College Football Recruiting: Ranking the 11 Best States to Land Prospects

You and I both know most of the top college football talent consistently comes from mainly Texas, California and Florida. Then there are other states that also produce most of the main talent programs recruit each year.

For this read, I'm going to rank the top 11 states where a college football coach can get a good high school football player.

Which state is No.1?

11. Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is known to breed tough players. They have a rich history of breeding players like Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett and up to now, Eugene Lewis.

If you want toughness, grit and players who just love playing football no matter the weather, you go to Pennsylvania to get a couple players to play at your program.

10. Virginia/D.C. Area

You'd be surprised with how much talent this area actually breeds. The Mid-Atlantic region, although it's not a state and I know that, is a hot bed.

From great players like Michael Vick, a CB named Allen Iverson and Plaxico Burress, all the way to the present of Stefon Diggs and Eddie Goldman, you can easily see this region has a ton of talent laying around.

9. Ohio

Ohio is a pure football state. High school level football is really good around the state, and there seems to be plenty of passion.

Ohio State is a premier school to go to if you're a prep player, but there are plenty of other options. The game seems like a big deal to players who come from the state.

8. The Carolinas

Both North Carolina and South Carolina are good football states. I'm going to group them here just because we'd be here all night naming good players from both states separately.

From Hakeem Nicks to Julius Peppers, to Mario Williams to Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney, among others, you get the picture.

7. Mississippi

Here's a state in the south that gets a bit overlooked. But I've always respected Mississippi football, and there seems to be a good amount of recruits who trek from the state.

This year alone seems to be a great year, as top players like Channing Ward, Nick James and Quay Evans are leading the charge. 

6. Alabama

The state of Alabama has always been a really good football state. From Justin Tuck to Tee Martin to JaMarcus Russell, there have been stars after stars of high school players.

This year, Reggie Ragland, Kwon Alexander and Jameis Winston are easily the top three players in the state. Just so happens all three are easily among the top overall players in the United States.

5. Georgia

The Peach State gets it done when it comes pouring out talent. Many teams in the SEC come into Georgia on a regular basis looking for talent.

Calvin Johnson, Herschel Walker and Champ Bailey are big names that come from Georgia, just to name a few. This year, it's players like Johnathan Taylor, Jordan Jenkins and Vadal Alexander who are elite talents.

4. Lousiana

This year may be a bit of a down year for star power in Louisiana, but overall, this state is a surefire producer. No matter what you want—speed, size or OLs or DLs—Louisiana is a one-stop shop for you.

Many of the top players attend in-state LSU, which does a great job of scooping up and recruiting talent from their backyard.

T1. Florida

The Sunshine State is one of the "Big Three" in talent-producing states. Almost every college football team has someone from Florida on their roster, and each program makes it a point to keep tabs on the state.

It's a big deal to a coach when the head coach and recruiting coordinator come to him and ask if they can recruit the state or a portion of it, as it means the coach is viewed as a great recruiter.

T1. California

California is viewed as a really good skill position state, especially for QBs. As a fellow Golden State native, I'm proud that the state is a well-known football talent-producing venue.

There's an argument that more players come from California into the NFL than any other, and while the exact number fluctuates every year, I support that claim proudly.

T1. Texas

They say there is no other state in the nation that puts a higher demand on high school football than Texas. Friday nights in the Lone Star state in the fall are almost state holidays.

There are a ton of great players, past and present, who hale from Texas, and I don't foresee any changes on the horizon. Besides Texas, there are many other schools in the state for a recruit to go to and continue his development as a player.