Producing College Football Recruits: State Rankings?

This thought hit me when considering college football, but which states are known to produce the most college football recruits?

There are a few states that consistently produce a significant number of college football recruits each year.

Firstly, Florida, Texas, and California, due to their large populations, tend to have the highest number of college football recruits in general. These states feature highly competitive high school football programs, which can often be breeding grounds for future college players.

From a per capita perspective, however, you might see different results. States like Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama also produce a high number of college football recruits relative to their population size.

It's noteworthy that many Southern states, with their rich football culture and history, are often hotbeds for college football talent. Typically, the regions with a strong cultural attachment to football, coupled with large numbers of high schools, gain the reputation for producing a wealth of recruits.

While this ranks states by the raw number of recruits, it's worth noting that the quality of recruits can vary greatly. Some states could produce a smaller quantity but higher proportion of top-tier recruits. For example, states like New Jersey or Pennsylvania might not produce as many total recruits as Florida, Texas, or California, but have a high proportion of blue-chip (four and five-star) recruits.

So in summary, while certain states, especially those with large populations and a strong football culture, do tend to produce more football recruits, one's ability to succeed in football is not strictly determined by geographical location.