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How much would've recruiting in Texas changed if the Big 12 had fallen apart?

There's no doubting the influence the state of Texas has on recruiting in the Big 12.

Now that realignment has settled down in college athletics, it's interesting to think about the recruiting "what ifs" and "what might've beens."

Those are scenarios the Houston Chronicle tackled Sunday, pointing out that "in 2010, 48.1 percent of the 287 high school players signed by the [Big] 12 schools came from Texas. The next largest contributor was Florida with 18 players."

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Had the Big 12 dissolved the recruiting landscape in Texas might not have changed drastically however. In-state schools like Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor have built-in geographic recruiting advantages, and other schools in the Big 12 depend heavily on the depth of talent in Texas.

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"Kansas, Missouri, Iowa -- they just don't have the population base. They have to come here," Randy Rodgers, a former University of Texas recruiting coordinator, said in the story.

Look at Kansas too -- the Jayhawks "signed more players from Dallas-Fort Worth alone than it has signed from its own state," the report says.

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Meanwhile, departing Big 12 member Nebraska might have the biggest impact on recruiting in Texas. It could be harder for the Huskers to attract Texas-bred players without being able to tell those players they'll be able to compete close to home. The Huskers' current football roster has 26 players from Texas including 13 from here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.