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State of Texas football
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:20 am
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:20 am
Our local high school AD is a retired Texas high school coach, played college ball in Texas and also did a stint as a position coach in the SEC. I remember him once talking about the plethora of great athletes and unbelievable money associated with Texas high school ball. I also remember him pausing and saying “but football is just tougher back this way (in the Deep South).”
What brought that old conversation to mind, is last week I was talking to a coaching buddy at a south GA high school with a strong winning tradition. I asked how a transfer player from Texas was doing that he was so high on. He said that after 2 years of being here, the player was transferring back to Texas for reasons unrelated to football. He then said the kid was a stud but he always commented that football was harder here than in Texas.
These are just two anecdotal experiences but after seeing Texas colleges underachieve quite a bit, I do wonder if they’re hitting on something. I wouldn’t know - just wondering.
What brought that old conversation to mind, is last week I was talking to a coaching buddy at a south GA high school with a strong winning tradition. I asked how a transfer player from Texas was doing that he was so high on. He said that after 2 years of being here, the player was transferring back to Texas for reasons unrelated to football. He then said the kid was a stud but he always commented that football was harder here than in Texas.
These are just two anecdotal experiences but after seeing Texas colleges underachieve quite a bit, I do wonder if they’re hitting on something. I wouldn’t know - just wondering.
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Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:29 am to prouddawg
Texas Tech
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:33 am to prouddawg
Population of Georgia, 11M
Population of Texas, 31M
Both states have great high school football but there's just more of it in Texas.
Population of Texas, 31M
Both states have great high school football but there's just more of it in Texas.
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:34 am to prouddawg
i think it's probably has more to do with coaching and luck.
you could've asked the same question about Georgia in 2020. then Kirby wins 2 in a row and Georgia high school football is obviously really hard and tough and stuff
you could've asked the same question about Georgia in 2020. then Kirby wins 2 in a row and Georgia high school football is obviously really hard and tough and stuff
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:35 am to Monsusta
You are using Texas Tech as a program that hasn’t underachieved? They haven’t underachieved or over-achieved or even achieved for that matter . They haven’t played anyone.
But that really wasn’t the point of the thread. Again, the coaches both said there are studs there and we all know that, they just believe a tougher brand of high school ball / player comes from the deep south / dirty south.
But that really wasn’t the point of the thread. Again, the coaches both said there are studs there and we all know that, they just believe a tougher brand of high school ball / player comes from the deep south / dirty south.
This post was edited on 12/21/25 at 10:36 am
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:36 am to tBrand
Texas 7 on 7 and the proliferation of the spread offense in high school.
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:41 am to Doak Walker
Never was a Texas vs GA discussion, the coach was referring to the Deep South states east of Texas. And again he never was denying the fact there are tremendous athletes in Texas, he said otherwise, he just shook his head and said “it’s just tougher back this way.”
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:48 am to prouddawg
quote:
State of Texas football
Once upon a time, the entire state of Texas, with the exception of Arkansas, made up the old Southwest Conference. BAMA loves to recruit from that state, so on behalf of Waddle, Hurts, Robinson, G-Mac, Milroe, Russell, and so many more now part of BAMA folklore, or soon to be, thanks for the memories.
This post was edited on 12/21/25 at 10:49 am
Posted on 12/21/25 at 10:59 am to prouddawg
I can relate to this on a personal level about difference in regions or states on football. Here in Oklahoma in the '90's there was a wide gap between 5A and 6A football. 6A at the time had a different play style. More finesse, speed, "west coast" style offenses, and also more of a "rich get richer" environment.
5A had more of the large rural schools, which had more of the country boy tough guys. It was faster defenses that could defend the run better than 6A schools (imo and observations at the time). The players in 5A football were just built different. In fact the most dominate 6A program at that time only had 1 loss in their 6 year run of state dominance and it was to a 5A school in Tulsa.
That same 6A school had their 2nd string underclassmen QB transfer to my 5A high school and on to our football team with me. Myself and everyone else warned him the defenses were faster and harder hitting that what he was use to in 6A. He became our starter but after running the gauntlet midway through the season in our district (which at the time was considered the toughest district to be in regardless of Class in Oklahoma) he froze up in a game against one of our rivals, got lit up and never saw the field the rest of the season. He literally broke down on the sidelines. He met a crashing LB that read his QB read play like a book and was up in his shite in a nano second.
Coach pulled him out of the game and he literally was wide eyed scared on the sideline. Coach asked him to his face if he was pussing out him, after he asked him twice, the QB finally admitted he couldn't take it and pulled him out.
To put our 5A district into perspective. My senior season I played in games against 7 future D1 Starters. 5 of which went on to play in the NFL and 2 were all-Americans at their D1 Schools. 1 is a 4 time pro bowler, 1 time All Pro and 2 time Super Bowl champ. One is a college coach now.
So yes I can definitely relate and agree with what your saying because I've seen it on a micro level.
5A had more of the large rural schools, which had more of the country boy tough guys. It was faster defenses that could defend the run better than 6A schools (imo and observations at the time). The players in 5A football were just built different. In fact the most dominate 6A program at that time only had 1 loss in their 6 year run of state dominance and it was to a 5A school in Tulsa.
That same 6A school had their 2nd string underclassmen QB transfer to my 5A high school and on to our football team with me. Myself and everyone else warned him the defenses were faster and harder hitting that what he was use to in 6A. He became our starter but after running the gauntlet midway through the season in our district (which at the time was considered the toughest district to be in regardless of Class in Oklahoma) he froze up in a game against one of our rivals, got lit up and never saw the field the rest of the season. He literally broke down on the sidelines. He met a crashing LB that read his QB read play like a book and was up in his shite in a nano second.
