Ohio State and players from Florida dominated the NFL Draft’s 1st round, plus other notes

Four- and five-star recruits make up just 8 percent of all Division I signees, but they were 70 percent of the NFL Draft’s first round. That’s a win for the recruiting industry and much higher a proportion than it was just a few years ago.

Florida produced 26-first round picks over the last five drafts, 37 percent more than the next state (Texas), including 22 in the last three drafts and seven on Thursday night.

Coaches in states without much talent have to be overjoyed that the ban on satellite camps was overturned, because more than half of the first-round picks over the last five years have come from Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi and Texas. It’s no wonder that the SEC and ACC have produced more first-round picks in the last five years than the other three Power 5 conferences combined (62 to 58). That’s where the talent is.

Weirdly enough, this was the first year in which Florida State (Jalen Ramsey), Florida (Vernon Hargreaves and Keanu Neal) and Miami (Artie Burns) all produced a first-round defensive back in the same year. I figured it would have happened before.

Ohio State director of player personnel Mark Pantoni was tweeting up a storm after five Buckeyes went in the first round. Ohio State is already the second-best recruiting program nationally, and this will only help.

Could the lack of Alabama players going in the first round (just one this year, center Ryan Kelly) indicate how much the NFL values pass-rush ability in defensive linemen, as the NFL is such a passing league now? The Tide had ferocious run stoppers available like A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed, but both slipped out of the first round. I feel bad for Reggie Ragland, the Alabama linebacker who has reportedly slipped in the draft over a heart condition.

In addition to Ragland’s heart condition, stars like Jaylon Smith and Myles Jack are in freefall due to injuries. It stinks that superstars in baseball, hockey, golf and tennis can become millionaires right out of high school, but those playing a far more physical sport must pray they they healthy for three years before cashing in.

The NCAA shot down the ban on satellite camps, and schools released their plans to immediately have them. Georgia and Michigan are teaming up for one! Arkansas is headed to Florida Atlantic, where former Razorbacks assistant Charlie Partridge is now the head coach.

Laremy Tunsil admitted to taking money from his coaches after his Twitter and Instagram accounts were hacked. That could potentially be an NCAA violation for Ole Miss. And it completely overshadowed that Alabama’s defensive line coach is losing his job over alleged recruiting violations of his own. What a weird night.