Throw out the rumor that it was an emotional plea from his mother that U-turned Gunner Kiel?s college foot-ball career from Baton Rouge, La., to South Bend.
Also toss aside the belief that earlier playing time at School X vs. School Y was the deciding factor in Kiel?s decision. Wherever the standout ended up, competition would be waiting.
This recruitment, as twisting and turning as it was, ultimately came down to three things:
*1. Education.
*2. Distance from home.
*3. Relationships with players and staff.
?Notre Dame was the perfect fit for me,? Kiel said, ?because it hit all three areas.?
And because of that, Irish coach Brian Kelly was able to land one of the biggest prizes in the 2012 recruiting class, one that not once, but twice, appeared to be headed elsewhere.
Kelly, who is in the early stages of his third season at Notre Dame, won this battle by balancing persistence and patience. In other words, he knew how to push hard enough by not taking no for an answer, but deft enough to avoid becoming a pushy scholarship schlepper.
?Coach Kelly was great throughout my recruitment, as many times our conversations had nothing to do with football,? Kiel, a standout at Columbus (Ind.) East High, said.
?That really showed me he had my best intentions in mind. He was persistent, yet also patient while recruiting me, and I look forward to playing for him the next four years.?
While it?s a huge get for Notre Dame, it?s a big loss for LSU. ESPN?s Joe Schad tweeted Tuesday afternoon that Kiel offered praise to LSU assistant Steve Kragthorpe.
But the reality of playing a relatively long distance from home hit the nephew of former Irish QB Blair Kiel last weekend as he packed for LSU, so he reached out to Kelly.
Kiel immediately becomes the centerpiece of a class that looked for a long time like it would be without a quar-terback, and gives Kelly a shot at landing back-to-back stellar classes.
?It?s the kind of push they need,? said CBS Sports Network analyst Tom Lemming, ?to finish strong in recruit-ing.?
Kiel?s commitment also comes at a position ? quarterback ? that even before Kiel?s addition was going to be the focal point of spring practice.
After starter Dayne Crist (who since has transferred to Kansas) was benched at halftime of the season opener, Tommy Rees started the final 12 games of the season.
Backup Andrew Hendrix, however, played significant minutes in the final two games of the season. Also throw into the mix freshman Everett Golson, who did not play this year. Rees has two seasons of eligibility re-maining beginning in 2012, Hendrix three and Golson four.
And now add Kiel.
Indiana?s Gatorade Player of the Year and a U.S. Army All-American, Kiel was named Indiana?s Mr. Football by the Indianapolis Star after throwing for 2,517 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. He also ran for 482 yards and 11 TDs.
What can Irish fans expect to see from the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Kiel? A quarterback with good size, a big arm, football savvy and just enough running ability to buy extra time, pick up a tough yard on a sneak, or gain a good chunk of yardage on a scramble.
Kiel?s commitment is the 17th Notre Dame has received in the current cycle, but it has to be at the top of the list for Kelly.
Kelly, in fact, tried to recruit Kiel?s oldest brother Drew, when he coached at Central Michigan. He later tried to land middle brother Dusty when he coached at Cincinnati. Drew Kiel eventually signed with Illinois State and Dusty with Indiana, although it was announced this week that he is leaving the IU team.
Attempt No. 3 at cracking the Kiel clan turned out a winner for Kelly, who first met his Gunner when he was in middle school.
It also was the latest chapter of January drama the staff has been involved with.
Last year, Kelly and company were able to flip back to Notre Dame star defensive ends Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt, both of whom were one-time ND commits who had changed schools.
Also last year, defensive coordinator Bob Diaco showed up long before dawn at the Brooklyn, N.Y., home of outside linebacker Ishaq Williams, who was scheduled to leave for a recruiting visit to Penn State later that morning. The trip to Happy Valley never happened, and Williams that day committed to the Irish.
This victory came because of the persistence of Kelly, who personally took over Kiel?s recruitment. And like the other success stories from last year, the Irish again came out on top.
It also ended a hectic recruitment for Kiel. It looked like it was first over last summer when he picked Indiana, but he backed out of that pledge in October, a day before he made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame for its game against USC.
Shortly after Christmas, Kiel?s path looked like it was headed south after he picked then-No. 1 LSU.
But on Monday, a cyber-frenzy erupted when Kiel didn?t show up for a meeting in Baton Rouge, and specula-tion was that he was headed to Notre Dame.
During the lunch hour on Tuesday, the school issued a press release announcing that Kiel, along with fellow freshmen Tee Shepard and Sheldon Day, as well as USC transfer Amir Carlisle, had enrolled at the school.
The other three had been public knowledge for varying periods of time, but there had been no word from the Kiel camp what in fact was happening, leaving room for speculation.
It all ended Tuesday.
?The recruitment process was a roller-coaster ride at times,? Kiel said in the statement, ?but I know I have made the right decision for my family and me.?
Up in Armsteads?
The news involving big-time recruits this week isn?t necessarily finished.
The Irish remain in the running for five-star lineman Arik Armstead of Elk Grove, Calif.
Armstead, a one-time USC commit, was as late as Sunday night believed to be leaning toward Cal. But on Monday, Cal defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi, who was recruiting Armstead, took a job at Washington.
Also in the Armstead equation is older brother Armond, who is looking to transfer and this week visited Notre Dame. Guss Armstead, the boys? father, also made the trip.
Armond Armstead told FoxSports/Scout.com reporter Whitney Blaine on Tuesday that with Lupoi gone, Cal was out of the equation for his brother. That in all likelihood means that Arik, who like Kiel will enroll early, will pick either ND or Auburn, both of which he is enrolled at.
The decision, which was expected Sunday or Monday, is now delayed a day or two, Blaine tweeted Tuesday.
?Arik needs more time,? Armond Armstead said.
Blaine also tweeted that Armond?s decision will be based entirely on where Arik wants to play.
ND COMMITMENTS
The following players have made verbal commitments to play football at Notre Dame beginning in 2012. The first day players can sign a national letter-of-intent is Feb. 1. Shepard, Day and Kiel all enrolled early on Jan. 17.
*Tee Shepard; 6-1, 186, DB, Fresno, Calif. (Washington Union)
*Nicky Baratti; 6-2, 200, S, Spring, Texas (Klein Oak)
*Scott Daly; 6-3, 245, LS, Downers Grove, Ill. (South)
*Justin Ferguson; 6-2, 205, WR, Pembroke Pines, Fla. (Flanagan)
*Mark Harrell; 6-5, 270, OT, Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Catholic)
*CJ Prosise; 6-2, 190, DB, Woodberry Forest, Va. (Woodberry Forest)
*Deontay Greenberry; 6-3, 188, WR, Fresno, Calif. (Washington Union)
*John Turner; 6-2, 200, DB, Indianapolis (Cathedral)
*Romeo Okwara; 6-4, 235, OLB/DE, Charlotte, N.C. (Ardrey Kell)
*Sheldon Day; 6-2, 286, DT, Indianapolis (Warren Central)
*Jarron Jones; 6-7, 308, DT, Rochester, N.Y. (Aquinas Institute).
*Chris Brown; 6-2, 185, WR, Hanahan, S.C. (Hanahan)
*William Mahone; 5-11, 205, RB, Austintown, Ohio (Fitch)
*Ronnie Stanley; 6-8, 280, OL, Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman)
*KeiVarae Russell; 6-0, 170, ATH, Everett, Wash., (Mariner)
*Elijah Shumate; 6-1, 205, S, Ramsey, N.J. (Don Bosco Prep)
*Gunner Kiel; 6-4, 220, QB, Columbus, Ind. (East)
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