College Football 2012 Recruiting: Power Ranking Gunner Kiel & the Top 20 QBs

It's time we take another look at our QB board and re-update our rankings for the top 2012 gunslingers.

Of course, with the scrutiny of the position comes scrutiny of the prospects in recruiting.

There seems to be a solid three that have separated themselves form the pack by a slight margin evaluation-wise, but this year has some serious skill from top to bottom throughout the board.

Gunner Kiel is still doing all he can to fend off some great talent form across the country.

Is he the top quarterback?

Some say he is, some say they like another guy or two over him. Come see where Kiel is on our board! 

20. Bennie Coney

At 6'2", 210 pounds, Coney is one of the prospects in the southeast region for 2012.

He's a good QB who has a solid delivery to combine with good arm strength to make every throw.

Aside form being able to throw the ball deep, Coney can lead a drive well and pick up first downs with ease.

Coney also has good athleticism to move around the pocket and escape the rush.

He seems to be really interested in Florida State but also likes Michigan, Notre Dame, LSU and Cincinnati.

19. Tanner Mangum

Mangum likely is the top prospect in Idaho and is one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

At 6'3", 190 pounds, he combines great leadership with pocket presence and mobility.

Mangum can drop back, scan the field, make a decision and attack defenses with his arm, yet also beat it with his mind.

He had an offer from Boise State, but he recently fell in love with and pledged to BYU.

18. Travis Wilson

Wilson is a 6'6", 210-pound signal caller with a super quick release who has the frame and size to see over the rush and not have his throwing lanes clogged

He won't wow you with running ability or a top-notch arm, but his field vision and quick release allow him to win football games.

He shows great touch and the awareness of when a fastball is not needed and can loft balls over defenders.

He has offers from Utah, Washington, Arizona State and Colorado.

17. Shane Dillon

Dillon reminds me a lot of Wilson because of his thin frame and quick release. He's 6'5", 185 pounds, but he has a stronger arm than Wilson.

Dillon has solid mechanics, footwork in his climb and set, and good delivery.

He likes to stand tall in the pocket and scan the field. He's an adequate decision maker and can get upfield with his legs.

Ohio State and Cincinnati have offered, with Miami and USC showing serious interest.

16. Wes Lunt

At 6'3", 180 pounds Lunt has found himself in Kiel's shadow when banter revolves around top QBs from the Midwest.

Don't count Lunt out though, as he is a classic drop-back passer with a solid arm, good accuracy and flashes of elusiveness.

He is a competitor who does all he can to win games, and his gritty attitude is infectious in the huddle.

He has offers from Michigan State, Louisville and Illinois, among others.

15. Cyler Miles

A stout and thick QB with size, the 6'2", 220-pound Miles is becoming a favorite of mine.

He's a winner who also flashes a great arm, great accuracy evidenced by his 70 percent completion clip and good athleticism.

He's a wanted man because he has an undefeated season under his belt, along with a Colorado state championship.

He has received offers from Baylor, both Arizona schools, Vanderbilt, both Colorado schools, Pitt and UCF.

14. Jeff Lindquist

It's a good year for talent in the state of Washington, and Lindquist is one of the elite prospects for the 2012 class.

A duel-threat QB prospect, Lindquist is a 6'3", 225 pounder who has drawn  comparisons to Jake Locker.

He threw for just about 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000. A one-man offensive show, Lindquist is poised to put up bigger numbers as a senior.

Both Washington schools and Stanford are his top offers at the moment.

13. Jeremy Liggins

Liggins reminds me a lot of Cardale Jones, the QB/ATH who signed with Ohio State in 2011. At 6'4", 235 pounds, Liggins is a fantastic athlete who has all the physical tools you want at QB.

If he can get seasoned up on his mechanics, he could be a steal.

He has an unorthodox delivery in his throwing motion, but he makes plays and can burn a defense as a runner.

He has offers from most of the SEC.

12. Trevor Knight

There seems to be some differences in Knight's listed weight. He's 6'2" but has been listed as low as 160 pounds to as high as 200 pounds.

No matter what he is, he still needs to add some girth to take hits in college.

He does possess a live arm with great velocity and revolutions on his intermediate balls. He flashes a quick release to get the ball out in a hurry and is a solid runner.

Knight is headed to Texas A&M. 

11. Will Gross

Gross' numbers compare to John Gray's, the top running back in the country on my board.

Gross has tossed for over 9,000 yards and 70 touchdowns in the past two seasons.

Wow.

