QB, *****, 215 pounds, 6-4
Columbus East High School
Columbus, Ind.
Originally committed to Indiana, Kiel switched to LSU in December before capping off a roller coaster recruitment by finally choosing the Irish hours before the start of the second semester.
The quarterback is one of three early enrollees and will compete for the starting job in spring practice. He joins an already crowded quarterback position that struggled to provide consistency last season. Expectations for Kiel range from earning the starting job to redshirting his first year on campus, similar to the blueprint used in 2011 for freshman quarterback Everett Golson.
Kiel, at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, carries good size and above average skills on the ground. Due to his arm strength and accuracy, Kiel was tabbed the top-rated quarterback prospect in the nation.
