Typically, when a big-name high school quarterback is being pursued by the Big Ten, the leading candidates are schools like Ohio State, Michigan, and maybe even Iowa or Wisconsin. It’s not so usual that the number one quarterback in the country is debating between Big Ten schools with the Indiana Hoosiers at the top of his list, but in the case of Gunner Kiel, the Hoosiers are right up there with the other schools on his wish list.
A six-foot-three prospect out of Columbus, Indiana, Kiel is ranked number one among all quarterbacks in the ESPN class of 2012, and he figures that the Hoosiers are going to come out and surprise some people. Perhaps a new face at the quarterback position is prompting his recent statements:
“They’re definitely going to come out and win football games,” he said. “Coach Wilson’s definitely a fiery guy. My brother is going to playing quarterback, so I’ll be at games watching him and cheering him on.”
With Ben Chappel moving on, the Hoosiers are now planning to start sophomore Dusty Kiel at the quarterback position. Dusty was certainly not as highly touted as his brother coming out of high school, but he could entice the four-star prospect to join forces with him and bring the Hoosiers up from the cellar of the Big Ten conference.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘Why Indiana?’ " Kiel told Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star. "My answer is, ‘Why not Indiana?’ Coach (Kevin) Wilson (Indiana’s head coach) was very important in (former Oklahoma All-American) Sam Bradford’s development and he has top-notch assistants who have come in from other successful programs.
Kiel seems to be a bit more bright than most 17 or 18 year old high school recruits. The fact that he is taking into account the development of Sam Bradford at OU and the connection to coach Kevin Wilson is pretty exciting for college football fans, especially those in Indiana.
Of course, Kiel is also considering big-name schools like Tennessee, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Oklahoma, but Indiana has made it this far, so why can’t they go all the way?