A longstanding debate in the recruiting world has been which metro area produces the best football players. So now in conjunction with millions of other brackets, ours has reach the final eight metro areas.
Our national recruiting analysts picked the top 16 metro areas for high school football talent and seeded them 1-16, with No. 1 being their collective pick as the best. Our analyst group focused solely on the talent churned out so far in the 2020s.
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And now we will let the fans take it from here and vote to decide which city they believe is the king of football talent.
Fans already voted on our first-round matchups below and now it’s on to the quarterfinal matchups.
FIRST-ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 Tampa/St. Pete defeated No. 16 Philadelphia
No. 2 Atlanta defeated No. 15 Charlotte
No. 3 Dallas/Fort Worth defeated No. 14 Chicago
No. 4 Los Angeles defeated No. 13 Las Vegas
No. 5 Miami/South Florida defeated No. 12 St. Louis
No. 7 Detroit defeated No. 10 DMV
No. 8 New Orleans/South Louisiana defeated No. 9 Houston
No. 11 Birmingham/Montgomery defeated No. 6. South Georgia
QUARTERFINAL ROUND
No. 1 Tampa/St. Pete vs. No. 8 New Orleans/South Louisiana
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No. 2 Atlanta vs. No. 7 Detroit
No. 3 Dallas/Fort Worth vs. No. 11 Birmingham/Montgomery
No. 4 Los Angeles vs. No. 5 Miami/South Florida
No. 1 Tampa/St. Pete vs. No. 8 New Orleans/South Louisiana
The Case For Tampa: Don’t look now, but the Tampa Bay metro area has become one of America’s most fascinating football hotbeds over the years. Sure, the low-hanging fruit is to allocate the boost to IMG Academy’s status as the nation’s most talented and tracked high school program, but even beyond the Bradenton boarding school, the area continues to churn out five-star recruits, first round NFL Draft picks and college stars in between. When combined, the area could be the nation’s most talented spot all together. The numbers tell a gaudy story here.
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Not only did the region produce a five-star in every cycle from 2020 to 2025, it was able to produce multiple in each individual class including a staggering seven in the class of 2023. That group featured names like Carnell Tate, Francis Mauigoa and the polarizing Cormani McClain. The blue-chippers in Rivals250 range also ran the numbers up, as more than 70 prospects finished tabbed in the final ranking from within the region.
Pushing it up to the NFL Draft, three Tampa-area stars heard their names called in the first round just last year, including quarterback Michael Penix. Looking ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, linebacker Jihaad Campbell and secondary prospect Azareyeh Thomas have been pegged as first round locks while Tyler Booker could splash into it as well.
Since 2021, the region has produced at least one first round NFL selection. The next wave also looks to be in a strong position when it comes to Tampa ties, with Saturday players Rocco Becht, Kaytron Allen, Lewis Carter, Jerrick Gibson, Jordan Seaton, Charles Lester and DJ Pickett, among others, looking to continue the trend up.
– John Garcia Jr.
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The Case For South Louisiana: No state churns out more NFL talent per capita than Louisiana — and South Louisiana produces a massive amount of talent that is taking over the league and also college football.
Both former first-round picks Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers exploded onto the scene in Year 1 as rookies. Thomas, out of Walker, La., was a Rivals250 WR who since surfaced as one of the NFL’s best young perimeter receivers in Jacksonville. Nabers, who was sidelined as a senior due to state transfer rules, set multiple records while at LSU before breaking the mark for receptions by a rookie last season with the New York Giants. Former No. 2 overall player Maason Smith in 2021 was a second-round pick of the Jags and is quickly becoming one of the NFL’s most formidable young DL.
There is expected to be another wave of South Louisiana talent to come off the board during the NFL Draft. Among them — former Rivals250 OL Emery Jones (LSU) and former four-star WR Jack Bech (TCU). Some of college football’s best are from The Boot. That includes former No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning, who will orchestrate the Texas offense full-time this season. His teammate — Derek Williams — is one of the best young SAF expected to step into a bigger role this fall in Austin.
Former Rivals five-star WR Aaron Anderson came on strong in his second season at LSU and should be a part of a high-octane offense in Baton Rouge this fall. So should Chris Hilton, a top-100 recruit in 2021. Former five-star DL Dominick McKinley closed his freshman season out with a bang — and is part of what should be a formidable front in the Bayou this upcoming season.
