Recruiting has gone national, which means the challenge of signing the best in-state talent is exponentially more difficult than, say, 30 years ago.

With that in mind, we’re building a six-man all-star in-state team of sorts for each program in the SEC, looking for more recent recruits with more options who chose to stay home.

Vanderbilt is the toughest place to recruit in the SEC. The combination of its rigorous academic requirements and drawing from a state that doesn’t produce enough elite recruits to fill two SEC rosters forces the Commodores to recruit nationally.

As such, its greatest players — Jay Cutler, Jordan Matthews, Casey Hayward, etc., — are imports.

Derek Mason is trying to change that, and he’s hit the mark with a couple of huge in-state signings. In that spirit, we take a recent look at the highest-rated Tennessee kids who became Commodores.

Quarterback — Patton Robinette

Robinette, a three-star recruit from Maryville, is the highest-ranked in-state quarterback the Commodores have signed in the past 10 classes.

Robinette was ranked No. 552 overall in the 2012 class, and No. 13 among dual-threat quarterbacks, according to 247Sports.

Robinette announced a year ago that he was giving up football to focus on a medical career.

Deuce Wallace, a three-star recruit from Sevierville, was ranked No. 567 overall, 22nd among pro-style quarterbacks in the 2016 class.

Running back — Brian Kimbrow

A four-star prospect from Memphis, Kimbrow was the highest-rated recruit in Vanderbilt’s 2012 class.

Rated the No. 8 all-purpose back in the country, Kimbrow played in the U.S. Army All-American Game.

He played early and well during his first two seasons but was suspended in 2014 and eventually transferred.

Receiver — Latevius Rayford

Rayford, from Memphis, was a three-star prospect who was ranked No. 919 in the 2013 class, No. 121 among receivers.

Vanderbilt’s recruiting is all about finding hidden gems. In the 2013 class, that turned out to be Ralph Webb, a three-star recruit from Gainesville who wasn’t ranked among the top 1,000 players in the country.

Rayford hasn’t had that type of success, but is a former starter and had 19 catches for 151 yards last season.

Defensive lineman — Caleb Azubike

Azubike was a three-star prospect out of Nashville in the 2012 cycle and No. 37-ranked defensive end in the country.

He moved back and forth during his career between defensive end and linebacker. He finished with 29 tackles as a senior, including 3.0 sacks.

Linebacker — Josh Smith

Smith was a four-star prospect out of Mufreesboro, the No. 3-rated inside linebacker in the country in the 2015 class, according to 247Sports.

A U.S. Army All-American, he chose the Commodores after taking visits to Oregon and Oklahoma.

Smith played in every game last season and is moving outside this spring, where Vandy hopes to take advantage of his speed in getting to the quarterback.

Defensive back — Donovan Sheffield

Sheffield also was a four-star in the 2015 class, the No. 28-ranked cornerback in the country out of Nashville.

He chose the Commodores over Northwestern. That decision pleased his father, Robert, who played corner for the Commodores from 1993-96.

Sheffield played in six games last year and will assume a larger role in 2016.