Multiple Choice Quiz-Metro Area with Richest Talent

[OldSchoolLion]

This metro area, on a per capita basis, has by far the richest amount of individual, high-tier talent(4 and 5-star players) in the country this year.  Which metro area is it?

Atlanta

Dallas/Fort Worth

Houston

Los Angeles

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach 

New Orleans/Baton Rouge

[Cjm04]

Atlanta

[954gator]

11 hours ago, OldSchoolLion said:

This metro area, on a per capita basis, has by far the richest amount of individual, high-tier talent(4 and 5-star players) in the country this year.  Which metro area is it?

Atlanta

Dallas/Fort Worth

Houston

Los Angeles

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach 

New Orleans/Baton Rouge

Per capita?  Probably NO/BR or maybe Atlanta.    

[OldSchoolLion]

2 minutes ago, 954gator said:

Per capita?  Probably New Orleans/BR.    

1. New Orleans/Baton Rouge-12 ESPN 300 Players (1.95 million population)

2. Atlanta-23 ESPN 300 players (5.79 million population)

3. South FL-18 ESPN 300 (5.75 million population)

4. Dallas/Ft Worth-19 ESPN 300 Players (6.43 million population)

5. Houston-13 ESPN 300 Players (6.77 million population)

6. Los Angeles-22 ESPN 300 players (13.31 million population)

You got it 954gator!  Southeast Louisiana is rich with talent.  4 of the top 30 seniors in the country are from southeast LA, and each comes from a different school(3 public and 1 private).  For some perspective, the entire state of Florida has 2 players in the top 30, and both are from IMG.  

Despite all of that talent, only 1 team from Louisiana can be found in the Maxpreps Preseason 100 poll.

[954gator]

23 hours ago, OldSchoolLion said:

1. New Orleans/Baton Rouge-12 ESPN 300 Players (1.95 million population)

2. Atlanta-23 ESPN 300 players (5.79 million population)

3. South FL-18 ESPN 300 (5.75 million population)

4. Dallas/Ft Worth-19 ESPN 300 Players (6.43 million population)

5. Houston-13 ESPN 300 Players (6.77 million population)

6. Los Angeles-22 ESPN 300 players (13.31 million population)

You got it 954gator!  Southeast Louisiana is rich with talent.  4 of the top 30 seniors in the country are from southeast LA, and each comes from a different school(3 public and 1 private).  For some perspective, the entire state of Florida has 2 players in the top 30, and both are from IMG.  

Despite all of that talent, only 1 team from Louisiana can be found in the Maxpreps Preseason 100 poll.

I think the rating services are very skewed though.   It seems like there are set numbers for recruits from different regions and these guys have trouble comparing them.    I don't disagree that Louisiana is loaded with studs, but I feel like FL is limited by a specified number and ever since IMG came out they will almost always have the "best" players now.   It's as if the rest of FL all of a sudden isn't top tier.   I say garbage.  

[OldSchoolLion]

6 minutes ago, 954gator said:

I think the rating services are very skewed though.   It seems like there are set numbers for recruits from different regions and these guys have trouble comparing them.    I don't disagree that Louisiana is loaded with studs, but I feel like FL is limited by a specified number and ever since IMG came out they will almost always have the "best" players now.   It's as if the rest of FL all of a sudden isn't top tier.   I say garbage.  

You bring up an interesting point 954gator.  I think the skewing can work both for and against Florida.  I sometimes wonder if certain kids playing for certain big-name programs in Florida, including IMG, get an extra star simply because they are playing for said program.  In another post, I discussed how most of the the 4 and 5-star players in Mississippi play for relatively obscure, unknown schools.  My tendency is to think that those kids are "earning their stars" instead of riding the reputation of their program.

