Heading into The Opening, Georgia bumps off a traditional power state to move into the third slot as one of country's top football hot spots.
Video: States with most Top 500 football recruits
Top four states boast almost 50 percent of the total recruits.
They have gathered at Ford Center in Frisco (Texas) this week to showcase speed, strength and football skills.
The Opening — an elite combine for approximately 160 of the top seniors (and a few juniors) — is also a place to lay stakes and brag about home cooking.
Inevitably, the conversation arises: Which state plays the best football?
According to the current 247Sports recruiting rankings, 38 of the 50 states are represented among its top 500 players. Washington D.C. also is represented — quite impressively, in fact, with seven players — as is Canada with 4 star tight end
Theo Johnson of Holy Names (Windsor, Ontario).
As usual, the preponderance of recruits star in the top four states — Florida, Texas, California and Georgia — with 238 selections, just below 50 percent.
The eye-opener here is how Georgia leapfrogged one of the Big 3 to move into the No. 3 spot.
Look for many of the player rankings to change significantly following The Opening, including the list of quarterbacks at the
Elite 11 competition. The recruiting website also figures to move around its
player rankings after The Opening.
As they stand today, here are the top 10 states to produce the top 500 football recruits from the Class of 2020. All recruiting rankings are from
247Sports as of June 28.
1. Florida Number of recruits: 72
Breakdown: Top 100 (14), 101-200 (18), 201-300 (14), 301-400 (16), 401-500 (10).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 17: RB
Demarkcus Bowman of
Lakeland, Clemson commit
No. 28: RB
Donald Chaney Jr. of
Belen Jesuit (Miami), University of Miami
No. 30: CB
Fred Davis of
Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville), Clemson
2. TexasNumber of recruits: 69
Breakdown: Top 100 (15), 101-200 (18), 201-300 (14), 301-400 (11), 401-500 (11).
Top 3 ranked players
No. 6: RB
Zachary Evans of
North Shore (Houston), uncommitted
No. 15: WR
Demond Demas of
Tomball, Texas A&M
No. 23: RB
Jase McClellan of
Aledo, Oklahoma
Jase McClellan, Aledo
File photo by Robbie Rakestraw
53
Breakdown: Top 100 (10), 101-200 (10), 201-300 (9), 301-400 (9), 401-500 (15).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 7: DE
Myles Murphy of
Hillgrove (Powder Springs), Clemson
No. 12: ATH
Arik Gilbert of
Marietta, uncommitted
No. 20: OT
Broderick Jones of
Lithonia, Georgia
4. CaliforniaNumber: 44
Breakdown: Top 100 (13), 101-200 (5), 201-300 (8), 301-400 (9), 401-500 (9).
Top 3 ranked players
No. 3: LB
Justin Flowe of
Upland, uncommitted
No. 13: QB
DJ Uiagalelei of
St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Clemson
No. 16: CB
Elias Ricks of
Mater Dei (Santa Ana), LSU
5. AlabamaNumber: 22
Breakdown: Top 100 (2), 101-200 (6), 201-300 (5), 301-400 (7), 401-500 (2).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 53: LB
Quandarrius Robinson of
Jackson-Olin (Birmingham), Alabama
No. 73: LB
Demouy Kennedy of
Theodore, Alabama
No. 101: DT
Jayson Jones of
Calera, Alabama
6. LouisianaNumber: 20
Breakdown: Top 100 (2), 101-200 (4), 201-300 (4), 301-400 (5), 401-500 (5).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 41, WR
Kayshon Boutte of
Westgate (New Iberia), LSU
7. Tennessee Number: 17
Breakdown: Top 100 (4), 101-200 (3), 201-300 (1), 301-400 (7), 401-500 (2).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 31: DE
Reggie Grimes II of
Mount Juliet, uncommitted
No. 63: S
Keshawn Lawrence of
Ensworth (Nashville), Tennessee
No. 87: OG
Chris Morris of
Memphis Central (Memphis), uncommitted
8. (tie) MarylandNumber: 15
Breakdown: Top 100 (3), 101-200 (4), 201-300 (5), 301-400 (2), 401-500 (1).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 2: OT
Bryan Bresee of
Damascus, Clemson
No. 14, DE
Chris Braswell of
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), Alabama
No. 35, RB
Marshawn Lloyd of
DeMatha (Hyattsville), South Carolina
Marshawn Lloyd, DeMatha
File photo by Jann Hendry
15
Breakdown: Top 100 (3), 101-200 (6), 201-300 (3), 301-400 (1), 401-500 (2).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 18: DE
Desmond Evans of
Lee County (Sanford), uncommitted
No. 52: LB
Trenton Simpson of
Mallard Creek (Charlotte), Auburn
No. 92: OG
Mitchell Mayes of
Leesville Road (Raleigh), Clemson
10. New JerseyNumber: 14
Breakdown: Top 100 (2), 101-200 (3), 201-300 (2), 301-400 (2), 401-500 (5).
Top 3 ranked playersNo. 54: RB
Jalen Berger of
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey), uncommitted
