2011 College Football Recruiting: The Top 10 States for Running Backs

When you look at the national landscape of recruiting, it's always best to break down prospects by regions considering most players stay close to home. This, for the most part, will give you a greater idea of where the top programs are collecting a lot of their talent from.

On that note, we'll be doing a series of articles over the next few weeks identifying the top 10 states for every position in the 2011 recruiting class.

We started our list with the quarterback rankings and now move onto the running back rankings.

Most of the top-end talent comes from just a handful of states and that makes the bottom half of the top 10 a little on the sparse side. 

Check out the top 10 states for 2011 running back recruits. 

10. Indiana

Five-star prospects: 0

Four-star prospects: One 

Three-star prospects: One

Best individual prospect: Remound Wright

This should give you a good idea of how spread out the talent at running back is beyond the top handful of states. Surprisingly enough, South Carolina is the only state not in the top 10 that can match the numbers of Indiana.

Both states have one four-star recruit and one three-star recruit, but Indiana's top prospect, Remound Wright is ranked as the No. 21 running back in the country on Scout while South Carolina's top prospect, Shon Carson, ranks in just below him at No. 23. 

9. Pennsylvania

Five-star prospects: 0

Four-star prospects: One

Three-star prospects: One

Best individual prospect: Jameel Poteat

Pennsylvania is in the same boat as Indiana and South Carolina, but they lay claim to Jameel Poteat, the No. 13 running back on Rivals. Even as a top 15 back, Poteat is an underrated talent that should be in line for a ton of success at the next level. 

He's headed to Pitt where he'll hope to follow in the footsteps of Dion Lewis and try to quickly take over the college game. 

8. Illinois

Five-star prospects: 0

Four-star prospects: One

Three-star prospects: Three 

Best individual prospect: Rodney Coe

Rodney Coe was previously listed as a five-star running back on Scout, but recently got demoted to the ranks of the four-star prospects. Still, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt and rank him right up there with the best of them. 

He's the big back of the 2011 class and will compete with James Wilder of FSU to be the top bruiser of the year. 

Beyond Coe, Illinois has three three-star backs to help bolster their claim above the likes of South Carolina, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. 

7. Michigan

Five-star prospects: 0

Four-star prospects: Two

Three-star prospects: One

Best individual prospect: Justice Hayes

It's a close call between Michigan and Illinois for the No. 7 spot, but in this case we'll have to go with the numbers and Michigan has it covered two to one. 

With Justice Hayes, ranked as the No. 14 running back on Scout, and Onaje Miller, another top 25 back, the talent at the top is better. 

Hayes has the chance to do some special things at Notre Dame right from the get-go and you have to think the welcome won't be too friendly when he comes home to play the Wolverines and Spartans. 

6. New Jersey

Five-star prospects: One

Four-star prospects: 0

Three-star prospects: Two

Best individual prospect: Savon Huggins

New Jersey might not have any four-star prospects, but they do have Savon Huggins, the No. 6 running back in the nation and one of the most electrifying players you'll ever see at the high school level. 

He has better juke moves than any offensive player in the 2011 class and while the state of New Jersey doesn't have much to offer beyond his services, Huggins is enough to warrant this spot on the list. 

He's that good. 

5. California

Five-star prospects: 0

Four-star prospects: Three

Three-star prospects: One 

Best individual prospect: Brendon Bigelow

For a state that produces some of the best recruits in the country it may come as a surprise that California doesn't have more talent at running back. They would have had a five-star running back if De'Anthony Thomas wasn't classified as a corner or athlete.

Thomas could be a candidate to play both ways in college though so this one should be re-evaluated in a couple years.

Still, California does have Bredon Bigelow as well as Amir Carlisle and Kelsey Young to highlight the state's running back class for 2011. 

4. Louisiana

Five-star prospects: 0

Four-star prospects: Two

Three-star prospects: Three

Best individual prospect: Kenny Hilliard

Kenny Hilliard might be give only a four-star ranking, but he's considered the No. 3 running back of the 2011 class on Rivals and absolutely deserves a five-star grade; he's the reason Louisiana ranks above California on the list. 

Louisiana also has Jeremy Hill, another top 20 back, and luckily for the state both prospects will be staying close to home after committing to LSU.

Unlike Justice Hayes at Notre Dame, they should be receiving a very friendly welcome whenever they lineup on the field in their home state. 

3. Georgia

Five-star prospects: One

Four-star prospects: One

Three-star prospects: Five

Best individual prospect: Isaiah Crowell

The University of Georgia has been the top running back recruiter of the last five years so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the state of Georgia ranks so high when it comes to 2011 running back recruits. 

With a group headlined by Isaiah Crowell, the No. 2 running back on Scout and the No. 4 running back on Rivals, Georgia also adds in a four-star running back and five three-star backs to round out their class. 

Crowell is currently deciding between a commitment to Alabama and Georgia. 

2. Florida

5-star prospects: Two

4-star prospects: Four

3-star prospects: Nine

Best individual prospect: James Wilder / Mike Bellamy

Mike Bellamy is technically the only 5-star running back from Florida, but 5-star Athlete James Wilder just committed to FSU and plans to play exclusively as a running back so we'll make an exception and include him. 

WIlder and Bellamy are both so talented backs that it's hard to chose who's the better prospect. Wilder brings versatility and power, Bellamy brings speed and agility. They'll be facing off in the ACC each year to sort it out. 

Wilder at FSU and Bellamy at Clemson. 

1. Texas

5-star prospects: Four

4-star prospects: Five

3-star prospects: 15

Best individual prospect: Malcolm Brown

Come on, who else would it be? Texas is the best overall recruiting state for 2011 by a big margin and has the No. 1 running back in the country in Malcolm Brown; who just committed to the Longhorns on Wednesday. 

Brown is joined by 5-star running backs Aaron Green, Herschel Sims, and Brandon WIlliams; ranked as the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 7 backs of the class. 

Add in more 3-star and 4-star talent than any other state in the country and Texas is an easy choice for the No. 1 spot.