And now we’re finding out the rest of the story.
Word broke Monday afternoon that Gunner Kiel, the nation’s top-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2012, was reconsidering his verbal commitment to LSU and could be flipping to Notre Dame. Now it appears Kiel’s move to the Irish is all but official.
And, apparently, both schools have the recruit’s mother to thank for the development.
According to a report by Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times, Kiel was set to enroll early at LSU as previously planned on Monday. However, his mother’s emotional plea prior to his departure for Baton Rouge prompted a change in heart and a change in plans -- Kiel will enroll today at Notre Dame, a school roughly 500 miles closer to his Columbus, Ind., home.
“From what I have been told, he is no longer coming to LSU,” recruiting expert Michael Scarborough of Rivals.com told the Times. “He wants to come to LSU, but his mother (Aleta Kiel) got very emotional Monday and did not want her son to leave. He plans to enroll in classes at Notre Dame on Tuesday.”
Scarborough went on to add that "[w]hat has been relayed to me is that he wants to come to LSU, but his parents want him at Notre Dame because it is closer to home.”
As school’s are not permitted to discuss potential recruits, there’s been no confirmation by the Irish of Kiel’s impending arrival in South Bend.
Kiel had previously committed to Indiana before reopening his recruitment this past summer. In December, he officially gave his nonbinding verbal commitment to LSU.
Scarborough noted that the LSU coaches are not headed to Indiana to try to change Kiel’s mind. So, barring yet another change of heart between now and when he actually puts pen to early enrollment paper, Brian Kelly and his staff will have landed the top QB in this year’s recruiting class.
Whether that’s a permanent landing or just a temporary one remains to be seen.
(Tip O’ the Cap: Mr. SEC.com)