At 6'3", 190 pounds, he's a very good decision maker, shows a complete command and understanding of his team's offense and has a quick release.

A mobile runner, Gross has Louisville and Mississippi State as his leading offers. 

10. Devin Fuller

Fuller is a dual-threat QB who has compared himself to Michael and Marcus Vick. At 6'0", 185 pounds, he can beat you as a passer or as a runner.

Fuller has a plus arm, attacks all levels and make throws on the run.

He can be a bit streaky with his accuracy, but he explodes in his climbs and shows good set up quickness inside the pocket.

Alabama, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, TCU and Kansas are in the mix for his services.  

9. Zach Kline

At 6'2", 195 pounds, Kline is a QB who you respect because of his work ethic. He does a great job of working on his craft, studying film and working on his mechanics.

On tape, its clear Kline has been schooled on going through his progressions as he works his eyes from section to section across the field, looking for the best decision to make.

He also flashes a solid arm and good accuracy.

Kline is headed to Cal and has been recruiting other top prospects to join him on Tightwad Hill.

8. Bart Houston

An Eagle Scout, Houston also shows his ability to be resourceful on the field.

At 6'4", 200 pounds, he is a winner, which a QB has to be at powerhouse Concord De La Salle in NorCal. 

Houston has good size, a great arm and also shows the ability to play within himself and be patient. He really picks his spots to attack and when to just hit a single, so to speak.

UCLA, Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona and Colorado have made offers.

7. Maty Mauk

Mauk is a QB who also has put up some serious and gaudy stats similar to Gross.

At 6'2", 190 pounds, he plays in a wide-open passing offense that runs a lot of empty, 11 and 10 personnel sets.

Mauk is looking hard at a number of schools, but Missouri, Notre Dame, Cincinnati and Michigan seem to be among the top.

He wants a decision to be made before the season so he can go back to focusing on lighting up defenses.

6. Greyson Lambert

Perhaps the top QB in Georgia over the past two seasons, the 6'5", 195-pound Lambert now has seen his moment arrive on the recruiting front.

He stands tall in the pocket, showing he knows how to use his height to his advantage to see over the rush.

Lambert also has a very good arm and can zip the ball with accuracy to all sections of the field. He sees all levels of the field well and makes good decisions.

He's wide open at this point with offers from Georgia, Clemson, Miami and Alabama, among many others.

5. Connor Brewer

At 6'3", 190 pounds, Brewer is among the top players in Arizona for 2012 and is the top QB prospect.

He has two state titles in the past two seasons and is pretty athletic for a pocket passer.

Brewer displays a live arm, toughness, vision, anticipation and also is a good running threat.

He does not seem to back down from defenders is quite physical as a runner.

He is a Texas pledge.

4. Matt Davis

Davis is a QB that you may not have heard too much about because he missed almost all of his junior year with a torn ACL.

Yet, the 6'1", 200 pounder is a playmaker and a weapon at the signal caller spot.

He has a cannon for an arm, flashes accuracy to all levels and can make plays with his feet. He needs to answer questions about if his knee is healthy, but if it is, he will put up big-time numbers as a senior.

He has over 25 offers and has taken unofficial visits to Texas A&M, Auburn and Oklahoma so far.

3. Jameis Winston

Winston is a five-star recruit and the top dual-threat QB prospect in the country. He is a polished pocket passer, and the 6'4", 200 pounder can beat you both ways.

Perhaps what makes Winston so good is his leadership qualities, which come out naturally when you are around him.

It also helps that he has a sea of natural God-given talent to do anything he wants on the football field.

Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Florida State are the main schools in the race.

2. Zeke Pike

At 6'6", 225 pounds, Pike is a fantastic QB prospect. He has everything you look for throwing-wise in a QB recruit: good delivery, arm strength and touch.

Pike reminds me a bit of Ryan Mallett but is a better running threat than the former Arkansas QB.

Like Mallett, Pike has heard whispers about his maturity but seems to be OK in that department. 

Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Clemson and Auburn all have or will have seen Pike for an unofficial visit before the spring is over.

1. Gunner Kiel

Kiel has the golden touch right now.

At 6'4", 200 pounds, he is a five-star QB recruit and the top passer in the country. He reminds me a bit of Blaine Gabbert.

Kiel has a solid arm, is extremely accurate and makes great decisions. He's a good leader, commands his huddle and keeps his offense on the field. 

Kiel sees the field well and can also make a couple plays with his legs.

He's wide open on the recruiting front but has mentioned Notre Dame and Oklahoma frequently.