On3 data reveals Florida, Texas send most blue-chip recruits to NFL draft

For years Florida and Texas have dominated the college football recruiting world with the sheer volume of players they send to the next level. So, when looking at On3’s NFL Draft by Stars data collected from the past five years, it’s no surprise to see the Sunshine State and Lone Star State lead the way in the Drafted Blue Chip Share.

On3’s Drafted Blue Chip Share is calculated by taking the state’s drafted blue-chips recruits over a time divided by the total drafted blue chips.

On3 looks at the top 10 states with the highest Drafted Blue Chip Share over the past five years. And yes, Texas and Florida are at the top of the list, but there are also some surprises with bigger population bases ranking lower than what might be expected.

No. 1 Florida

5-stars: 15
4-stars: 61
3-stars: 65
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 13%
Population: 7%
The Skinny: Florida not only is big on producing college football recruits, but it’s also big on sending those talented recruits on to the NFL draft in players like former five-star Nick Bosa. That success gives the state a 199% Drafted Talent Ratio.

In the 2021 NFL draft alone, Florida had the top two high schools (IMG Academy and American Heritage) that produced multiple players drafted. IMG Academy has the most players selected for the second-consecutive year after leading all high schools with four players selected in the 2020 NFL draft last year. Florida also had four of the top 16 high schools that produced multiple players in the 2021 NFL draft.

No. 2 Texas

5-stars: 11
4-stars: 55
3-stars: 68
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 11.3%
Population: 9%
The Skinny: Much like Florida, Texas continues to turn out the volume when it comes to college recruits. But it also is producing blue-chip prospects that go on to get selected in the NFL draft. The 2021 NFL draft was kind to the Lone Star State with 34 picks, including former four-star recruit Jaylen Waddle, who went No. 6 overall, and Los Angeles Rams OL Rashawn Slater. Texas is also at No. 9 on the Drafted Talent Ratio at 128%.

No. 3 California

5-stars: 14
4-stars: 39
3-stars: 48
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 9.1%
Population: 12%
The Skinny: For years, recruiting fans have heard about the Big Three of Texas, Florida and California when it comes to sending high school players on to the next level. There was a period when the gap between Florida, Texas and California was really narrow for sending blue-chip players to the NFL draft. But data over the past five years indicate the Golden State has slipped some, especially when you see the state has 12% of the nation’s population.

Yes, California will always be home to top high school football and NFL draft talent. But other states like Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina are closing the gap with smaller population bases. And that can be clearly seen with California’s dismal 76% Drafted Talent Ratio.

No. 4 Georgia

5-stars: 16
4-stars: 32
3-stars: 36
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 8.2%
Population: 3%
The Skinny: Georgia has replaced California as the third-highest state for sending high school players to the next level over the past few years. So, it’s no surprise to see the Peach State high on this list, too. In fact, Georgia had the most school football players picked in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, headlined by No. 1 overall and former five-star quarterback Trevor Lawrence and former four-star cornerback Jaycee Horn. The Peach State also ranks second in the country with an eyepopping 254% Drafted Talent Ratio.

No. 5 Louisiana

5-stars: 6
4-stars: 23
3-stars: 26
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 5%
Population: 1%
The Skinny: Per capita, nobody does it better than Louisiana. The Bayou State has around 1% of the nation’s population. However, Louisiana continues to crank out top-ranked high school football players that end up getting selected in the NFL draft. A 5% Drafted Blue Chip Share is a mind-blowing number in a state that has only 4.65 million people. Louisiana also has the highest Drafted Talent Ratio in the country at 350%.

No. 6 Ohio

5-stars: 2
4-stars: 27
3-stars: 18
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 5%
Population: 4%
The Skinny: Ohio has always been a hotbed of high school football. It’s fueled the B1G and Notre Dame for decades. While some will argue the overall talent in the state has slipped some over the past five years, it’s still home to a high number of blue-chip recruits that go on to get picked in the NFL draft. Ohio’s Drafted Talent Ratio is 139%.

No. 7 North Carolina

5-stars: 2
4-stars: 25
3-stars: 13
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 4.6%
Population: 3%
The Skinny: North Carolina is another state on this list that is smaller in population but big in producing blue-chip recruits that go on to get picked in the NFL draft. For example, North Carolina had 10 players picked in the 2021 NFL draft. That’s quite impressive for a state with only 3% of the population and plays a big part in the 4.6% Drafted Blue Chip Share number. North Carolina also has a very impressive 145% Drafted Talent Ratio.

No. 8 Alabama

5-stars: 8
4-stars: 17
3-stars: 15
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 4.3%
Population: 2%
The Skinny: Alabama is another state that’s smaller in population but big-time in talent. The state fuels Alabama and Auburn’s programs and produces top-draft picks like former four-star DL Quinnen Williams, who went No. 3 overall to the New York Jets in 2021. Per capita, Alabama also ranks No. 3 from NFL draft standpoint and ranks third overall with a 284% Drafted Talent Ratio.

No. 9 Pennsylvania

5-stars: 4
4-stars: 18
3-stars: 18
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 3.8%
Population: 4%
The Skinny: In many ways, Pennsylvania mirrors Ohio on this list. It’s a state that has a strong high school football history and for decades was home to many of the top high school football players in the country. There’s still talent to be found. But as more of the population has shifted, it’s pushed the Keystone State down the list when it comes to blue-chip recruits getting selected in the NFL draft. That trend is also reflected with a 96% Drafted Talent Ratio.

No. 10 Virginia

5-stars: 5
4-stars: 15
3-stars: 16
Drafted Blue Chip Share: 3.4%
Population: 3%
The Skinny: Virginia is another area that gets under-appreciated from a talent-production standpoint. College coaches know the suburbs of Washington D.C. are prime recruiting real estate. But the Hampton Roads and Richmond areas also produce talent like Clelin Ferrell, who went No. 4 overall in the 2019 NFL draft out of Clemson. Overall, Virginia has a very solid 131% Drafted Talent Ratio.