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We’ve long known that the game of college football recruiting is not played on an even playing field.
If things were fair, you wouldn’t see the likes of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh doing everything in his power to present his school’s brand in states like Florida.
Even though we know that some states are blessed with more Division I football talent than others, sometimes it is nice to see some graphics that back up our assumptions.
Reddit CFB user “__nev__” recently posted some location density maps that he created for a project, which identified the location of the ESPN300 prospects for the 2013-2015 recruiting classes. Note that the data does not include the class that signed last month.
Here’s a sample of what he found when he applied a density map to the data points:
He has several more maps you can check out. Head on over to visit our friends at Reddit CFB to see those.
So what can we learn from these maps?
Well, for starters, it appears as though the Greater Atlanta area has been the most fertile recruiting ground of the last three years. While Texas and Florida still have plenty of prospects, as you would expect, it appears as though the numbers in Georgia are a little bit better as far as top tier talent is concerned.
It also shows us what an advantage the SEC enjoy in regards to proximity to the nation’s best recruits. The only places outside of SEC country that even come close to the level of concentration within the Southeast are Southern California and a small patch along the Eastern Seaboard.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
