10 College Football Teams with Most Players in NFL Today
The NFL welcomed a new class of college football's brightest young talents over the past weekend, and it's no surprise which schools were the most represented in the 253 selections.
Ohio State went after a NFL draft record with the massive amount of talent that left Columbus this offseason, led by defensive end Joey Bosa and running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The two teams that played in last season's national championship game, Alabama and Clemson, pumped out huge classes of their own. Talent-filled mainstays in Florida and California continued to be impressive pro pipelines as well.
The infusion of hundreds of new NFL players, including those who signed undrafted free agent deals (UDFA) in the past few days, has created a shakeup of which college football teams are the most represented in the pros right now.
Using the Alumni Tracker at ESPN.com, which has been updated with 2016 draftees and confirmed UDFA deals, let's take a fresh tally of the Top 10 college programs with the most players in the NFL at this moment.
T-9. Florida State
1 of 10
Number of NFL players: 41
Notable former players: WR Kelvin Benjamin, WR Anquan Boldin, CB Antonio Cromartie, K Sebastian Janikowski, QB Jameis Winston
2016 NFL draftees: DB Jalen Ramsey, K Roberto Aguayo
A tiny draft class by Florida State standards meant the Seminoles slipped in the list of schools with most NFL players, but they're still in the top 10 at this point in the football calendar.
After sending 29 players to the NFL in the last three years—including No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston—Florida State was bound to have a small class at some point.
This year, the Seminoles had quality over quantity, with versatile defensive back Jalen Ramsey going No. 5 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars and kicker Roberto Aguayo prompting a surprise trade up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round.
But Tallahassee should be an epicenter of draft buzz in the next couple of seasons as Florida State returns a ton of experienced talent in 2016. Star running back Dalvin Cook will be a top name next spring and sophomore safety Derwin James already has the look of a coveted defensive back at the next level. In the star-studded Sunshine State, FSU should quickly get back to developing huge amounts of NFL draft picks.
T-9. Oklahoma
2 of 10
Number of NFL players: 41
Notable former players: DT Gerald McCoy, RB Demarco Murray, TE Jermaine Gresham, RB Adrian Peterson, OT Trent Williams
2016 NFL draftees: WR Sterling Shepard, DE Charles Tapper, CB Zack Sanchez, LB Devante Bond
Starting with the best running back in football in Adrian Peterson and continuing with multi-year Pro Bowl talents such as Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams, Oklahoma traditionally has a sizable contingent at the NFL level, and it grew this past weekend with a quartet of draftees and some UDFAs.
Sterling Shepard had a chance to be Oklahoma's first draft choice in the opening round since 2012, per Rich DeCray of Crimson and Cream Machine, but he landed in the second round to the New York Giants, joining their talented wide receiver corps.
Charles Tapper went early in Day 3 to the Dallas Cowboys, and Zack Sanchez and Devante Bond soon followed in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively.
Oklahoma has plenty of draftable stars who could be key names in the 2017 draft, including running back Samaje Perine and quarterback Baker Mayfield. Expect a bigger crop of Sooners to land at the next level in next year's draft, joining the wide range of stars who once took the field in Norman.
8. Georgia
3 of 10
Number of NFL players: 42
Notable former players: DT Geno Atkins, LB Thomas Davis, WR A.J. Green, RB Todd Gurley, LB Justin Houston
2016 NFL draftees: LB Leonard Floyd, LB Jordan Jenkins, WR Malcolm Mitchell, OL John Theus, RB Keith Marshall
When one thinks of Georgia in the NFL, intimidating defenders and exciting offensive skill talent should immediately come to mind.
The Bulldogs boast the likes of defending Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley, standout wide receiver A.J. Green and a host of former Pro Bowl defensive stars at the next level, and they put more of those into the mix this year.
Georgia landed in the Top 10 of this year's draft when the Chicago Bears took edge-rushing talent Leonard Floyd. Two rounds later, fellow linebacker Jordan Jenkins came off the board to the New York Jets. Wide receiver and all-star reader Malcolm Mitchell landed with the Patriots on Day 3, along with lineman John Theus and the high potential of oft-injured running back Keith Marshall.
The 2017 draft could be even bigger for Georgia, depending on how high superstar running back Nick Chubb climbs after his 2015 injury. After seeing how Gurley did in his rookie campaign, you can expect franchises to take the chance on Chubb and his talented Georgia teammates.
