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The Big Ten states are fertile recruiting ground for the 14 programs that call the league home.
But going a long way for some recruits can, well, go a long way.
With the three-day Early Signing Period behind us, here are the top 10 recruits who hail from states outside B1G territory who chose to go to B1G schools.
All rankings and recruiting histories are from 247Sports.
S Daxton Hill, Michigan (No. 8 overall)
Hill, from Tulsa, Okla., was the top-rated recruit the Wolverines landed in the Early Signing Period. The standout from Booker T. Washington High is regarded as the Class of 2019’s top safety prospect in the nation and tops overall in Oklahoma.
WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State (No. 16)
Wilson remained steadfast as a Buckeyes commit even after the questions surrounding Urban Meyer this season and the announcement a few weeks ago that Ryan Day would take over as coach after the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl. Wilson, a product of Austin, Texas, is rated No. 2 among wide receivers in the Class of 2019.
ILB Brandon Smith, Penn State (No. 25)
The top rated prospect in Virginia chose the Nittany Lions after making unofficial visits in 2017 to Ohio State, Michigan and Virginia Tech, among others. He became a Penn State commit in May and never wavered after that, signing on Wednesday.
C Harry Miller, Ohio State (No. 31)
OSU went to Buford, Ga., in the middle of Georgia and SEC territory, to secure the nation’s second-ranked center. He made an official visit to Columbus in April and committed in June. He signed with the Buckeyes on Wednesday.
RB Zach Charbonnet, Michigan (No. 42)
The No. 6 prospect in California will venture about 2,000 miles east to play his college ball for coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines. Charbonnet, of Westlake Village, Calif., made his official visit June 22 and was a Michigan commit two days later. He signed Wednesday.
DT Chris Hinton, Michigan (No. 49)
The Wolverines took another dip into SEC territory to nab Hinton out of Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Ga. Hinton is rated the fifth-best defensive tackle in the nation in the Class of 2019 and, considering how much Michigan is losing up front, he could see action quickly.
DE Adisa Issac, Penn State (No. 79)
The Nittany Lions dipped into New York City, usually more fertile ground for basketball talent than football stars, to sign Brooklyn standout Issac. The Canarsie High product is rated as the top prospect in the state and committed to PSU just days before signing there on Wednesday.
RB Devyn Ford, Penn State (No. 80)
Coach James Franklin will hope to strike paydirt in Virginia again with Ford, the No. 2 prospect in the state. Ford, of Stafford, Va., is ranked as the fifth-best RB prospect in the Class of 2019 and was a rock solid commit by May. Like most on this list, he signed Wednesday.
ATH Marquez Beason, Illinois (No. 84)
The Fighting Illini pulled a recruiting coup with Beason, swooping into Duncanville, Texas, to get their top-rated prospect. He was originally a Nebraska commit in 2017 but reopened his recruitment months later and signed with Illinois on Wednesday.
QB Graham Mertz, Wisconsin (No. 102)
Mertz, a pro-style quarterback from Mission, Kan., became a Wisconsin commit in late 2017. He is rated the top prospect in the state of Kansas and the fourth-best pro-style quarterback recruit.
Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.