The NFL Draft revealed what those who follow college football recruiting and big-time high school football closely have known for a long time.

The pool of talent is largely found in the Southeast, Texas and California.

It’s part of the reason the national championship contenders recruit nationally, from Alabama and Georgia, to Clemson and Ohio State. And it’s paid off. The Crimson Tide and Buckeyes, which met in the College Football Playoff championship game last season, each had 10 players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Georgia and Notre Dame each had nine players selected, while Florida and Michigan had eight players selected.

Alabama had eight players selected in the first three rounds. The Crimson Tide also tied the record of six first-round picks set by Miami in 2004. Alabama had three picks in the first 10 picks, including Miami’s Jaylen Waddle (No. 6), Denver’s Patrick Surtain Jr. (No. 9) and Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith (No. 10). That run continued with New England’s Mac Jones (No. 15) and Las Vegas’ Alex Leatherwood (No. 17) and Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris (No. 23).

Look closely and Waddle is from Houston Texas, Surtain is from Plantation, Florida, Smith is from Amite, Louisiana, Jones is from Jacksonville, Florida, and Leatherwood is from Pensacola, Florida. Harris is from Antioch, California.

The non-Alabama top 10 picks from the SEC, Ja’Marr Chase of LSU, and Jaycee Horn of South Carolina, are from Harvey, Louisiana, and Alpharetta, Georgia.