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7. Clemson
4 of 10
Number of NFL players: 45
Notable former players: TE Dwayne Allen, LB Vic Beasley, WR DeAndre Hopkins, RB C.J. Spiller, WR Sammy Watkins
2016 NFL draftees: DE Shaq Lawson, DE Kevin Dodd, DB MacKensie Alexander, DB T.J. Green, LB B.J. Goodson, DT D.J. Reader, WR Charone Peake, DB Jayron Kearse, RB Zac Brooks
One of the highest-rising NFL pipelines of the past decade, Clemson nearly set a school record for most draft picks in the modern era and had the second-most picks of any school over the weekend, per Dan Hope of the Independent Mail.
The new draftees will join an all-star cast of former Tigers in the NFL, including the deadly wide receiver duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins.
Defensive end Shaq Lawson led off the nine Tigers in the 2016 draft with his selection by the Buffalo Bills with the 19th overall pick. Fellow pass-rushing stud Kevin Dodd went in the next round to the Tennessee Titans, joining defensive backs MacKensie Alexander (Minnesota Vikings) and T.J. Green (Indianapolis Colts) in the second. On Day 3, Clemson landed a fourth-rounder, a fifth-rounder and two seventh-rounders, along with an UDFA.
What's even more impressive is that Clemson could have an even bigger draft year in 2017, with quarterback Deshaun Watson looking like a potential No. 1 overall pick and a huge amount of draftable offensive talent waiting in the wings. Don't be surprised if Clemson takes over draft talk next spring like Ohio State did with this class.
T-5. Miami
5 of 10
Number of NFL players: 46
Notable former players: RB Frank Gore, WR Andre Johnson, TE Jimmy Graham, S Antrel Rolle, DT Vince Wilfork
2016 NFL draftees: DB Artie Burns, DB Deon Bush
One of the most famous pro talent pipelines in the entire country, Miami has long been a fixture of NFL rosters all across the league. Some of the Hurricanes' draft classes in the early 2000s have reached legendary status, following in the footsteps of championship teams of the past. Plenty of great veterans in the league rep "The U."
While the volume of draft picks have slipped along with the win totals in Miami over the last several seasons, new head coach Mark Richt should be able to get the pipeline pumping again—he had great success producing pro players at Georgia.
This year, only two members of Al Golden's final team, defensive backs Artie Burns (first round to the Pittsburgh Steelers) and Deon Bush (fourth round to the Chicago Bears), were drafted.
Although times have been much better for the Miami football program, the Hurricanes will always be among the top colleges represented in the NFL. If Richt can get things rolling again in Miami, those numbers will rise.
T-5. USC
6 of 10
Number of NFL players: 46
Notable former players: DT Jurrell Casey, OL Matt Kalil, LB Clay Matthews, QB Carson Palmer, OL Tyron Smith
2016 NFL draftees: LB Su'a Cravens, OL Max Tuerk, QB Cody Kessler, DB Kevon Seymour
Los Angeles will have an NFL team again this upcoming season when the Rams return to action, but plenty of pro talent went through the city in their absence. From the career renaissance of quarterback Carson Palmer in Arizona to the continued ferocity of Clay Matthews in Green Bay, USC's fingerprints are all over the league.
This year, USC had a rather quiet NFL draft by its high standards, with linebacker/safety Su'a Cravens leading the way in the second round to Washington. Cravens is already listed as a safety for Washington, according to its team website.
Max Tuerk and Cody Kessler joined him on the second day with their third round selections, and Kevon Seymour was picked in Round 6 by the Buffalo Bills, where he'll join former USC player Robert Woods.
Of course, a smaller draft class for USC means a lot of talent is still on the roster in Los Angeles. The Trojans return most of their offense and several star names on the defensive side of the ball, so look for those draft numbers to climb over the next couple of years. The 2016 draft should just be a small dip for USC.
T-3. Florida
7 of 10
Number of NFL players: 48
Notable former players: WR Riley Cooper, DE Carlos Dunlap, DB Joe Haden, DB Reggie Nelson, OL Mike Pouncey
2016 NFL draftees: DB Vernon Hargreaves III, DB Keanu Neal, DE Jonathan Bullard, LB Antonio Morrison, WR Demarcus Robinson, RB Kelvin Taylor, DE Alex McCalister
The talent-rich state of Florida produces an absurd amount of NFL-quality players year in and year out, and the Florida Gators continue to reap the benefits as they build toward championship contention again.
Several stars of the Urban Meyer era—such as defensive back Joe Haden—are thriving at the next level, and they'll be soon joined by members of the Will Muschamp-to-Jim McElwain transition.