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Former five-star Harlem Berry is expected to be an impact freshman this season with the Tigers. Former five-star DE Jahkeem Stewart is also a candidate to be an immediate contributor at USC.
– Sam Spiegelman
No. 2. Atlanta vs. No. 7 Detroit
The Case For Atlanta: The Greater Metro Atlanta Area has No. 1 seed written all over it. The Peach State is rich with talent year in and year out, and in the past half-decade has churned out some of the top recruits and top players in college football each Saturday. It’s draft season — so the conversation starts with former Rivals No. 1 overall player Travis Hunter.
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The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is expected to come off the board early — just like former five-star DE Myles Murphy (Cincinnati Bengals) and five-star OT Broderick Jones (Pittsburgh Steelers) did not too long ago. Brian Branch is another Atlanta area standout making noise on Sundays in Detroit. Like Hunter, former top-100 SAF Malaki Starks is a projected first-rounder. Former five-star LB Barrett Carter is expected to hear their name called later this spring in Green Bay.
Former five-star Caleb Downs is arguably the top safety in college football coming off a title run with the Buckeyes. His brother Josh is an emerging receiver with the Colts. Other five-stars from the ATL we anticipate continuing to make noise in college football this upcoming season include DL Edrick Houston (Ohio State), SAF KJ Bolden (Georgia), WR Mike Matthews (Tennessee), and QB Julian Lewis (Colorado). Other notable recruits from the area include RB Justice Haynes (Michigan) and LT Overton (Alabama).
– Sam Spiegelman
The Case For Detroit: The Motor City has been a steady producer of talent over the years. In the early 2020s running back Donovan Edwards, offensive lineman Rocco Spindler, defensive backs Kobe King and Jaylen Reed came from the city. Each had or is having solid college careers at their respective schools. Edwards helped Michigan to a national championship and landed on the cover of the college football video game. Defensive back Will Johnson gave the city a five-star in the 2022 cycle. He was great throughout his time at Michigan and could be a first round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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Quarterback Dante Moore gave Detroit another five-star in the 2023 cycle. His time should be now to take over control of the Oregon offense. Quarterback CJ Carr could be the next starting quarterback at Notre Dame. Wide receiver Nick Marsh was outstanding during his freshman season at Michigan State.
The Michigan signees of five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, four-star defensive back Elijah Dotson and four-star offensive lineman Avery Gach are poised to make noise in Ann Arbor. The future is also bright still for 2026 prospect CJ Sadler and Lincoln Watkins plus 2027’s Recarder Kitchen and Dakota Guerrant. Kitchen and Guerrant could push for five-star status.
– Greg Smith
No. 3 Dallas/Fort Worth vs. No. 11 Birmingham/Montgomery
The Case For DFW: Everything is bigger in Texas — especially the football talent. The Dallas Metroplex, in particular, has yielded a heavy volume of blue-chippers over the years — several of which are making waves on Saturdays and on Sundays already. Former five-star WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the best young receivers that the Seattle Seahawks are building their passing game around.
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After a historic senior season, Marvin Mims finished inside the Rivals250 — and provides juice for the Denver Broncos’ offense. Former four-star CB Christian Gonzalez is one of the best young corners in New England out of The Colony (Texas). As they set the pace in the league, there’s a wave about to follow.
Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) are both projected early draft picks. Some of college football’s best are also from DFW. Former five-star EDGE Colin Simmons was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year with Texas. His teammate — former five-star Anthony Hill Jr. — is one of the most imposing linebackers in the nation.
Former five-star Peyton Bowen is one of the top safeties in the country heading Brent Venables‘ defense in Norman. Evan Stewart, another former five-star, has been dynamic at Texas A&M and also Oregon. Heisman Trophy hopeful Garrett Nussmeier is also from the area.
– Sam Spiegelman
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The Case For Birmingham/Montgomery: The I-65 corridor between Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama has continued to produce a plethora of top football recruits that not only lived up to blue-chip type hype on Saturdays, but often parlayed it over to Sundays as well. Double-digit players from the region came off the board in the last two NFL Drafts alone, including quarterback Bo Nix at No. 12 overall ahead of a banner rookie season in 2024.
