Gunner Kiel LSU: Elite QB Prospect the Missing Link for Les Miles' Tigers

Okay, somebody break up the LSU Tigers. They're getting to be a little too powerful.

In case you missed the news, top-ranked high school quarterback Gunner Kiel confirmed to the Indianapolis Star on Tuesday afternoon that he had committed to play for Les Miles at LSU. The Columbus East High School product will enroll at LSU for the spring semester, and he is hoping to be the Tigers' starting quarterback as soon as 2012.

That might be a bit of a stretch. Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson are both seniors who are set to graduate, but Miles may opt to redshirt Kiel and go with Zach Mettenberger or Stephen Rivers (brother of Philip) as his starting quarterback in 2012.

Regardless, it is just a matter of time before Kiel is under center for the Tigers, and that's a prospect that should scare the rest of the SEC. 

The SEC should be scared of Kiel because of what he is. If you believe Rivals.com, Kiel could very well be the second-coming of Peyton Manning. He has the goods to be an elite pro-style quarterback, as he already boasts an accurate arm and rare football savvy.

In watching Kiel play, his potential really shows through. But I'll let the video do the talking in that regard:

So let's say Kiel makes good on his potential and does indeed become a top-shelf quarterback. What then?

Simply put, LSU will have something it's not used to having under Les Miles. Even when he was at his best, JaMarcus Russell wasn't an elite quarterback, nor was Matt Flynn. The same goes for Lee and Jefferson. Amazingly, Miles' teams have been able to survive anyway.

The reason they've been able to survive is because they're strong everywhere else. This is particularly true of Miles' 2011 club, which emerged as the most dominant team in the country despite receiving less-than-stellar play from its quarterbacks. Defense, a high-powered rushing attack and above-average special teams play has gotten the Tigers where they are, not quarterback play.

As long as Miles is in charge, the Tigers aren't going to be lacking in terms of defense, nor will they abandon the run any time soon. So if they add a legit passing threat, they'll have virtually no weaknesses.

Sooner or later, that's where Kiel will come in. If he is what he's supposed to be, that's a bad thing for the rest of the SEC.