10 College Football Teams with Most Players in NFL Today
For college football fans, NFL draft weekend can be both bittersweet and validating. It’s bittersweet to see your team’s favorite, most successful players take the next step toward a professional career, knowing they’ll never pull on collegiate colors again and must be replaced.
But it also produces feelings of validation. After all, if your team is turning out loads of NFL players, it must be doing something right. Right? While it isn’t a perfect correlation, there is a rather direct connection between the number of NFL players a program produces and its level of national success.
Consider this: The top 10 programs with the most current alums in the NFL, per Pro-Football-Reference.com, have combined to win 13 of the 15 national championships handed out since 2000. We’ll take a look at those 10 programs here. Stats from Pro-Football-Reference.com were combined with players who were drafted or signed free-agent contracts with an NFL team as of Sunday evening. Free-agent signees were listed via NFL.com.
10. Oklahoma
1 of 10
For Bob Stoops, 2014 was a season worth forgetting. The year began with huge promise and talk of a College Football Playoff run and ended with an 8-5 record and a Russell Athletic Bowl rout at Clemson’s hands, which sparked sweeping changes on the offensive staff.
While Stoops is trying to get his program moving in the right direction again, the NFL draft was a reminder that plenty of talent is on the Sooners’ roster.
Six Oklahoma players were drafted over the three-day event. OU didn’t have a first-round pick, and nose tackle Jordan Phillips was the program’s first selection, a second-round pick, No. 52 overall by the Miami Dolphins.
Stoops has sent a steady stream of players to the NFL ranks, including Minnesota Vikings All-Pro tailback Adrian Peterson, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, new Eagles tailback DeMarco Murray and many, many more. OU currently has 43 players on professional rosters, and even a short blip won’t keep that trend from continuing.
9. Notre Dame
2 of 10
For Notre Dame, it was a surprisingly quiet draft weekend. The Fighting Irish had to wait until the seventh round to get on the draft board when tight end Ben Koyack was taken No. 229 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Brian Kelly does have plenty of talent returning in South Bend this fall, however, as Notre Dame returns 19 starters.
As Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune writes, Notre Dame's quiet 2015 draft portends a promising future.
The Fighting Irish have one of the nation’s strongest overall football traditions. They have 484 all-time NFL draft picks, which ranks second best nationally behind rival Southern California.
There are a number of prominent Irish alums in the league, including Detroit Lions receiver Golden Tate, Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith, Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd and San Diego Chargers linebacker Manti Te’o, among others. With the talent Kelly has on hand, they’ll be joined by more players very, very soon.
8. Georgia
3 of 10
While Georgia hasn’t won a national title under Mark Richt (something Bulldog fans will be all too happy to remind you), there is no denying the talent that passes through Athens on its way to the NFL on a regular basis. This weekend was no different. Seven Bulldogs were taken in the seven-round draft, led by tailback Todd Gurley going to the St. Louis Rams with the No. 10 overall pick.
It’s a testament to Gurley’s talent that he went in the top 10 despite still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season, but he’s only the latest Bulldog to make waves at the next level. Georgia has 50 players currently in the NFL following this weekend’s draft and free-agent signees.
Plenty of prominent Bulldogs are making waves in the league, including Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, among others. Gurley is the latest high-profile Dawg to make the NFL, but he won’t be the last by any means.
7. Ohio State
4 of 10
If you didn’t enjoy Ohio State’s return to national prominence last fall under coach Urban Meyer, the NFL draft might not have been all that pleasant to watch. The Buckeyes had five players selected but none in the first round. Receiver Devin Smith, a second-round pick of the New York Jets, was the first Buckeye selected at No. 37 overall.
That means there’s still plenty of talent left for Meyer to play with in Columbus, including a trio of standout quarterbacks in Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, tailback Ezekiel Elliott and beastly defensive end Joey Bosa. Meyer led the Buckeyes to their first national title in 12 seasons, but Ohio State had a strong NFL pipeline before Meyer arrived.
The Buckeyes currently have 51 alums in the NFL, including a number of prominent players like new Cleveland Browns receiver Brian Hartline, New York Jets center Nick Mangold, new Carolina Panthers receiver Ted Ginn Jr., Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Malcolm Jenkins and new Cincinnati Bengals linebacker A.J. Hawk.
As long as Meyer hangs around and keeps recruiting well, those guys will be joined by plenty more very soon.
6. Florida
5 of 10
One of the most surprising stats of the 2015 NFL draft was Florida’s excellent performance. The Gators had eight players drafted, including a pair of first-round selections. Linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. stayed home after being taken third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars and left tackle D.J. Humphries went No. 24 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. That’s surprising, of course, only if you watched the Gators over the last two seasons.
Florida went 12-13, which cost coach Will Muschamp his job in November. The Gator offense was awful, so it was especially stunning to see six offensive players be selected, including four offensive linemen.
Despite the recent struggles, Florida’s recent NFL lineage has been very strong, thanks to the talent that produced a pair of national titles under Urban Meyer. While quarterback Tim Tebow (now attempting a comeback with the Philadelphia Eagles) has received an outsized amount of attention, the Gators have a number of successful alums in the NFL.
