Today's news that Gunner Kiel had ended his recruitment and chosen to become

a Hoosier has sent quick shockwaves across the college football landscape. It's

been that long since Indiana has landed such a highly ranked prospect. The

commitment is clearly the highest earned by an Indiana team since the internet

took over the recruiting game. But before those days there were some high

profile prospects to land in Bloomington.

Here's five guys who came to Indiana with a big reputation:

Dave Schnell - 1985, Elkhart (Ind.) Central - was named the number

one football recruit nationally by Sports Illustrated. Also named Parade

Magazine All-America first team and Bally's All-America first team. Chose

Indiana despite being recruited by the likes of Joe Paterno, Bo Schembechler and

Howard Schnellenberger. 6-foot-3, 218-pounds as a high school senior. In his

final game as a Hoosier he was named MVP of Liberty Bowl after throwing for 378

yards in a 34-10 win against South Carolina. In 1987 he led Indiana to their

first win over Michigan in 20 years. Indiana also beat Ohio State in Columbus

that year, 31-10. An appendicitis attack prevented him from playing late in the

1988 season at Michigan State, a game that had a Rose Bowl berth on the line.

Died this May after a long battle with leukemia. He was just 44-years old.

Anthony Thompson - was nominated to the Parade All-American team after

starting at running back for three years at Terre Haute North. Became one of the

most famous Indiana football players ever, finishing runner-up to Houston QB

Andrew Ware for the Heisman Trophy in 1989 after breaking several records

including career touchdowns. Two time Big Ten rushing champion and in 1989 led

the entire country in rushing. His career IU rushing mark (5,299 yards) and game

rushing mark (377 yards) are substantially higher than any other Hoosier has

achieved. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Short NFL career

(1990-92) were played 37 games for the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.

Bo Barzilauskas - the 1993 graduate of Bloomington South is still the

only lineman to win Mr. Football in Indiana. As a 6-foot-5, 288-pounds he was a

Parade Magazine and USA Today All-American after leading South to an unbeaten

season. Chose Indiana over Florida, Notre Dame, Michigan and Stanford among

others. Wore #77 at IU in honor of his father Carl, a famous Indiana player

himself. His career at Indiana, however, was a short one. He played as a

freshman but sparingly, recording four solo tackles and a sack. He worked his

way up to #1 on the depth chart in the following spring but with two weeks left

in practice he broke a bone in his foot. His weight went up to 310-pounds and he

lost interest in football. Barzilauskas quit the team twice, the second time it

stuck.

Earl Haniford - the 1995 Mr. Football winner from Martinsville was a

highly publicized quarterback commit after throwing for 93 career touchdowns

with an impressive 62.9% completion rate. Until Tre Roberson last year, Haniford

was the last Mr. Football winner to sign with Indiana. Played sparingly at

Indiana, mostly as a backup to Jay Rodgers and later to Antwaan Randle El,

lettering just in 1997 and 1999.

Antwaan Randle El - recruited by all the elite programs to play wide

receiver or defensive back, Randle El wanted to play quarterback in college and

Indiana was willing to give him that chance and the place where his older

brother Curtis was a young freshman DB. After sitting his first year out as a

partial qualifier, Randle El was terrific from the start. His first game as a

Hoosier in the 1998 season opener he completed 22 of 29 throws for 385 yards and

three touchdowns. He went on to become Big Ten Freshman of the Year. First

player in Division One to pass for 40 touchdowns and run for 40 touchdowns. Was

a second round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers where he currently is

preparing to start his 10th season in the NFL as a wide receiver. His second

half touchdown pass off a reverse helped the Steelers capture Super Bow XL in

2006.