With our final nine states, we reached the point in our countdown where we were able to comprise a full starting unit: 11 players on offense, 11 on defense, plus special teams. California is No. 6.

Players Who Have Seen Action At Notre Dame: By our count 137 after tight end Tyler Luatua (Paramount) made his debut last year, with his initial start coming in the Music City Bowl victory versus LSU.

Most Recent To Sign Scholarship: Wide receivers CJ Sanders (Granada Hills) and Equanimeous St. Brown (Anaheim) made it 10 consecutive years Notre Dame signed at least one player from California (although a couple never suited up for the Irish).

Top Player From California: It would be difficult to justify putting anyone ahead of Notre Dame's lone Heisman Trophy winner from the state, 1964 quarterback John Huarte (Anaheim).

Still, the best all-around athlete was defensive tackle Kevin Hardy (Oakland), who also played basketball and baseball at, punted when needed and is the highest draft pick from the state (No. 7 overall in 1968).

Personnel Overview: California is eclipsed only by Pennsylvania for producing top quarterback talent at Notre Dame. Since 1960, seven different QBs from The Golden State have started for the Irish, most recently Dayne Crist (Canoga Park) in 2011.

The lone Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner from California gets the nod, even though Daryle Lamonica (Fresno, 1960-62) had the much better pro career, Steve Beuerlein (Fullerton, 1983-86) was a four-year starter during a tough era and had the longest NFL career, and Jimmy Clausen (Westlake Village, 2007-09) broke the 60-year record for pass efficiency on a 6-6 team in 2009 before turning pro.

Huarte, though, led a magical renaissance in 1964 and became the first Irish QB to pass for at least 2,000 yards in a season.

Both were national champions, with Eddy finishing third in the Heisman voting as a senior and Green, one of the most underrated players ever at Notre Dame, serving as a captain. The game-breaking Eddy averaged 5.6 yards per carry during his career, 16.1 yards on his 44 catches and returned two of his four kickoff attempts as a senior for scores, notably a crucial one versus Rose Bowl champ Purdue. Including bowls, Green totaled 2,053 yards on the ground at more than five yards per attempt.

We have numerous honorable mention picks such as Larry "Moon" Mullins (Pasadena) as the starting fullback on the 1929 and 1930 national champs, while another fullback, Larry Moriarty (Santa Barbara, 1980-82), had the longest NFL career among backs (nine seasons). Nevin "Bunny" McCormick (Livermore) led the 1937 team in rushing while walk-on Ed Gulyas (San Carlos) did the same for the 10-1 team in 1970. Fullback Braxston Banks (Hayward, 1986-88) starred in several huge wins during the Lou Holtz era.

The top Notre Dame rusher from California is quite recent: Cierre Wood (Oxnard, 2010-12), totaling 2,447 yards, 5.4 yards per carry and 16 TDs.

Snow finished fifth in the 1964 Heisman balloting and became a Pro Bowl player. Like Huarte, he came out of nowhere to star under new coach Ara Parseghian his senior year. McKnight is fourth on Notre Dame's all-time receiving chart with 170 catches.

After switching from defense to tight end his sophomore year in 2012, Niklas caught 32 passes in 2013 that averaged 15.6 yards with five scores, and he opted to turn pro, becoming a second-round NFL pick.

Kunz and Taylor join Zack Martin as the three best offensive linemen produced by Notre Dame in the past 60 years. Kunz, the No. 2 overall pick in 1969 (behind O.J. Simpson), also lined up at tight end in college and he made the Pro Bowl eight times. Taylor is Notre Dame's most recent two-time consensus All-American, first at guard in 1992 and then at tackle in 1993 when he won the Lombardi Award.

Walsh is in the College Football Hall of Fame and was the leader of the "Seven Mules" for Notre Dame first consensus national champion in 1924.

Like Kunz, Rehder played tight end before starting his last two seasons at left tackle and then playing in the pros. Williams also was a three-year starter and had a seven-year NFL career. All but Rehder were team captains.

