Power Ranking Top 10 Most Talented States in 2016 Recruiting Cycle
High-profile football talent can be found from coast to coast, from California to New York and beyond. And between and around those boundaries, there's pride within the states. Tons of pride.
Each year, when it comes to where the future college football players reside, a handful of states are viewed as the usual suspects. But each year, a few sleeper states include a list of big-time players to watch as the football world prepares for the annual marathon that is recruiting.
In the 2016 class, states like Alabama, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Arizona feature some of the best players in the country. However, 10 other states are loaded with talented prospects from top to bottom this year.
Here are the 10 most talented states in the 2016 recruiting cycle. The states were chosen using the quality and quantity of each state's talent base, with the assistance of 247Sports' composite ratings.
10. Mississippi
1 of 10
State nickname: The Magnolia State
Number of 5-stars: 0
Number of 4-stars: 10
Highest-ranked player: WR DeKaylin Metcalf (No. 46 overall, No. 6 WR)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 8
The state of Mississippi isn't short on talent, and it's one of the states where the two premier in-state schools battle fiercely for each uncommitted target. Ole Miss and Mississippi State have a handful of prospects to recruit, and so far, the Rebels are leading the race—but plenty of uncommitted targets are still available.
Ole Miss has four of the top seven players from the state, including the top two athletes, 4-star wide receiver DeKaylin Metcalf and defensive tackle Benito Jones. Metcalf, tight end Octavious Cooley and running back Justin Connor will be solid additions to the Ole Miss offense, while Jones is anticipated to be a contributor for the Landsharks.
Mississippi State has 10 commitments, and its top four athletes all are junior college prospects. Three of the four represent Copiah-Lincoln Community College. The Bulldogs hope to score 4-star high school talents in cornerback Nigel Knott and defensive ends Damion Dickens and Jeffrey Simmons.
9. New Jersey
2 of 10
State nickname: The Garden State
Number of 5-stars: 2
Number of 4-stars: 8
Highest-ranked player: DT Rashan Gary (No. 1 player overall)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 3
New Jersey is proof that in an area where many feel should be basketball-dominated, football can be a highlight as well. The state has 10 players who are at least a 4-star talent, and five of the top 35 have committed to an FBS program.
The nation's No. 1 player, defensive tackle Rashan Gary, calls Paramus, New Jersey, home. He and running back Kareem Walker, an Ohio State commit, are the state's 5-star players. Gary is expected to be a dominant lineman, and schools like Penn State, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and Clemson are in the hunt until he announces his commitment.
The city of Camden is one to keep an eye on, as four of the state's top 20 players reside from there. Among them are wide receiver Brad Hawkins and defensive end Ron Johnson, two 4-stars with more than 35 offers combined.
8. Maryland
3 of 10
State nickname: The Old Line State
Number of 5-stars: 0
Number of 4-stars: 11
Highest-ranked player: DE/LB Shane Simmons (No. 59 overall, No. 5 WDE)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 7
Maryland doesn't have the studs other states have, but that doesn't mean the talent isn't there. Several players can see immediate game time at the next level, and 4-star defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid Shane Simmons, a Penn State commit, leads the list of prospects from the state.
The Maryland Terrapins are on a mission to keep all of the in-state talent as close to home as possible. Five of the six pledges are from the state, including 4-star outside linebacker Keandre Jones. The Terps have built great relationships with the in-state schools, and 4-star players like quarterback Dwayne Haskins, athlete Trevon Diggs and defensive tackle Ellison Jordan are considered high targets.
Two 4-star athletes to keep an eye on are wide receiver Steven Smothers and offensive guard Terrance Davis. Smothers is getting looks from Maryland, but West Virginia, Alabama, Ohio State and Tennessee are four schools in the running for getting his commitment. Davis has Maryland high on his list, but the Terps will have to fight off Michigan, Alabama and Penn State in the recruiting marathon.
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7. Ohio
4 of 10
State nickname: The Buckeye State
Number of 5-stars: 1
Number of 4-stars: 10
Highest-ranked player: OT Tommy Kraemer (No. 25 overall, No. 3 OT)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 8
Ohio is nicknamed The Buckeye State, and the Ohio State Buckeyes are making it a priority to land as many stud athletes from the state as possible. So far, Ohio State has five of the state's top 25 committed, and it hopes to have a few more committed before signing day in February.
Running backs Demario McCall and George Hill are two of the seven 4-star players committed to Ohio State. The Buckeyes also have in-state commitments from tight end Jake Hausmann, defensive end Jonathon Cooper and wide receiver Kierre Hawkins. Athletes like defensive end Prince Sammons, linebacker Brendan Ferns and offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg also could end up Buckeyes commits.
Eichenberg, the nation's No. 11 offensive tackle, also has Notre Dame high on his list. Notre Dame already has the state of Ohio's top-ranked player in offensive tackle Tommy Kraemer. Ranked as the nation's No. 3 offensive tackle, Kraemer is the state's only 5-star prospect.
6. North Carolina
5 of 10
State nickname: The Tar Heel State
Number of 5-stars: 2
Number of 4-stars: 12
Highest-ranked player: LB Keion Joyner (No. 6 overall, No. 1 OLB)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 9
The state of North Carolina has lots of talented players, but keeping some of the elite athletes in state has been a problem for both North Carolina and North Carolina State. Both schools are hoping to turn things around in 2016 with the top two in-state players, linebacker Keion Joyner and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Both are still uncommitted targets.
Joyner and Lawrence are North Carolina's two 5-star prospects. The state has a dozen 4-star guys, and five of the 12 are still uncommitted. Quarterback Austin Kendall is headed to Oklahoma, and running backs B.J. Emmons (Georgia commit) and Antonio Williams (Wisconsin) also have made their college plans.
