Any doubt Texas has the best high school football? Here’s how many went in NFL draft
With the 2020 NFL draft now behind us, it’s time to ask that age-old question: Which state has the best high school football program?
Texas? Florida? California? Georgia?
It’s an annual debate, but the answer seems to be an easy one when it comes to the Class of 2020.
It’s Texas, in a landslide.
A total of 33 former Texas high school football stars were selected in the seven rounds of the 2020 NFL draft, which ran from Thursday through Saturday. California was second, with 23 players. In the first round, seven of the 32 first picks played high school ball in Texas. Florida was a distant second with only four such selections.
Former 5-star defensive back Jeff Okudah was the first Texan taken when he went to the Detroit Lions with the third overall pick. Coming out of South Grand Prairie, Okudah was ranked the top cornerback in the nation among the 2017 class.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex fared well in the draft overall with 12 players taken over the three days. Former 4-star Waxahachie and TCU receiver Jalen Reagor went to the Philadelphia Eagles with 21st overall pick. Three other Texans from TCU — cornerback Jeff Gladney, defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and defensive back Vernon Scott — were also drafted.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Oklahoma receiver and former Richmond Foster star CeeDee Lamb with the 17th pick in the first round. They also drafted Cleburne and Tulsa cornerback Reggie Robinson II in the fourth round.
But NFL team that drafted the most Texans does not play in Texas. The Baltimore Ravens led the way there, drafting such five players, including three from DFW in McKinney North defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, Sachse receiver Devin Duvernay and DeSoto receiver James Proche.
Another 12 Texans have signed as undrafted free agents as of Saturday evening, and there’s every reason to expected more with follow. The Cowboys have signed four such players, including Garland safety Luther Kirk.
2020 NFL draftees from Texas
| Draft Pick | Team | Name | Position | High School | College |
| RD 1 (3) | DET | Jeff Okudah | CB | South Grand Prairie | Ohio State |
| RD 1 (17) | DAL | CeeDee Lamb | WR | Richmond Foster | Oklahoma |
| RD 1 (20) | JAX | K’Lavon Chaisson | DE | GP North Shore | LSU |
| RD 1 (21) | PHI | Jalen Reagor | WR | Waxahachie | TCU |
| RD 1 (23) | LAC | Kenneth Murray | LB | Fort Bend Elkins | Oklahoma |
| RD 1 (27) | SEA | Jordyn Brooks | LB | Houston Stratford | Texas Tech |
| RD 1 (31) | MIN | Jeff Gladney | CB | New Boston | TCU |
| RD 2 (39) | MIA | Robert Hunt | OT | Burkeville | Lafayette |
| RD 2 (40) | HOU | Ross Blacklock | DT | Fort Bend Elkins | TCU |
| RD 2 (42) | JAX | Laviska Shenault Jr. | WR | DeSoto | Colorado |
| RD 2 (45) | TB | Antonie Winfield Jr. | S | Conroe The Woodlands | Minnesota |
| RD 2 (53) | PHI | Jalen Hurts | QB | Channelview | Oklahoma |
| RD 2 (55) | BAL | JK Dobbins | RB | La Grange | Ohio State |
| RD 2 (59) | NYJ | Denzel Mims | WR | Daingerfield | Baylor |
| RD 3 (70) | MIA | Brandon Jones | S | Nacogdoches | Texas |
| RD 3 (71) | BAL | Justin Madubuike | DT | McKinney North | Texas A&M |
| RD 3 (72) | ARI | Josh Jones | OT | Fort Bend Bush | Houston |
| RD 3 (88) | CLE | Jordan Elliott | DT | Houston Westside | Missouri |
| RD 3 (92) | BAL | Devin Duvernay | WR | Sachse | Texas |
| RD 4 (123) | DAL | Reggie Robinson II | CB | Cleburne | Tulsa |
| RD 4 (130) | MIN | James Lynch | DE | Round Rock | Baylor |
| RD 5 (148) | SEA | Alton Robinson | DE | Converse Judson | Syracuse |
| RD 5 (155) | CHI | Trevis Gipson | DE | Cedar Hill | Tulsa |
| RD 5 (170) | BAL | Broderick Washington | DT | Longview | Texas Tech |
| RD 5 (172) | DET | Jason Huntley | RB | Arlington Martin | New Mexico State |
| RD 6 (180) | CIN | Hakeem Adeniji | OG | Garland | Kansas |
| RD 6 (184) | CAR | Bravvion Roy | DT | Spring | Baylor |
| RD 6 (191) | NYJ | Braden Mann | P | Cy-Fair | Texas A&M |
| RD 6 (201) | BAL | James Proche | WR | DeSoto | SMU |
| RD 7 (222) | ARI | Eno Benjamin | RB | Wylie East | Arizona State |
| RD 7 (234) | LAR | Clay Johnston | LB | Abilene Wylie | Baylor |
| RD 7 (236) | GB | Vernon Scott | DB | Mansfield Summit | TCU |
| RD 7 (252) | DEN | Tyrie Cleveland | WR | Houston Westfield | Florida |
2020 undrafted free agents from Texas
| Team | Name | Position | High School | College |
| HOU | Cordel Iwuagwu | OG | Spring Westfield | TCU |
| JAX | JR Reed | S | Plano Prestonwood | Georgia |
| DAL | LaDarius Hamilton | DE | Corrigan-Camden | North Texas |
| DAL | Luther Kirk | S | Garland | Illinois State |
| DAL | Sewo Oloniula | RB | Kingwood | TCU |
| DAL | Terence Steele | OT | Cibolo Steele | Texas Tech |
| WAS | Steven Montez | QB | El Paso Del Valle | Colorado |
| PHI | Grayland Arnold | S | Kountze | Baylor |
| MIN | Quartney Davis | WR | Houston Langham Creek | Texas A&M |
| SF | JaMycal Hasty | RB | Longview | Baylor |
| SF | DeMarkus Acy | DB | Wilmer-Hutchins | Missouri |
| SF | Jared Mayden | S | Sachse | Alabama |
This story was originally published April 26, 2020 at 9:00 AM.
