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While it has taken coach Kevin Wilson and his staff some time, it finally happened Saturday as Hamilton, OH native Simon Stepaniak pulled the trigger on his verbal commitment, becoming the first player in the class of 2015 to do so.. Stepaniak is listed as the 94th offensive line prospect in the 2015 class by 247 Composite. The 6'4" lineman choose the Hoosiers while holding offers from other Big Ten teams such as Minnesota, Penn State, and Illinois.
Reaching into the Buckeye state is a continuation of what has become a trend for the Hoosier staff. In last years cycle the staff landed six players from the state of Ohio. The state of Ohio is the most fertile recruiting territory in the Big Ten footprint, and while Indiana will not be competing with Ohio State for in-state prospects anytime soon, it is nice to see the staff's success in such a hotly contested area.
Recruiting typically runs in cycles, hopefully for the Hoosiers this is the commitment that starts getting the ball rolling on the 2015 class. Stay tuned as we will have more on Stepaniak and the rest of the recruiting buzz this week!