Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Landing Gunner Kiel Would Be a Historic Steal

When top quarterback recruit Gunner Kiel decommitted from Indiana and verbally committed to LSU, you figured it was set in stone.

After all, the Tigers just made it to the BCS Championship Game and their defense, combined with Kiel, would be a devastating combination for opponents.

But on Monday, the unthinkable happened: Reports came out that Kiel was considering Notre Dame over LSU.

Holy Fighting Irish!

For LSU, it must feel like a cruel joke that has to end sometime, right?

Well, maybe not. By the looks of things, Kiel is seriously considering decommitting from LSU. Perhaps he's still set on playing in his home state.

The thinking for Kiel appears to be simple: The whole reason he chose Indiana over LSU in the first place is because he obviously values his home state. However, despite Notre Dame's disappointing season, its football program is better positioned for success than Indiana. In choosing Notre Dame, Kiel would essentially be killing two birds with one stone, playing in Indiana and having the potential to reach a BCS bowl game.

Obviously, if Kiel wanted to position himself best for a national championship, he'd choose LSU, a program that still sports an elite defense despite cornerback Morris Claiborne and defensive tackle Michael Brockers leaving for the NFL.

But apparently it's not all about that for Kiel. Just think, if he led Notre Dame to a BCS bowl game or (gasp!) a national championship, he'd be looked at as the Bobby Plump (or Jimmy Chitwood) of Indiana football. He'd become a hometown hero and a figure who would be etched into the annals of Indiana's sports history.

Kiel is widely considered to be the top quarterback recruit in the 2012 class and is ranked No. 20 overall by ESPNU. He has the arm, mechanics and accuracy to be a big-time player in college, no matter who he is pitted against. He can also run if he is flushed out of the pocket.

This would be a godsend for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish's main problem this season was quarterback play, and they have a developing, young defense that limited opponents to 20.7 points per game in 2011.

Sure, Notre Dame will be without star receiver Michael Floyd, who is headed to the NFL, but they did pick up four-star receivers Justin Ferguson and Deontay Greenberry. The Fighting Irish also have junior Tyler Eifert, who racked up 63 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Make no mistake about it, nabbing a quarterback of Kiel's caliber from LSU would be one of the greatest steals in Notre Dame history.