National Signing Day 2012: Which Recruits Will Be Big-Time Flops?

It's a shame, but the level of attention given to Gunner Kiel mixed in with the fact that he chose Notre Dame makes his flop-potential very high.

Kiel has been touted as the golden-haired, golden-armed quarterback, spurning LSU to go play with a golden dome.  Somehow that just doesn't sound promising.

In this unforgiving sports world, those story lines are particularly unkind to quarterbacks. 

Recent highly touted high school signal callers Jimmy Clausen and Dayne Crist went to South Bend with high expectations, only to render less than stellar results.

I can't predict the future, but I can certainly recognize bad signs and the Kiel saga hasn't started well. 

Kiel had originally committed to play at Indiana.  But one month later, he reneged on that commitment and chose LSU before suddenly "going back to Indiana" like the Jackson Five. 

But not Bloomington.  South Bend.

Kiel offered this as his reasoning for his decision: 

"

“This recruitment process was a roller coaster ride at times, but I know I have made the right decision for my family and me.

"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."

"

Did it take three commitments to figure that out?  Playing quarterback at a Division I level is hard enough, but playing it at Notre Dame is another thing. 

And playing quarterback at Notre Dame under this much scrutiny is a whole other level of the game.  This is why Kiel tops my list.

Here are two other players with high bust potential:

DJ Humphries - Florida - OL

Humphries is one heck of an athlete, but at this point, he is only 265 pounds.  At 6'5", he certainly has room to add bulk, but will he retain the athleticism that makes him special? 

I even wonder if a position change may be in the cards for Humphries.

He is incredibly strong, but doesn't seem to want to add the bulk necessary to play tackle in the SEC.  He certainly has the athleticism to play defensive end. 

Position changes are a part of college football and Humphries may need that.  He certainly won't play early at 265 pounds. 

He may not see game action until his sophomore or even junior year at Gainesville.

Eddie Williams - Alabama - TBD

Williams is a freak athletically, but that's about all that's certain about him.  No one knows what position he will play. 

He is 6-foot-4, 205 pounds; that sounds like a wide receiver, and reports have indicated that's where his career will begin, but his 40-yard dash time of 4.6 seconds is a bit worrisome for a receiver.

If you look at him as a safety prospect, it's more exciting.  As rivals.com says, he has physical similarities to the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson. 

Others have mentioned him as an outside linebacker.

Too much indecision for too long can stagnate the development of a prospect.  This could be the case here.

I hope Williams finds a spot and makes a home there, so he can hone skills to match his physical gifts.

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