Where top recruits in the SEC region are going

[Biggus Piggus]

I have compiled a list of where the 24/7 top 10 recruits in all the major SEC recruiting territories (plus Arkansas) are planning to attend college. You might notice a running theme.

Who's getting the top 10 players from Texas:

3 Ohio State
1 Auburn
1 LSU
1 Notre Dame
1 Stanford
1 Texas A&M
1 LSU, Florida State or Ohio State
1 LSU or Texas

Who's getting the top 10 players from Florida:

3 Alabama
3 Ohio State
3 Florida State
1 Michigan

Who's getting the top 10 players from Georgia:

5 Georgia
1 Alabama
1 Clemson
1 South Carolina
1 Stanford
1 Michigan or Alabama

Who's getting the top 10 players from Louisiana:

2 Alabama
2 LSU
1 Clemson
1 Florida
1 Mississippi State
3 Alabama or LSU

Who's getting the top 10 players from Mississippi:

2 LSU
2 Mississippi State
1 Florida State
1 Georgia
1 Louisville
1 Ole Miss
1 Tennessee
1 LSU or Mississippi State

Who's getting the top 10 players from Tennessee:

3 Tennessee
2 Clemson
2 LSU
1 Arkansas
1 Memphis
1 Ole Miss or Oregon

How about the top 10 players from Alabama:

4 Alabama
2 Auburn
1 Texas
1 Alabama, Florida or Tennessee
1 Alabama or Florida State
1 Michigan, Georgia, LSU or Alabama

The top 10 players from South Carolina:

4 South Carolina
1 Clemson
1 East Carolina
1 Texas Tech
1 Troy
1 South Carolina or USC
1 South Carolina or Virginia Tech

Finally, the top 10 players from Arkansas:

5 Arkansas
1 juco
1 Iowa State
1 Missouri
1 Oklahoma
1 Baylor or Utah

[East TN HAWG]

Fla recruiting is way down.  Donkey probably won't be there much longer. 

[LRHawg]

Ohio State tearing it up in Texas. We should always be competing for these kids. We've done well there in the past, I hope this year was just an anomaly.

[East TN HAWG]

Ohio State tearing it up in Texas. We should always be competing for these kids. We've done well there in the past, I hope this year was just an anomaly.

Agreed, but we do not really have a Texas based recruiter on staff other than Franks. 

[davehog]

While I agree with the "we have to recruit Texas better" crowd but based on this analysis the most prime recruiting territory outside of Arkansas is Louisiana. 

The quantity and quality is there for D1 recruits and LSU can't take them all.  The competiton factor is much lower than in other surrounding states.

We will never be #2 in Texas but we can be in Louisiana. I hope I the next coach hires have a recruiting history of success in LA.

[Vantage 8 dude]

I have compiled a list of where the 24/7 top 10 recruits in all the major SEC recruiting territories (plus Arkansas) are planning to attend college. You might notice a running theme.

Who's getting the top 10 players from Texas:

3 Ohio State
1 Auburn
1 LSU
1 Notre Dame
1 Stanford
1 Texas A&M
1 LSU, Florida State or Ohio State
1 LSU or Texas

Who's getting the top 10 players from Florida:

3 Alabama
3 Ohio State
3 Florida State
1 Michigan

Who's getting the top 10 players from Georgia:

5 Georgia
1 Alabama
1 Clemson
1 South Carolina
1 Stanford
1 Michigan or Alabama

Who's getting the top 10 players from Louisiana:

2 Alabama
2 LSU
1 Clemson
1 Florida
1 Mississippi State
3 Alabama or LSU

Who's getting the top 10 players from Mississippi:

2 LSU
2 Mississippi State
1 Florida State
1 Georgia
1 Louisville
1 Ole Miss
1 Tennessee
1 LSU or Mississippi State

Who's getting the top 10 players from Tennessee:

3 Tennessee
2 Clemson
2 LSU
1 Arkansas
1 Memphis
1 Ole Miss or Oregon

How about the top 10 players from Alabama:

4 Alabama
2 Auburn
1 Texas
1 Alabama, Florida or Tennessee
1 Alabama or Florida State
1 Michigan, Georgia, LSU or Alabama

The top 10 players from South Carolina:

4 South Carolina
1 Clemson
1 East Carolina
1 Texas Tech
1 Troy
1 South Carolina or USC
1 South Carolina or Virginia Tech

Finally, the top 10 players from Arkansas:

5 Arkansas
1 juco
1 Iowa State
1 Missouri
1 Oklahoma
1 Baylor or Utah

I find it very interesting that in none of these states is the SEC based home team(s) having overwhelming success in grabbing the kids who fall into the top ten. At best they're grabbing roughly half to slightly over.

[East TN HAWG]

While I agree with the "we have to recruit Texas better" crowd but based on this analysis the most prime recruiting territory outside of Arkansas is Louisiana. 

The quantity and quality is there for D1 recruits and LSU can't take them all.  The competiton factor is much lower than in other surrounding states.

We will never be #2 in Texas but we can be in Louisiana. I hope I the next coach hires have a recruiting history of success in LA.

Its not a Texas or Louisiana thing.  I doesn't matter if we are 2nd or 10th as long as we get quality recruits.  We are strong in Louisiana because of Smith.  We could equally be as strong in DFW with a solid recruiter.

The probability of landing a recruit increases as the mileage from campus to recruit's address decrease.  There are always exceptions, but this will hold true statistically nationwide.  Its how the bluebloods became bluebloods strong recruiting backyards. 

We are leaving a lot left on the table in DFW while we are off chasing recruits in GA and Bama.   

