Twenty-four days removed from the dawn of 2017, one rankings system listed the most successful states regarding the last five years of prep recruiting.
The 24/7Sports Composite Rankings and statistical data named Texas its No. 1 producer. Twelve months later, the Lone Star State still has its flag staked in the peak of recruiting mountain.
According to 24/7Sports, here’s how many players have come from every state between 2013 and 2017 — with each state’s national percentage of elite talent included.
| State | ’17 | ’16 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | Total | Total% |
| Texas | 47 | 52 | 47 | 37 | 46 | 229 | 13.8% |
| Florida | 42 | 47 | 50 | 42 | 46 | 226 | 13.6% |
| California | 35 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 41 | 199 | 12.0% |
| Georgia | 33 | 26 | 34 | 23 | 25 | 141 | 8.5% |
| Ohio | 16 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 79 | 4.8% |
| Louisiana | 12 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 74 | 4.5% |
| Alabama | 15 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 59 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 15 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 57 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 7 | 15 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 51 | 3.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 44 | 2.7% |
| Tennessee | 9 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 44 | 2.7% |
| New Jersey | 5 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 41 | 2.5% |
| Mississippi | 7 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 38 | 2.3% |
| Illinois | 5 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 37 | 2.2% |
| Maryland | 9 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 36 | 2.2% |
| Michigan | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 35 | 2.1% |
| South Carolina | 4 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 28 | 1.7% |
| Indiana | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 24 | 1.4% |
| Arizona | 3 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 24 | 1.4% |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 1.2% |
| Washington | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 1.1% |
| Arkansas | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 0.9% |
| D.C. | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 0.9% |
| Utah | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 0.8% |
| Nevada | 6 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0.8% |
| Missouri | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 0.7% |
| Colorado | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0.6% |
| Hawaii | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0.6% |
| Oregon | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 0.6% |
| Kentucky | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0.5% |
| Iowa | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0.4% |
| Kansas | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.4% |
| Minnesota | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0.4% |
| New York | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0.4% |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.4% |
| Connecticut | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.2% |
| Delaware | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.1% |
| Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.1% |
| Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.1% |
| New Mexico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.1% |
| Idaho | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.1% |
| South Dakota | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.1% |
| Alaska | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Maine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Montana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| New Hampshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| North Dakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Rhode Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Vermont | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Wyoming | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| National | 331 | 339 | 342 | 319 | 326 | 1657 |
Houston Lamar’s Anthony Cook is one of the four-star prospects that helped UT gain a No. 3 national recruiting ranking. File Photo by John Glaser/ TexasHSFootball
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TOP 50 CLASS OF 2018 RECRUITING (PER 24/7SPORTS)
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Penn State
6. Clemson
7. Alabama
8. Miami
9. Oklahoma
10. Notre Dame
11. Florida State
12. Auburn
13. Washington
14. Florida
15. LSU
16. Oregon
17. Texas A&M
18. UCLA
19. South Carolina
20. Tennessee
21. Michigan
22. Nebraska
23. North Carolina
24. Virginia Tech
25. TCU
26. NC State
27. Mississippi State
28. Maryland
29. Louisville
30. Baylor
31. Ole Miss
32. Michigan State
33. Oklahoma State
34. Utah
35. West Virginia
36. Minnesota
37. Arizona State
38. Kentucky
39. Stanford
40. Iowa
41. Vanderbilt
42. Missouri
43. California
44. Wisconsin
45. Washington State
46. Pittsburgh
47. Cincinnati
48. Indiana
49. Purdue
50. Syracuse
* Have three or more Texas-bred players on roster
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Current national recruiting in Texas, specifically at the University of Texas, wasn’t bolstered by a flood of talent from the Golden, Peach, or Sunshine States, though. It’s strength came from a the lifeblood of native talent.
During Tom Herman’s 2017-18 recruiting campaign, twenty-seven athletes were either enrolled in school already or signed to a National Letter of Intent. Nineteen were from high-producing areas like Austin, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Houston, and San Antonio.
“Trump cards” like Anthony Cook (Houston), BJ Foster (Angelton), Caden Sterns (Cibolo) top those lists. Cameron Dicker (Austin), DeMarvion Overshown (Houston), Keontay Ingram (Carthage), Reese Moore (Seminole), and Rafiti Ghirmai (Frisco) add power to them.
Only Cameron Rising (Newbury Park, CA), Casey Thompson (Newcastle, OK), and Junior Angilau (Salt Lake City, UT) are 3 of 8 recruits outside Texas borders. Each is a four-star recruit quarterback or offensive tackle, but join a group that comprises little more than 35 percent of the rosters population.
It’s not only the Big 12 Conference or near-Texas states that benefit from Lone Star State talent. Northern states, too, have gotten a boost.
Michigan nabbed twin defensive backs Gemon and German Green during the regular signing period. Ohio State claimed Kennedale linebacker Baron Browning in 2017 and Wichita Falls Rider dual-threat quarterback JT Barrett in 2014.
The Buckeyes won a national title in 2014 and went to the Cotton Bowl in 2017. They also have Lake Travis quarterback Matthew Baldwin waiting in the wings. The University of Illinois successfully courted Frisco Lone Star’s MJ Rivers, an heir apparent to the Illini quarterback throne.
Barrett is projected as a sixth round prospect. Several others — Coppell and UT’s Connor Williams, Corinth and Iowa’s Josh Jackson, Lake Travis and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Brenham and SMU’s Courtland Sutton — are expected to be gone within the first 21 picks of the 2018 NFL Draft.
So is San Antonio Stevens and University of Texas at San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport.
California?
The Golden State can claim the potential No. 1 pick in either Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold, from and Manhattan and Capistrano Beaches, respectively. Roseville’s Kolton Miller grades out at No. 32 in the SI mock draft.
Florida?
Only Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley (No. 29) and Florida State safety Derwin James (No. 18) broke into Sports Illustrated’s first-round projections.
Statistics don’t only show that Texas is king in football. They also show year-by-year the state’s players are filling rosters throughout the nation with talented athletes capable of playing football at the highest level — the NFL.
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