Defensive end Julian Okwara, wide receiver Diondre Overton and running back Robert Washington are three uncommitted prospects to keep an eye on. Washington has North Carolina high on his list, and the Tar Heels are hoping to land him and a few others from the state to improve on a class that has potential to be a national sleeper.
5. Louisiana
6 of 10
State nickname: The Pelican State
Number of 5-stars: 1
Number of 4-stars: 17
Highest-ranked player: DT Rashard Lawrence (No. 14 overall, No. 4 DT)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 9
In a state loaded with skill-position players, Louisiana has three linemen ranked among the nation's top 30 players. Defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence is the state's only 5-star prospect, but eight players from Louisiana are ranked nationally in the top 100.
The SEC loves this area of the country; currently, four of the top 10 Louisiana athletes are committed to schools in the conference. Cornerback Shyheim Carter is headed to Alabama, and quarterback Shea Patterson has made his pledge to Ole Miss. LSU, however, is looking to keep as many in-state prospects close to home as possible. Wide receiver Stephen Sullivan and offensive lineman Donavaughn Campbell both gave their pledges to coach Les Miles.
LSU has eight commits, and five of them are in-state commitments. The Tigers are hoping to land the state's top three uncommitted players in defensive tackle Edwin Alexander, offensive tackle Willie Allen and cornerback Kristian Fulton.
4. Georgia
7 of 10
State nickname: The Peach State
Number of 5-stars: 3
Number of 4-stars: 26
Highest-ranked player: DT Derrick Brown (No. 5 overall, No. 2 DT)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 6
The state of Georgia always seems to have an abundance of talent, from the biggest, toughest linemen to the most skilled of skill-position players. The 2016 class is led by defensive tackle Derrick Brown, a 6'4", 305-pound truck who has built a reputation of being the quintessential run-stopper.
Brown is one of three 5-star players from the state; the others are defensive tackle Julian Rochester and offensive tackle Ben Cleveland, who has committed to play for Georgia. The Bulldogs have three of the state's nine best athletes committed in Cleveland, 4-star defensive end Chauncey Manac and 4-star offensive tackle E.J. Price.
Brown and Rochester will be major pickups on the defensive side of the ball, as both are disruptive. Offensively, dual-threat quarterback Jawon Pass is the player from the state many schools are hoping to land. The 4-star talent has more than 20 offers, and Auburn, Alabama, Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia Tech are among the schools in the hunt.
3. California
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State nickname: The Golden State
Number of 5-stars: 4
Number of 4-stars: 40
Highest-ranked player: LB Caleb Kelly (No. 16 overall, No. 3 OLB)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 8
The state of California is always loaded with talent, and the trend continues with the 2016 class. It starts with 5-star outside linebacker Caleb Kelly and trickles down. The state has Kelly, defensive end Breland Brandt, wide receiver Tyler Vaughns and quarterback K.J. Costello as 5-star athletes. Brandt has committed to UCLA, and Costello has given his pledge to Stanford.
UCLA has four of California's top 40 players committed in Brandt, wide receiver Michael Pittman and linebackers Lokeni Toailoa and Krys Barnes. The Bruins are looking to land more big-time, in-state players, but part of California recruiting is watching the player battles between UCLA and USC.
The Trojans currently have three commitments so far, and only one—linebacker Mique Juarez—is from California. Look for the recruiting battles of players like Kelly, Vaughns, 4-star wide receiver Dylan Crawford and 4-star Boss Tagaloa to be of personal interest to both USC and UCLA fans.
2. Texas
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State nickname: The Lone Star State
Number of 5-stars: 5
Number of 4-stars: 42
Highest-ranked player: OT Greg Little (No. 2 overall, No. 1 OT)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 7
The fun "who's better?" battle of the spring hasn't been between Texas and Texas A&M; it's been between greater Houston and greater Dallas players. The healthy competition has gone on throughout camps and combines—and the level of competition will always be strong.
There's a lot of respect between the two areas, and there's an even higher number of stars sprinkled in the areas. The nation's top two offensive tackles are from the state in No. 1 Greg Little and No. 2 Patrick Hudson. Little is a Texas A&M commit, while Hudson is a Baylor commit.
Of the state's top 50 players, TCU has four committed. Wide receiver Courtney Lark, linebacker Sewo Olonilua, athlete D'Eriq King and cornerback KeShawn Somerville are 4-star prospects who can be major contributors in coach Gary Patterson's offensive and defensive schemes.
1. Florida
10 of 10
State nickname: The Sunshine State
Number of 5-stars: 5
Number of 4-stars: 43
Highest-ranked player: DE Shavar Manuel (No. 3 overall, No. 1 DE)
Number of committed top-25 in-state players: 17
The state of Florida is loaded with talented players. It's also loaded with players who didn't want to go through a long, drawn-out recruiting process. Of the top 25 players, only eight are uncommitted. Of those eight, however, three are ranked among the state's top 10.
Florida's top-ranked player is 5-star defensive end Shavar Manuel, and schools like Florida State, Miami, Alabama, LSU and Auburn are hoping to land him before February's signing day. Nick Bosa, another 5-star defensive end, is a highly touted prospect. It'll be tough for any school to outrecruit Ohio State, however, as the Buckeyes have his big brother, Joey Bosa, as a standout defensive end.
Florida State and LSU have been active in recruiting the state. The Seminoles have commitments from 5-star quarterback Malik Henry, 4-star tight end Isaac Nauta, 4-star defensive end Janarius Robinson and others. LSU has two pledges from the state, but those pledges—5-star cornerback Saivion Smith and 4-star quarterback Feleipe Franks—are the highest-ranked commits of LSU's 2016 class.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All state nicknames are courtesy of 50States.com. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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