[MuskogeeHogFan]

While I agree with the "we have to recruit Texas better" crowd but based on this analysis the most prime recruiting territory outside of Arkansas is Louisiana. 

The quantity and quality is there for D1 recruits and LSU can't take them all.  The competiton factor is much lower than in other surrounding states.

We will never be #2 in Texas but we can be in Louisiana. I hope I the next coach hires have a recruiting history of success in LA.

This staff isn't doing as poorly as many may think. Let's just look at the last 3 five year periods in some of those desired recruiting areas and the numbers of athletes and their rankings, that were signed according to 247.

                                Texas                                   Florida                              Louisiana                             Arkansas
                   5 star     4 star     3 star          5 star     4 star     3 star       5 star     4 star     3 star        5 star     4 star      3 star
2002-2006        0           4           21               0           0            2             0           0           2               2           5           26
2007-2011        0           3           18               0           1            8             0           0           8               1           8           29
2012-2016        0           3           16               0           4           10            0           2           8               1           10          20

We are making inroads in Louisiana, Florida and even Arkansas, but given the disarray in Texas at this time, it just seems that we might be making more progress than we are.

[PonderinHog]

I find it very interesting that in none of these states is the SEC based home team(s) having overwhelming success in grabbing the kids who fall into the top ten. At best they're grabbing roughly half to slightly over.

Not every picture tells the whole story.  Bama has the #1 recruit from some other states.  Can't remember how many.

[LRHawg]

While I agree with the "we have to recruit Texas better" crowd but based on this analysis the most prime recruiting territory outside of Arkansas is Louisiana. 

The quantity and quality is there for D1 recruits and LSU can't take them all.  The competiton factor is much lower than in other surrounding states.

We will never be #2 in Texas but we can be in Louisiana. I hope I the next coach hires have a recruiting history of success in LA.

If Saban will ever leave, I think we can take Bama's place as #2 in LA, assuming we can hang on to CMS.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

Not every picture tells the whole story.  Bama has the #1 recruit from some other states.  Can't remember how many.

Yes, Bama can recruit nationally, and they have real competition in their own state with AU.  It's likely that some of the top players in AL don't even get Bama offers. 

There are a few exceptions, of course, but LSU gets pretty much whoever they want in LA.  Like Bama, I suspect they don't offer some of the top ranked in-state kids.

UGA is a lot like LSU. 

FL is a real head scratcher...competition with FSU and Mia notwithstanding.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

If Saban will ever leave, I think we can take Bama's place as #2 in LA, assuming we can hang on to CMS.

But I don't think we'd steal away the same caliber LA kids that Bama does.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

If Saban will ever leave, I think we can take Bama's place as #2 in LA, assuming we can hang on to CMS.

Saban didn't get there overnight. It took time to develop that recruiting.

From 2007-2011 Alabama signed 0-5 stars, 6-4stars and 0-3 stars in Louisiana.
From 2012-2016 Alabama upped that to 2-5 stars, 6-4 stars and 3-3 stars.

It takes time but we are already doing better even without "Alabama-like" success. Scroll up to my previous post to see how we have improved in Louisiana. It's getting better, just not fast enough.

[Biggus Piggus]

I find it very interesting that in none of these states is the SEC based home team(s) having overwhelming success in grabbing the kids who fall into the top ten. At best they're grabbing roughly half to slightly over.

Yeah, that was what I was looking to prove.

[Oklahawg]

Critical to Texas recruiting is the willingness of CBB to bump heads with folks willing to dangle a lot of cash in front of players. Money flows most deeply in TX, and it is the most sophisticated payola out there.

[tophawg19]

one thing i noticed is that most of these kids are looking to remain in the south although willing to travel. Good players have no issue with traveling to get to good schools if they believe in them.

[Biggus Piggus]

LSU's recruiting presence in its home state is solid, but it's also got a foothold in Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Impressive.

[Hogwild]

LSU's recruiting presence in its home state is solid, but it's also got a foothold in Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Impressive.

This was a really down year for recruiting in Louisiana, so they went out of state more than ever. Just over half of the top 10 players in Louisiana got offers from LSU, was reading this article last week.   Interesting fact, aside from Alabama, only one recruit that is committed to an SEC school had an offer from LSU. (Brad Steward- UF)

This year's group of Louisiana recruits isn't as top-heavy or as deep as in previous years.

It pales in comparison to last year's, which was possibly the state's most highly touted class ever. The 2016 Louisiana crop featured 21 players rated four or five stars in 247Sports' composite rankings. This year's class has 12.

Six of the top 10 in 2016 were ranked in the top five nationally at his position. Just one of the top 10 this year is ranked in the top five at his position.

"It's cyclical," said Hank Tierney, a longtime coach in the state who's now at Ponchatoula. "The state's always going to have good talent. Some years are better than others."

Several recruiting experts are calling this a "down cycle" in Louisiana....

LSU has gone to other states for talent this year more than ever, a side effect of the "down cycle" in Louisiana but also a change in recruiting approach under Orgeron.

"Traditionally, we've seen LSU stick to Louisiana, east Texas and south Florida," said Shea Dixon, reporter for Geaux247, the 247Sports site covering the Tigers. "I think that will change under Orgeron. The umbrella will widen of where these kids are coming from."

It's already happening. LSU could sign more non-Louisiana prospects in 2017 than it has in any of the previous 25 classes. LSU's 14 out-of-state commitments — five of them have already enrolled — are just one short of matching the program high since 1992. The Tigers signed 15 out-of-state recruits in 2015 and 2007