Year in and year out Illinois continues to lose talented players to the likes of Michigan State and Notre Dame. This trend needs to stop and I think with the hiring of Lovie Smith, it just may.
Much like with basketball, the state of Illinois is a fertile ground for talented athletes. This has been a fact for quite some time.
But, Illinois has failed to snag these players and it has hurt the program. The fact that the Illini can’t secure the top talent in their backyard has led to one of the darkest periods in team history.