A quality second line could be formed with multiple-year starters such as center John Merandi (Blue Jay, 1996-99), Todd Norman (Huntington Beach, 1990-93), Mike Shiner (Sunnyvale, 1978-81), Kurt Vollers (Whittier, 1998-2001) and Taylor Dever (Grass Valley, 2008-11).

This has been the toughest position to recruit. Hardy has been mentioned as the top athlete from the state. Landri was an elite recruit who plugged the middle and played seven years in the NFL.

Williams had a couple of starts on offense as a freshman, and then 33 starts the next three years on defense. Wightkin backed up the peerless Leon Hart most of his career during the 1946-49 dynasty but room was made for him to start as a senior for the national champs before playing four years in the NFL.

Honorable mention to Chris Frome (Saugus, 2003-06), a starter on the 2005-06 BCS teams, although he missed the second half of '05 with an injury.

Four-year starter Minor, the 1994 USA Today Defensive Player of the Year , trails only Ross Browner and Justin Tuck in career tackles for loss.

Patton started in the middle for the 1970-71 defenses that played 21 games and held opponents to 11 points or less in 16 of them. He was credited with 164 stops those two seasons.

Helwig started at linebacker for the 1949 national champs and the next season as well before playing four years in the NFL.

Honorable mention to Arnold Ale (Carson, 1988), who stepped in as a freshman starter in the second half of a national title season but homesickness led him to transfer to UCLA prior to his sophomore year.

Walton earned consensus All-America honors in 2002 and was an exceptional leader, including captaincy, after walking on from the soccer team, where he received All-Big East mention as a freshman. MacDonald's 15 career interceptions - nine in 1962, the second-most in a season at Notre Dame - are second on the school's chart, behind Luther Bradley's 17.

Speedster Clark broke into the starting lineup as a free safety late in his freshman year before moving to tailback and then to corner. He played five years in the NFL. Lambert had a roller-coaster career but was good enough to play for the Oakland Raiders in 2011.

Current sophomore safety Max Redfield will be expected to make this list in due time.

Kicker: Nate Whitaker (San Diego, 2006-07) - A walk-on kickoff man before transferring to Stanford, where he converted 33 of his 41 field goal attempts.

As mentioned, defensive tackle Hardy also could punt, and took over those duties in the epic 1966 game at Michigan State.

Kick Returns: George Atkinson III (Stockton, 2011-13) - As a freshman he scored on returns against Michigan State and USC. The only other Irish freshman to return two for scores was The Rocket.

Punt Returns: Joey Getherall (Hacienda Heights, 1997-2000) - His 24 returns in 2000 for a BCS team averaged 16.3 yards (8th in the nation) and included TDs against Nebraska and West Virginia.

Notre Dame's recruiting in California has been a double-edged, high-risk, high-reward sword. It's like dating a glamorous Hollywood or Beverly Hills woman such as a Kim Kardashian. She looks mighty fine, but it's high maintenance and a lot of drama that might make one ask if it's worth it.

Recent examples include quarterback Blake Barnett (Alabama) de-committing in the 2015 class, defensive tackle Matt Dickerson (UCLA) doing so in 2014, another defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes (UCLA) in 2013, cornerback Tee Shepard (now at Ole Miss) and receiver Deontay Greenberry (Houston) in 2012, Niklas and Atkinson leaving early for the pros from the 2011 haul, the Chris Martin drama in 2010…

Since 2003, the Fighting Irish football program has signed or received a verbal commitment from - that we know of - 30 players who hail from the Golden State. Thirteen ended up transferring to another school or "decommiting."

Notre Dame has a high investment in this state and it is mandatory to maintain a presence there, which is why USC and Stanford are on the football schedule yearly. California has produced the most NFL talent over the years and is replete with Catholic powers such as Mater Dei, Servite, Concord De La Salle, Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks …

Luring away an Iman Marshall or Ykili Ross away from the warm weather or familiarity of USC, UCLA or Stanford will eternally remain a challenge. Yet it's one Notre Dame has always been willing to accept, both the huge victories and bitter setbacks.