I'm also from the south and almost everyone I grew up with is still in my hometown, and something that wasn't clear to me when I was your age was how important connections are.
Now I'm older, live on the west coast, and I realize connections rule everything around me. While things have turned out pretty well, a lot would have been even easier if I had made connections at your age.
To give you an idea of the value here: If my current startup failed, I could call any one of a dozen people and have a job tomorrow. This kind of safety net is among the most valuable things I "own".
In addition to connections to jobs, you will also develop a lot of connections to expertise. I know and can call up guys who work in hugely diverse fields, from hard drive manufacturing to formal proof verification.
If nurtured, connections also compound just like any other investment. Keep up with the people you meet. You'll get opportunities and meet more people through them. You'll also make some great friends.
Obviously, you don't want to view people purely for the value they can provide you. Good people will see through this anyway. One of the best ways to build really deep industry connections is to try to become the guy that people value as having as their connection. This is where developing yourself comes in to play.
Another tip:
You're probably pretty bright, probably brighter than many of your peers, but almost no amount of precociousness can make up for real industry experience where the rubber meets the road. Take whatever level of humility you currently have and triple it.