NCAA Football: Best Producers of NFL Talent

The NFL is routinely supplied with talented young men from the college ranks. The NFL teams are dependent upon the top college football programs to develop these college football players.

The college years are the most important time in developing these prospects. It all starts with recruiting, such as getting the top high school players around the country and bringing them up through the ranks.

Finally, these men that where once either one-star recruits or five-star recruits become NFL players.

The drafting of the right players will help determine which NFL team wins the Super Bowl.

1-Miami Hurricanes

Not to be biased, but the best college football program for NFL players is the Miami Hurricanes. With first-round pick, including the 2004 NFL Draft where they had a record six first-rounders. The U, by far, has the best pipeline. With the hiatus of the past two years in the draft, the Hurricanes looks to have a lot of future first-round picks and Pro Bowlers on their current roster.

Top Players: Ray Lewis, Jim Kelly, Warren Sapp, Michael Irvin, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Ted Hendricks, Jim Otto, Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Jonathan Vilma, Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Willis McGahee, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow, Vince Wilfork, Bryant McKinnie, Devin Hester, Jon Beason, Cortez Kennedy, Brian Blades, Vinny Testaverde, and the list goes on.

2-USC Trojans

A team that a part of the NFL pipeline during the 1970s-1980s with a lot of Hall of Famers, but what prevents them from being at the top is the high amount of draft busts in the 2000s.

Top Players: Marcus Allen, Bruce Matthews, Junior Seau, OJ Simpson, Anthony Munoz, Carson Palmer, Tony Boselli, Ronnie Lott, Troy Polamalu, Bruce Matthews, Brian Cushing, Lynn Swann, Reggie Bush, Clay Matthews, Matt Cassel, Steve Smith, and few more.

3-Florida State Seminoles

The team of the 1990s had a lot of talent in college as well as in the NFL. The Seminoles can always recruit the entire state of Florida better than their rival Canes, but maybe not the Gators. But FSU has a way better pipeline than the more powerful rival Gators.

Top Players: Deion Sanders, Fred Biletnikoff, Derrick Brooks, Peter Boulware, Anquan Boldin, Javon Walker, Warrick Dunn, Terrell Buckley, Antonio Cromartie, LeRoy Butler, Walter Jones, Samari Rolle, Ernie Sims, Kamerion Wimbley

4-Pittsburgh Panthers

Pitt is not a college football powerhouse, but when it comes to NFL talent they are. The Panthers, in the past, have produced multiple Hall of Famers, and now they are bringing back the premiere talent to the NFL.

Top Players: Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka, Mark May, Joe Schmidt, Russ Grimm, Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Bryant, Darrelle Revis, Curtis Martin, LeSean McCoy, Rickey Jackson, Chris Doleman

5-Tennessee Volunteers

I have Tennessee this high because of Peyton Manning and Reggie White, two players that are from Tennessee that are perhaps the best players to ever play their positions in the NFL.

Top Players: Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Al Wilson, Jason Witten, Jerod Mayo, Albert Haynesworth, John Henderson, Shaun Ellis, Charlie Gardner, Dale Carter, Doug Atkins

6-Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs who as an SEC power have also churned out NFL talent.

Top Players: Fran Tarkenton, Champ Bailey,Terrell Davis, Hines Ward, Garrison Hearst, Richard Seymour, Herschal Walker

7-Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns have recently seen their talent accumulate through 1990s and 2000s. They are on the rise when it comes to NFL talent.

Top Players: Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Vince Young, Jamal Charles, Leonard Davis, Michael Griffin, Casey Hampton, Priest Holmes, Cory Redding, Shaun Rogers, Roy Williams, Nathan Vasher, Cedric Benson, Brian Orakpo

8-LSU Tigers

The Tigers currently had one more player on an NFL roster than the Hurricanes. They are not on top because they don’t have the amount of superstars in the NFL that the Canes have, but the Tigers do have the NFL Hall of Famers to compete. They have three compared to Miami’s four. The Tigers have been starting to add to their NFL talent as well.

Top Players: Y.A. Tittle, Jim Taylor, Steve Van Buren, Alan Faneca, Kevin Mawae, Dwayne Bowe, Anthony McFarland, Jarvis Green,

9-Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State had been a team of the past and now a team of the future. Papa Joe has brought in the NFL talent year-after-year from the 1960s until now.

Top Players: Franco Harris, Jack Ham, LaVar Arrington, Paul Posluszny, Larry Johnson, Kerry Collins, Bobby Engram, Tamba Hali, Levi Brown

10-Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines have been around forever, so naturally their NFL pipeline would be long. They have a ton of Hall of Famers from the early years, and now they have some future Hall of Famers in the NFL.

Top Players: Tom Brady, Dan Dierdorf, Benny Friedman, Len Ford, Steve Hutchinson, Ty Law, Jake Long, Charles Woodson, LaMarr Woodley, David Harris, Dhani Jones, Brian Griese, Chad Henne, Mario Manningham