As you'll see below, a lot more FL kids are getting big ratings than 15 years ago.  Florida represents 6% of the US population and 18% of 4 or 5-star seniors were from Florida last year.  So, I think it is hard for us to argue that Florida is not getting its fair share of the ratings

2003-28 FL seniors got 4 or 5 stars

2012-45 FL seniors got 4 or 5 stars

2018-66 FL seniors got 4 or 5 stars (11 IMG, 5 STA, 5 AHP)

Another factor that may be coming into play....now, due to the wonders of the internet and advancements in hs recruiting, recruiters are finding kids in backwoods places where they may have not gotten exposure prior to the internet.  In 2003, there were only 6 highly rated kids in MS.  This year there were 14.  The talent was always there.  I think folks are simply looking in more nooks and crannies now to find the talent and, in that sense, there is more competition for the top spots at each position.

 

[954gator]

21 hours ago, OldSchoolLion said:

You bring up an interesting point 954gator.  I think the skewing can work both for and against Florida.  I sometimes wonder if certain kids playing for certain big-name programs in Florida, including IMG, get an extra star simply because they are playing for said program.  In another post, I discussed how most of the the 4 and 5-star players in Mississippi play for relatively obscure, unknown schools.  My tendency is to think that those kids are "earning their stars" instead of riding the reputation of their program.

As you'll see below, a lot more FL kids are getting big ratings than 15 years ago.  Florida represents 6% of the US population and 18% of 4 or 5-star seniors were from Florida last year.  So, I think it is hard for us to argue that Florida is not getting its fair share of the ratings

2003-28 FL seniors got 4 or 5 stars

2012-45 FL seniors got 4 or 5 stars

2018-66 FL seniors got 4 or 5 stars (11 IMG, 5 STA, 5 AHP)

Another factor that may be coming into play....now, due to the wonders of the internet and advancements in hs recruiting, recruiters are finding kids in backwoods places where they may have not gotten exposure prior to the internet.  In 2003, there were only 6 highly rated kids in MS.  This year there were 14.  The talent was always there.  I think folks are simply looking in more nooks and crannies now to find the talent and, in that sense, there is more competition for the top spots at each position.

 

Oh for sure the big programs get the most highly rated kids because IMO the recruiting services are lazy and like to kill 2 birds with one stone.   Basically, if these kids aren't showing up for the camps or aren't at a big school where scouts are they get overlooked.   

Guys like this are minimum 4stars in other states.  

Another one that comes to my mind is Shawn Davis from Southridge a couple years ago.   Barely a 3 star with the tape and size/speed?   Crazy.    Yes there are guys at STA, IMG, AHP, etc that are rated higher than these guys because these recruiters are LAZY.   

Shawn Davis   https://www.hudl.com/video/3/4715314/57f3dfaebd75201c38b25b71

[954gator]

@OldSchoolLion Or how about that kid from Lakeland last year?  This kid Antonio Whitehead didn't even have a 247 profile!   Check his tape... Not even a profile forget about the stars!  I personally thought this one was criminal. 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7901189/5999dfae664b5120e07902d9

 

[OldSchoolLion]

13 hours ago, 954gator said:

@OldSchoolLion Or how about that kid from Lakeland last year?  This kid Antonio Whitehead didn't even have a 247 profile!   Check his tape... Not even a profile forget about the stars!  I personally thought this one was criminal. 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7901189/5999dfae664b5120e07902d9

 

...just pointing out what many already recognize.

Give or take a few, there are approximately 150 kids in FL each year who are lights out, no-brainer, Power 5 candidates.  Then there is this huge slug of kids who require a lot more effort to dissect/evaluate, and many kids just get lost in the shuffle, either underrated or not rated at all.  Unfortunately, we have created an environment where kids thinks they have to go to a certain high school to get noticed by the colleges or even a certain college to get noticed by the NFL.  I cannot blame the kids for being a bit paranoid about getting lost in the shuffle.

One of 2 NFL All-Pro's from FL this past season had no stars in high school despite being a first-team all-state player.  He went to a lesser-known university and was "only" a sixth round draft pick, but has become one of the best players at his position in the NFL.  So much for "stars" in recruiting.