Florida's 2016 draft class was headlined by defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III, who returned to his hometown of Tampa with a No. 9 selection by the Buccaneers. Fellow secondary star Keanu Neal joined him later in the first round, landing with the Atlanta Falcons. Jonathan Bullard became a third-round pick, and four of his teammates joined in Day 3 of the draft.
No matter who the coach is at Florida or what his record is at the end of a season, you can bet the Gators will have several talents taken in each draft class. Florida is a go-to well for defensive talent, and its influence on offense should grow as McElwain continues his work in Gainesville.
T-3. Ohio State
8 of 10
Number of NFL players: 48
Notable former players: WR Ted Ginn Jr., DE Cameron Heyward, LB James Laurinaitis, OL Nick Mangold, DB Donte Whitner
2016 NFL draftees: DE Joey Bosa, RB Ezekiel Elliott, DB Eli Apple, OL Taylor Decker, LB Darron Lee, WR Michael Thomas, DB Von Bell, DT Adolphus Washington, WR Braxton Miller, TE Nick Vannett, LB Joshua Perry, QB Cardale Jones
Ohio State didn't smash the seven-round NFL draft record for a single team this past weekend, but the huge volume of Buckeyes who were picked by pro teams made the program soar up the alumni charts.
As Bryan Fischer noted on Twitter, Ohio State "produced as many draft picks in the first four rounds as the entire Pac-12." All position groups from Ohio State were represented, too, in the early rounds of the draft.
The Buckeyes had five first-rounders—including top-10 picks Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott and Eli Apple—and then added five more selections in night two of the draft. When Joshua Perry and Cardale Jones came off the board in the fourth round on Saturday, Ohio State's weekend was finished in style.
With the way Urban Meyer has brought elite talent to Ohio State year after year, the Buckeye influence in the NFL should continue to grow for years to come. They might not have a draft class quite like this one again, but high draft choices joining up with former OSU greats at the next level should be the norm.
2. LSU
9 of 10
Number of NFL players: 51
Notable former players: WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Jarvis Landry, DB Tyrann Mathieu, DB Patrick Peterson, DB Eric Reid
2016 NFL draftees: LB Deion Jones, OL Jerald Hawkins, DB Rashard Robinson, DB Jalen Mills, OL Vadal Alexander
As it stands right now, LSU has lost its control of being the college with the most players on NFL rosters thanks to a smaller draft class out of Baton Rouge.
The Bayou Bengals boast plenty of elite, all-pro talent at both wide receiver and defensive back in their NFL alumni, with Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyrann Mathieu taking the league by storm in recent seasons.
This year, LSU failed to have a first-round pick for the second straight year as linebacker Deion Jones was the first Tiger taken off the board at No. 52 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. LSU also sent a pair of fourth-rounders and seventh-rounders to the league last weekend.
However, the slight downturn in pro production from LSU means it is simply loaded with draftable talent on this year's roster. According to Phil Steele's College Football Preview, the Tigers are tied for the most returning starters in college football for 2016 and running back Leonard Fournette should be a superstar at the next level. Because of that, LSU fans will be just find looking up at the new No. 1—for now.
1. Alabama
10 of 10
Number of NFL players: 54
Notable former players: WR Amari Cooper, DT Marcel Dareus, WR Julio Jones, RB Eddie Lacy, LB C.J. Mosley
2016 NFL draftees: OL Ryan Kelly, LB Reggie Ragland, RB Derrick Henry, DT A'Shawn Robinson, DT Jarran Reed, DB Cyrus Jones, RB Kenyan Drake
The Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa has resulted in a major spike in championship rings and NFL contracts for those who decide to play for the Crimson Tide. And with its latest draft class and a few UDFAs, Alabama now has more players in the league than any other program.
Center Ryan Kelly extended Alabama's streak of first-round selections to eight years when he was nabbed by the Indianapolis Colts at No. 18 overall.
The second round belonged to the Tide, with five going there, including Heisman winner Derrick Henry and defensive stars Reggie Ragland and A'Shawn Robinson. Kenyan Drake wrapped things up in the third round with his selection by the Miami Dolphins.
The newest crop of Alabama NFLers will join the likes of former Pro Bowl selections Amari Cooper, who had a stellar rookie season in 2015, Julio Jones and C.J. Mosley at the next level. Only time will tell if some of the UDFAs will make it through roster cuts. But as it stands right now, the defending champs are tops in the NFL.
Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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