LSU coach not happy with new Irish QB Kiel

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Updated: April 4, 2012 1:50AM

Last month, when highly touted quarterback prospect Gunner Kiel reversed his commitment to LSU and enrolled closer to home at Notre Dame, Tigers coach Les Miles didn’t criticize Kiel for changing his mind.

Miles isn’t holding back anymore.

In an appearance at the Tiger Gridiron Club’s annual national signing day “Bayou Bash” in Baton Rouge, Miles questioned Kiel’s ability to lead, adding he felt the program had done better by winning a commitment from Jeremy Liggins (Oxford, Miss./Lafayette).

“There was a gentleman from Indiana that thought about coming to the Bayou state,” Miles said. “He did not necessarily have the chest and the ability to lead a program, so you know,” he added to applause.

Kiel, of Columbus, Ind., enrolled early at Notre Dame on Jan. 17, after a saga in which he verbally commited to Indiana, changed his mind and selected LSU, then had second thoughts about the distance from home and picked Notre Dame. He is ranked second among quarterbacks and 20th nationally on the ESPNU 150 for the 2012 recruiting class.

Wednesday, Miles said LSU never stopped recruiting Liggins, even when it appeared Kiel was coming to Baton Rouge.

“At no time did we stop recruiting Liggins,” Miles said. “He was a priority for us, a guy who can throw the football and move his feet and give us a talented prospect at QB.”

Kiel will be in a four-way QB battle for the starting job that Lake Forest’s Tommy Rees had last year but failed to protect in the team’s big-game losses.