They include new Buffalo Bills receiver Percy Harvin, Cincinnati Bengals safety Reggie Nelson, twin centers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey and Eagles receiver Riley Cooper. Overall, Florida has 55 players currently on NFL rosters. If new coach Jim McElwain has his way, that number will continue to grow in seasons to come.
5. LSU
6 of 10
Before landing at Alabama (with a brief stop as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach), Nick Saban turned a tradition-rich program stuck in a rut into a national power. LSU won a national title under Saban, and his successor, Les Miles, has won one of his own while keeping the Tigers consistently relevant on a national level.
2015 marked the first time since 2010 that LSU did not have a first-round selection. Cornerback Jalen Collins was taken No. 42 overall by the Atlanta Falcons, with four Tigers overall being selected.
That’s not necessarily surprising, as Miles’ team has been young the last two seasons. But plenty of NFL-level talent, led by sophomore tailback Leonard Fournette, is on the roster.
Cleveland Browns receiver Dwayne Bowe, Cincinnati Bengals tailback Jeremy Hill, New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger are among the most prominent LSU alums currently in the NFL. Overall, LSU has 57 alums on NFL rosters.
2. Miami
7 of 10
South Florida is one of the biggest football hotbeds in America, and Miami is perfectly positioned to take advantage of it. Former coach Howard Schnellenberger pioneered the program’s approach to keep the area’s best players at home, and the Hurricanes have taken advantage of it. Miami has long been a pipeline for NFL players, a tradition which has continued under Al Golden.
Thursday night, Miami had a pair of first-round draft picks in left tackle Ereck Flowers, the No. 9 overall pick of the New York Giants, and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, the No. 29 selection overall of the Indianapolis Colts. Miami had seven picks in the three-day draft and had six free-agent signees to go with the 48 players currently in the NFL. That’s a total of 61 players, which ties the ‘Canes with Florida State for second overall.
Players like tailback Frank Gore, tight ends Jimmy Graham and Greg Olsen, wide receivers Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork all proudly carry Miami’s banner in the NFL.
However, that success hasn’t translated lately under Golden. Golden is 28-22 at Miami, 16-16 in ACC play. NCAA probation has hamstrung the program, with Miami going 6-6, 7-5, 9-4 and 6-7 in his four-year tenure. If Golden doesn’t start doing more with his talent, his time in south Florida could be short-lived.
2. Florida State
8 of 10
If you’ve been paying attention to college football for the past few years, it should be no surprise to you that Florida State and Jimbo Fisher had an excellent NFL draft weekend. Starting with top overall pick Jameis Winston, the Seminoles had 11 NFL draft selections, edging out new ACC Coastal Division mate Louisville by one for the biggest draft haul from any program.
Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel says elite recruiting and development has helped Fisher create an NFL pipeline.
"If you want to be an NFL player, play in an NFL system on offense, on defense and special teams," Fisher said. "To me, that only helps you become that."
In fact, Florida State has 29 draft selections over the past three seasons, which is a new record for any program. The previous record was 28, held by Miami and Southern California. Winston garnered most of the headlines as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ top overall selection, but his center, Cameron Erving, was also a first-round pick, going No. 19 overall to the Cleveland Browns.
The Seminoles have a number of prominent alums in the league, including Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin, 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin, Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie. Winston is poised to join that elite group if he lives up to the hype surrounding his professional entry.
The Seminoles have 61 players currently in the NFL, which is one behind the two programs tied for the overall lead. If Fisher keeps this up, FSU will take the lead in the not-too-distant future.
1. Southern California
9 of 10
Southern California has one of college football’s most storied histories, and its NFL draft history proves it out. Steve Sarkisian’s Trojans had six players drafted this weekend, giving the program the all-time lead for most NFL draftees, with 489. Notre Dame, which had only one player drafted, is second with 484.
Defensive tackle Leonard Williams and wide receiver Nelson Agholor were first-round selections and figure to be the most likely to carry the program’s banner of success forward in the NFL.
The most successful current USC alums include Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, Lions tailback Reggie Bush and Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, among others. Troy Polamalu recently retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers following a Hall of Fame-caliber career as a safety.
Williams, who was taken No. 6 overall by the New York Jets, should make an immediate impact as a powerful defensive tackle who can rush the passer too. He and Agholor are the latest to join USC’s first-round crew, but they won’t be the last. USC has the most all-time NFL first-round selections and has 62 players currently in the NFL. That’s tied for first with the team in our final slide, as you’ll see.
1. Alabama
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When Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007, one of the nation’s top college football programs found itself in a serious rut. The Crimson Tide hadn’t won a national title since 1992, and the tenures of Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price and Mike Shula ranged from disastrous to mediocre at best.
Eight years later, it’s clear Saban was the right guy for Alabama. He has won three national championships and sent boatloads of players to the NFL.
The Tide continued that trend this weekend, with seven NFL draft picks, led by wide receiver Amari Cooper. Cooper, the 2014 winner of the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver, was picked fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders.
Carolina Panthers safety Roman Harper, Saints tailback Mark Ingram, Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones, Green Bay Packers tailback Eddie Lacy and Philadelphia Eagles guard Evan Mathis are among the most prominent Alabama alums currently in the NFL. If Saban keeps recruiting and developing the way he has, those guys and Cooper will be joined with plenty of talent soon.
Alabama has 62 players currently in the NFL, which is tied with Southern California for the most nationally. Roll Tide, indeed.
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