What College Has the Most Active NFL Players?
We took a look at the colleges with the most active NFL players to see which ones are really churning out professional football talent.
Clemson
Clemson may not be the first school that comes to mind when you think of NFL football, but it actually has the most active NFL players of any college. With 34 active players, Clemson is ahead of such football powerhouses as Ohio State, Florida State, and Notre Dame.
Ohio State
As of September 2019, Ohio State ranked first among all universities in the number of active NFL players, with 81. This is largely due to the school’s successful football program; in fact, 57 of the 81 active Ohio State NFL players were members of the Buckeyes’ 2014 national championship team. The school has also produced a number of high-profile NFL quarterbacks, including Pro Bowlers Russell Wilson, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers.
Alabama
Although there are many great college football programs out there, the University of Alabama has produced more NFL players than any other school over the last decade. In fact, they have had at least one player drafted in each of the last 10 NFL drafts.
Some of the most notable Alabama alumni in the NFL include Pro Bowlers Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Amari Cooper, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. They also have a number of young talented players such as Derrick Henry, O.J. Howard, and Marlon Humphrey who are poised to have great careers in the league.
Whether it’s because of their great coaching or the quality of their recruiting, there is no doubt that Alabama is a factory for producing NFL talent.
Florida
There are a total of 32 NFL teams, each with 53 active players on their roster. That means there are 1,696 active NFL players at any given time. But which college has the most former students playing in the NFL?
As of September 2020, the University of Florida has the most active NFL players with 96. That’s almost 6% of all NFL players! The school is followed by Ohio State (80), Alabama (79), USC (77), and LSU (76).
LSU
LSU has the most active NFL players with 41. This is followed by Alabama with 37, Ohio State with 34, and Florida with 33.
USC
The University of Southern California has the most active NFL players of any college, with 49 former Trojans currently on active rosters. USC is followed by Miami (40), Alabama (37), and Florida (36).
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is home to the most active NFL players of any college, with 74 players currently on active rosters. This is followed by Ohio State (68 players), Alabama (67 players), Florida (63 players), and USC (61 players).
Georgia
Georgia has the most active NFL players with 42. Florida is second with 41, followed by Notre Dame (37), USC (36) and LSU (35).
Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame has the most active NFL players of any college, with a total of 49 players currently on NFL rosters. Notre Dame is followed by the University of Miami, Florida, USC, and Ohio State University.
Texas
Although Texas is not a traditional football powerhouse like Alabama or Notre Dame, the Longhorns have more active NFL players than any other college. As of September 2019, there are 55 former Texas players on NFL rosters, including superstars like Earl Thomas, Kyle Fuller, and Malcom Brown.
So why does Texas produce so many professional football players? One reason may be the school’s strong recruiting efforts. Another is the Longhorns’ successful history; the team has won four national championships and produced 28 first-round draft picks since 1950.
Whatever the reasons, it’s clear that Texas is a factory for NFL talent. If you’re a talented high school football player with aspirations of playing in the pros, you just might want to consider becoming a Longhorn.
