The trend of the best players staying home to lead and rebuild a program is gone — at least that is how it is in the Northeast, a pro-dominated area.
The top players in the region, which stretches from Virginia up through New England and out through Pennsylvania, are exiting it to play college football.
The top 10 players in the 2027 class are committed to schools beyond the region. Of the 25 in the Top247, only five are staying in the region. Only two in the top 100 are staying in the region, and there are plenty of reasons for it.
“It’s hard to compete when some programs are spending what they are spending for the top players,” one general manager in the region told 247Sports. “The numbers are insane, even for guys who are not gonna play their first year.”
It mirrors what took place in the 2026 class when six of the 26 players in the Top247 signed with schools beyond the region. Zion Elee, who was the No. 10 player and signed with Maryland, was the only top 100 player to stay in the region. In 2025, nine of the 24 in the Top247 signed with schools within the region.
The top 10 players are all exiting the region, and they are going to programs leading the way in NIL/revenue-sharing space.
