Where do all the recruits who signed earlier this month with Big 12 teams come from? As you can see from this map, a majority the players are clustered in the backyards of Big 12 teams. It's part of Map Game Day's 2009 guide to recruiting.
Each year, Richard Crout of Map Game Day plugs the recruiting data provided by Division I-A teams into a database and produces a visual representation using Google maps. The database allows you to search by team, state or conference and produce a Google map. You can click on any blue pincushion and get data on a specific recruit.
We have four charts to help break down the information.
Where do teams look for players? Texas is the No. 1 destination, producing 393 recruits in 2009. Florida (346) was second and California was third (297).
Sun Belt teams didn't go far to find players. The average distance per recruit was 260 miles. The Southeastern Conference, which held that distinction last year, finished third. Click here to see the 2008 chart.
This chart shows teams whose recruits came from the shortest distances. The average Rutgers' recruit came from 100 miles. Maryland, North Texas and Texas were also on the 2008 list.
Hawaii has a stranglehold on farthest average distance per recruit. Stanford, Idaho and New Mexico also appeared on the 2008 list.
Nathan Mageo, a defensive tackle from Pago Pago, American Samoa, by way of New Mexico Military Junior College, is this year's distance winner. He is attending North Carolina State, a distance of 6,890.8 miles. Linebacker Beck Coulter, also from Pago Pago, ended up at Southern Methodist, a distance of 5,846.12 miles.
Boise State recruited two players originally from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Defensive lineman Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe and receiver Geraldo Hiwat will have traveled 4,930.92 miles to become Broncos.
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