It’s still fairly early to pass a grade on how well the “Big3” are doing with landing the top in-state prospects. Notre Dame, Purdue & Indiana all have just 1 in-state player commitment with the Irish landing the biggest in 5-star LB Jaylon Smith. It is fair to ask why the top players continue to leave the state. Indiana has a fairly new coach in Kevin Wilson & a staff that has been pretty aggressive with targeting in-state prospects. 2012 recruiting class is a reflection of this approach. However the Hoosiers have only 1 commitment for the 2013 recruiting class coming from a 2-star player in WR Isaac Griffith from Homestead HS in Fort Wayne. Hardly the step needed to take the B1G conference by storm. Purdue has fared a little better with the commitment coming from the state’s top QB in Danny Etling of Terre Haute South HS. Etling was also courted by the Hoosiers but chose to head up north to play for the Boilermakers in 2013. However with top players like DE Elijah Daniel, S Antonio Allen and OL Dan Samuleson committing to out-of-state programs, one must wonder how can the “Big3” keep the state’s top players. These players are not only committing to out-of-state programs but 4 of the top prospects have chosen B1G conference opponents of the Hoosiers & Boilermakers. Does the Irish no longer have the allure to attract top players from Indiana? Is their national tv contract not enough for the players? Remember it took 2012 5-star QB Gunner Kiel 2 commitments before he eventually ended up in South Bend. Kiel even chose the Hoosiers before finally staying put at Notre Dame. Indiana high school football has produced some of the nation’s top players in recent years and it would be great if some of the players would stay put. Not only for fans and family members who wish to follow the career of these players, but for the fact the “Big3” are relevant in college football recruiting. It’s still early and each of the “Big3” programs still have offers on the table for some really good players in LB Tim Kimbrough and DT Darius Latham. Can head coaches Brian Kelly, Danny Hope & Kevin Wilson land an impact player from the great Hoosier state? We’ll see.