Top-10 players outside of the Power Five conferences
By Robert Judin
4. Gunner Kiel – QB, Cincinnati
I said I didn’t want to turn this into a quarterback list, but Gunner Kiel has to be included. The guy stays true to his name because he can sling the rock with the best of them.
It’s a little crazy to think about how Kiel was almost an LSU Tiger … then he was just another quarterback for Notre Dame before transferring to Cincinnati and finding a home with the Bearcats.
As a sophomore, Kiel destroyed the game by completing 59 percent of his passes for 3,254 yards. His 31 touchdowns out-shined the 13 interceptions he threw. His 2015 season has seen a pretty steep drop off, but there are still plenty of games to play. Obviously, it’s hard to imagine he’ll keep his current 5:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The raw talent is definitely there and a senior season at Cincinnati could be all he needs to catapult himself into the late-first to early-second range in the draft. Ideally, Kiel can improve his completion percentage and in-pocket awareness in order to bump up his draft stock.
But, if he were to leave after this season, he’d have to compete with Jared Goff, Cardale Jones, Connor Cook, Christian Hackenberg, and possibly J.T. Barrett. So, chalk that up as two reasons Kiel can benefit from staying in school one more year.
At 6-foot-4, 208 pounds, Kiel has the frame to be a solid NFL quarterback. But, to reiterate, increasing his accuracy and developing his understanding of the game can help bring him to that next level.
Next: No. 3 Rashard Higgins