Alabama Recruiting: Top QB Prospect Gunner Kiel Available Again

Gunner Kiel is the No. 1 quarterback on Rivals' and Scout's 2012 recruiting ranks. He recently committed to the Indiana Hoosiers, but is now having second thoughts. He is officially back on the market, according to 247Sports.  

Alabama was widely predicted to be his choice until he shocked the recruiting world by committing to chronic losers, Indiana, who have been to only one bowl game in 18 years.  

The strangest thing about Kiel's commitment to the Hoosiers was the fact that his older brother, Dusty, plays quarterback there.  

How is this strange? Younger brothers follow their older brothers to college all the time, right? Well, the problem is that Indiana has an atrocious offense, barely cracking the top 100 in FBS teams. His brother and the other Indiana quarterbacks don't seem capable of playing college ball effectively, let alone against a highly-competitive Big Ten.   

The bottom line is this: Kiel would be the starting quarterback at Indiana, from Day 1. His brother would ride the bench for the rest of his career, or transfer. Has this affected Kiel's decision to re-open his recruiting?

Kiel is currently planning on visiting Notre Dame, but Alabama is still in the works.  

There are a few kinks, however, and Tide fans should not get their hopes up.  

First, A.J. McCarron is a proven quarterback, and seems to be leading the Crimson Tide straight to the BCS title game. If McCarron can bring home another Coaches' Trophy, his ability will be undeniably proven.  

McCarron is only a redshirt sophomore, and will be eligible through the 2013 season. Alabama quarterbacks have seemed to have a habit of staying a full four or five years, as of late.  

Phillip Sims, the redshirt freshman backup and former 5-star quarterback prospect, is waiting for his opportunity to take the reins. He may not have won the starting position this year, but next season he looks to put McCarron on the ropes with 'Bama Quarterback Battle 2.0.  

Basically, there are two phenomenal underclassmen quarterbacks at Alabama. A quarterback prospect as elite as Kiel typically isn't going to sit around for two or three years battling for the starting position. It may sound cynical, but it's true.  

Then, there is Nick Saban's sleeper prospect, Alec Morris. The Texas quarterback had only one offer from a major school, Wake Forest. Nick Saban jumped with an offer when he saw Morris in person.  

Morris, a 3-star prospect, is not considered to be anywhere near the same caliber as Kiel. But word on the street is that Kiel is still needing improvement with his arm strength, where as Morris has a veritable cannon for an arm.  

Though Kiel is far and away a better quarterback, having a quarterback already committed to a school—in the same recruiting class—is always an obstacle. Saban isn't known for going back on his word, and as such Morris will remain part of the Tide's 2012 recruiting class. 

Alabama, under Saban, is regarded as a team that has a "game manager" under center as opposed to a quarterback. Personally, I call bollocks on this claim. Regardless, Kiel is a spectacular leader who makes smart decisions and manages all aspects of the offense, with a keen eye for reading defenses.  

Kiel would fit in perfectly with Alabama's pro-style system that requires more mental focus rather than pure gunslinging.  

Though they will never admit it to the media, elite high school prospects are always planning for the next level, the NFL. They know that if they want to play on Sundays, they have to play for and against the best on Saturdays.  

Kiel knows Alabama can offer him a whole lot more than lowly Indiana.