Player Profile: Columbus East QB Gunner Kiel
by Wade Perry
Posted June 1, 2011 3:37 pm
class of 2012, Columbus East football, Gunner Kiel, Under Armour All-America
Photo courtesy of Matt Kryger/The Star
FinestPreps has promised to deliver you the top high school football prospects in America and today we unveil a big-time prospect.
This prospect’s mailbox has been flooded with scholarship offers from college coaches all across the country.
Each night they go to sleep they dream of landing this sensational signal-caller’s services on the gridiron.
Currently boasting 21 scholarship offers from plenty of schools across the country–such powerhouse programs as Oklahoma, Florida, Notre Dame, USC, LSU, and TCU have extended him scholarships.
He’s currently rated as the top quarterback in America by nearly every recruiting service imaginable.
An Indiana native, this talented prospect has already accepted an invitation to play in the prestigious Under Armour All-America Game–a game which brings together some of the nation’s elite high school football talent.
Who’s the 6’4″, 220 pound field general that nearly every college coach in America covets?
Check below for Mike Curtis’ report!
Every year, there’s always plenty of debate surrounding the ranking of high school football recruits.
However, when it comes to the the debate of the top quarterback in the 2012 class, there isn’t a much of an argument.
Columbus East (Columbus, Indiana) quarterback Gunner Kiel is the number one signal-caller in all the land.
After watching his highlight package it’s easy to see why.
The first thing that jumps off the screen at you is the pinpoint accuracy on his passes.
His throws all have tremendous ball placement and he puts the ball where only his receiver can make a play on it.
Kiel also does a good job of hitting his receiver in stride.
Gunner also always seems to put perfect touch on the ball, whether he is lofting it over the head of helpless defenders or zipping it through traffic.
Blessed with outstanding field vision as well, Kiel does a great job of scanning the field to find an open man.
For a pro-style quarterback, Kiel is also very athletic.
The star signal-caller displays enough athleticism to buy time in the pocket and to move the chains on the ground.
He’s a very aggressive runner as well and isn’t afraid of contact in the open field.
He will need to start sliding as his football career progresses because if he doesn’t he will take some vicious hits.
Blessed with above average arm strength, Kiel can make all the throws.
However, his arm strength is not on par with the rest of his skill set and could use improvement.
Gunner works primarily out of the gun and will need to gain experience taking snaps from under center.
He’s got great intangibles though–he’s a leader and a fierce competitor.
If it appears being a quarterback comes natural for Kiel it’s because it’s in his blood.
His older brother Drew plays quarterback for Illinois State and his other older brother, Dusty, currently plays quarterback for Indiana.
His dad, Kip, played at Butler and his uncle, Blair, played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Not only can they assist Gunner on the field but also off of it, what to expect from recruiting, how to prepare, etc.
Gunner’s sophomore season he shredded defenses to the tune of 2,600 total yards (2,200 passing and 400 rushing) and 30 total touchdowns (25 passing, five rushing), while completing his passes at a 68 percent clip.
He came back his junior season ready to do even more damage–totaling 2,645 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns through the air, while completing his passes at a 67 percent clip.
What will he do his senior season? Defenses across the state of Indiana better beware.
Mike Curtis is a contributing writer for FinestPreps.com. He can be reached by e-mail at letsgetit03mc@aol.com. All comments and feedback are welcome.
Check out Gunner Kiel’s junior highlights below–courtesy of 247sports.com!
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TAGS:
class of 2012, Columbus East football, Gunner Kiel, Under Armour All-America