Coach pulled him out of the game and he literally was wide eyed scared on the sideline. Coach asked him to his face if he was pussing out him, after he asked him twice, the QB finally admitted he couldn't take it and pulled him out.
To put our 5A district into perspective. My senior season I played in games against 7 future D1 Starters. 5 of which went on to play in the NFL and 2 were all-Americans at their D1 Schools. 1 is a 4 time pro bowler, 1 time All Pro and 2 time Super Bowl champ. One is a college coach now.
So yes I can definitely relate and agree with what your saying because I've seen it on a micro level.
This post was edited on 12/21/25 at 11:01 am
Posted on 12/21/25 at 11:04 am to prouddawg
quote:
Our local high school AD is a retired Texas high school coach, played college ball in Texas and also did a stint as a position coach in the SEC. I remember him once talking about the plethora of great athletes and unbelievable money associated with Texas high school ball. I also remember him pausing and saying “but football is just tougher back this way (in the Deep South).”
What brought that old conversation to mind, is last week I was talking to a coaching buddy at a south GA high school with a strong winning tradition. I asked how a transfer player from Texas was doing that he was so high on. He said that after 2 years of being here, the player was transferring back to Texas for reasons unrelated to football. He then said the kid was a stud but he always commented that football was harder here than in Texas.
These are just two anecdotal experiences but after seeing Texas colleges underachieve quite a bit, I do wonder if they’re hitting on something. I wouldn’t know - just wondering.
Great story bro....but when you look at who puts the most players in the nfl, I call bullshite.
Active NFL Players by State
Texas – ~304
Florida – ~287
California – ~278
Georgia – ~221
North Carolina – ~105
Louisiana – ~102
Ohio – ~99
Michigan – ~93
Illinois – ~89
Alabama – ~85
Maryland – ~82
New Jersey – ~73
Tennessee – ~66
Pennsylvania – ~63
Mississippi – ~60
but since you mentioned "tough"...let's narrow this list down to defensive linemen only
Florida – 35 DL ends + 24 DL tackles — leads the nation
Texas – 33 total defensive linemen (second most)
Georgia – 20 defensive linemen
South Carolina – 19 defensive linemen
Alabama – 18 defensive linemen
North Carolina – 15 defensive linemen
Louisiana – 15 defensive linemen
California – 15 defensive linemen (listed with South region count)
Illinois – 11 defensive linemen
Ohio – 10 defensive linemen
Your story still doesn't hold up.
If we look at per capita, I have no doubt that texas would not be in the top 5 but that wasn't your contention. If there was a lack of "toughness" with texas football they wouldn't have the most nfl players currently active.
There has been a move to more explosive offense here, however, but that doesn't mean you still can't find the big nasties if you look for them.
This post was edited on 12/21/25 at 11:17 am
Posted on 12/21/25 at 11:27 am to hookem33
You get your offense and secondary from Texas and your DL and linebackers from the deep south.
Posted on 12/21/25 at 11:29 am to Monahans
quote:
You get your offense and secondary from Texas and your DL and linebackers from the deep south.
I just disproved that with actual data. Texas has produced the 2nd most active NFL defensive linemen in the nfl.
yes there are more elite offensive players in this state than defense, there's no question, but you can still find plenty of them here.
This post was edited on 12/21/25 at 11:30 am
Posted on 12/21/25 at 11:30 am to Monsusta
quote:
Texas Tech
Thanks for making his point….another below average football program
Posted on 12/21/25 at 11:31 am to prouddawg
TT just exists. But this year they have overachieved based on past performances. They are where they should be as far as money invested. I think them vs Oregon will be one of the best games in the playoff
Posted on 12/21/25 at 12:01 pm to Doak Walker
quote:
Population of Georgia, 11M
Population of Texas, 31M
Both states have great high school football but there's just more of it in Texas.
One thing to consider here.... Texas is 40% hispanic... A cultural/ethnic group that really doesn't produce a lot of players. Georgia is only 10% hispanic.
Probably 75-80% of D1 players are black players these days., And while Texas has the most black residents of any state at 4.1 million... States like Georgia and Florida aren't that far behind them with 3.7-8 million.
So in reality... Texas population isn't near as big an advantage as the raw population data might suggest.
Posted on 12/21/25 at 12:07 pm to Gunga Din
quote:
So in reality... Texas population isn't near as big an advantage as the raw population data might suggest.
And to add to that, Hispanics are never going to choose football as their first sport. It’ll always be soccer and baseball. Their population doesn’t produce physically large individuals as much as white and black folks in the US. This is in general.
Posted on 12/21/25 at 12:08 pm to Gunga Din
i watched a long-winded youtube video trying to explain why the SEC is so good at football. talking about history, culture, lack of NFL teams, everything except the obvious, which the comments gladly pointed out: "because that's where the black folks live"
Posted on 12/21/25 at 12:12 pm to Gunga Din
quote:
So in reality... Texas population isn't near as big an advantage as the raw population data might suggest.
Good point and one I should have made. Texas is doing just fine when it comes to producing nfl talent. It is true, however, that the emphasis on offense here does produce more offensive studs than defense...but that doesn't mean they aren't out there.
Posted on 12/21/25 at 12:35 pm to prouddawg
quote:Kirby doesn’t think so because Dillon Bell, Julian Humphrey, Anthony Evans, Justin Williams, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, Michael Uini & Cash are all from TX.
These are just two anecdotal experiences but after seeing Texas colleges underachieve quite a bit, I do wonder if they’re hitting on something. I wouldn’t know - just wondering.
Now, if you want to make the argument that CFB means more in the Deep South than Texas, I’d agree with you. HS & NFL is king around here. In Houston specifically, it’s the Astros
This post was edited on 12/21/25 at 1:00 pm
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