Former Barbour County star Emanuel Thompson, shown after making a catch against UMass, is among the local products on the Troy roster.
Thursday night's game between Arkansas State and No. 25 Troy at Veterans Memorial Stadium magnifies that. Both teams lead the Sun Belt Conference at 5-0, and both rely heavily on Alabama talent.
Naturally Troy relies on in-state products, but over the years, the Red Wolves have crossed Mississippi and snuck into the Heart of Dixie for talent. In 2013 they had 17 Alabamians on the roster, a number that has dropped slightly to 13 this season.