Kiel Chooses Indiana over Alabama

Gunner Kiel, the nation's No. 1 pro-style passer, has apparently ended his recruitment by indicating Wednesday he's choosing Indiana over the University of Alabama.

It had come down to those two after Oklahoma accepted the commitment of another quarterback and Kiel chose to stay home rather than go elsewhere.

In the last few weeks, Kiel had hinted distance would have something to do with his decision. That and the pull from playing on the same team with his brother ended up being too much for any other school to overcome.

In a quote to IndyStar.com, Kiel said, “I’ve got to know the coaching staff there really well and they are great guys.”

“Coach Wilson comes from a team [Oklahoma] that is known for winning games. A big part is that I have family on the team and it’s 45 minutes away," said Kiel. "I know basically everyone on the team and go there to visit my brother and talk to everyone. It’s a family atmosphere and I like that. No matter where I go, I’m going to support Indiana football.”

That leaves Alabama in contention with Florida State for the services of Jameis Winston, the nation's No. 1 dual-threat QB. That is something that scares most Alabama fans as Winston will soon be offered a pro baseball contract that could be worth millions. This was discussed in a previous article.

Alabama could now turn their focus toward a new candidate as well. Nick Saban has a list of other quarterbacks that he's already offered scholarships to, as was discussed in yet another article. Now it's only about turning up the heat on some of them.

With Kiel now signing elsewhere, it may even cause some QB prospects that had not considered Alabama to take a harder look at it. Gunner had scared off some people from going head to head with him at various schools where he was being courted.

It will be interesting to see how things shake out from here in Tuscaloosa.