Future drafts will have plenty of flavor from the recent talent the region has produced, too, from Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods to Alabama secondary stalwart Malachi Moore. The younger wave of recruits has maintained consistency atop the Rivals rankings, too. In fact, the metro area has produced a five-star in six straight classes, headlined by holding the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the current class of 2026 in Cederian Morgan. The group headed to play college football for the first time this fall included a pair of five-stars in Auburn pass rusher Jared Smith and Oregon defensive back Naeem Offord. Four more recruits from the region held five-star status on Rivals over the previous five cycles.
Depth is also a part of the equation. From the class of 2020 to 2026, there have been 46 prospects from the region tabbed as members of the Rivals250. In NFL Drafts since 2020, there have been two dozen Alabama natives picked from the region, including household names beyond Nix like Nico Collins and George Pickens while also including prospects off to strong starts in the league like Kamari Lassiter, Cam Taylor-Britt, Brian Robinson and even kicker Will Reichard.
– John Garcia Jr.
No. 4 Los Angeles vs. No. 5 Miami/South Florida
The Case For LA: The Los Angeles team has its pick of elite quarterbacks, maybe better than any region by far. Bryce Young or CJ Stroud could be the starting quarterback and they’re both NFL starters – and possible future stars. If you want a college quarterback or an elite high school quarterback who could be the next big thing the options would be Nico Iamaleava, Julian Sayin, Ryder Lyons, Brady Smigiel or Brady Edmunds. That’s an embarrassment of riches right there.
And skill position players would be no issue at all. At running back it’s not incredibly loaded and there have been some busts in Kendall Milton and Raleek Brown but both are super talented players. Cal’s very productive Jaydn Ott, Georgia up-and-coming star Nate Frazier and Oregon freshman Jordon Davison, who was outstanding at powerhouse Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei are options.
Receiver is stacked led by expected first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan, five-star Chris Henry Jr., Georgia commit Vance Spafford, Troy Franklin (who had nearly 2,500 receiving yards in three seasons at Oregon) and others. Tight end Mark Bowman, a Brock Bowers-type player, is an intriguing option as well.
Line play is never going to be rock solid but the defensive line would be great as Mason Graham would dominate the middle and then Matayo Uiagalelei (who had 9.5 sacks last season at Oregon) and five-star Richard Wesley would be coming off the edge.
An all-Polynesian, hard-hitting linebacker corps of Junior Tuihalamaka, Jacob Manu, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Madden Faraimo and Talanoa Ili is a loaded group. It’s still hard to fathom that five-star Justin Flowe was not phenomenal.
As always, defensive back is going to be loaded coming out of Los Angeles. Alabama’s starting cornerbacks of Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown could lead the way with third-round pick Calen Bullock, future Alabama stars Dijon Lee Jr. and Chuck McDonald along with potential superstars Brandon Arrington, Havon Finney, Jr., Brandon Lockhart, Duvay Williams, Davon Benjamin and Aaryn Washington also available. That’s an unbelievably talented group to stop the pass.
– Adam Gorney
The Case For South Florida: When it comes to the perception, the numbers and certainly the names, South Florida continues to hold onto its reputation as one of America’s truly fertile football hotbeds. Narrowing the production window to the first half of this decade proves more of the same, whether leaning on the names stationed on Saturday’s like Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith or those about to enter at the highest level like fellow former five-star and one-time prep teammate of Smith in first round projection Shemar Stewart.
Dipping into the Rivals rankings, five-stars flood in from the region, including an even one dozen since the class of 2020 wrapped up. The blue-chip depth thereafter remains just as staggering, with 79 additional recruits ranked within the Rivals250 hailing from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties combined. The volume is just as impressive relative to the NFL Draft, too, as more than 50 South Floridians have been drafted since the decade began, including nine in Round 1.
Some of the names near the top of the list have made sense all the way through the process like Smith’s certainly will. Dallas Turner was a five-star who worked his way into the first round and he put together a great rookie campaign in the league thereafter. Fellow five-stars from that 2021 cycle included James Williams, Terrence Lewis and Corey Collier, however. Of the trio only Williams, drafted in the seventh round in 2024, heard his name called on the big stage.
So for every Patrick Surtain II, fresh off of a Defensive Player of the Year campaign with the Denver Broncos, there are also some big-name busts relative to ranking dotting the line in SoFlo.
– John Garcia Jr.
OUR PICKS
Below you will find how each of our national recruiting analysts filled out their bracket.
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