Blue-chip football recruits are concentrated in the South, California

Today is National Signing Day. What was once a day filled with frenetic activity is now much quieter due to the "early signing period" scooping up most FBS signees, but it still signifies the end of the college football recruiting cycle.

Why it matters: Elite football prospects spring up all over the country, but they're heavily concentrated in the South and California, plus notable hotspots near Houston and Dallas.

By the numbers:

• "The Big Four": Florida produced 59 blue-chip recruits (i.e. four- or five-stars) in the class of 2020, followed by Texas (54), Georgia (36) and California (30). Combined, the four states were responsible for 49.4% of all 2020 blue-chips.
• The next tier: Louisiana (16), Alabama (15), Maryland (15), North Carolina (13) and Tennessee (11) were the only other states to produce more than 10.
• No blue-chips: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming.

Go deeper: SEC football to exit CBS after 2023 season, will likely move to ESPN/ABC