What College Produces The Most NFL Players?

Wonder which college produces the most NFL players? Check out our list of the top 10 schools, based on data from the NFL Players Association.

Clemson

In recent years, Clemson has been one of the most successful college football programs in the country. The Tigers have won five conference championships and two national championships since 2011, and they have produced a number of NFL players.

As of 2019, Clemson has had 41 players drafted into the NFL since 2011, the most of any college since that time. Thirty-seven of those players were drafted in the first four rounds, including seven in the first round. The Tigers have also had 12 undrafted free agents sign with NFL teams since 2011.

In total, Clemson has had 53 players active in the NFL at some point during the 2019 season. That includes 51 who were on active rosters and two who were on reserve lists. Among all colleges, only Ohio State (54) and Alabama (55) have more active NFL players than Clemson.

Ohio State

Since Ohio State joined the Big Ten in 1953, the conference has produced more NFL draft picks than any other league. The SEC is a close second.

Big Ten: 1,474
SEC: 1,470
ACC: 1,392
Pac-12: 1,391

Ohio State tops the list of Big Ten schools with 296 NFL draft picks. Michigan is second with 288 and Penn State is third with 249.

Alabama

The University of Alabama has had 58 players drafted into the NFL since 2010, the most of any college in the nation. The school has also produced more NFL first-round picks in that time than any other, with 15. That includes four players who were taken in the first round of this year’s draft: quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, offensive lineman Jedrick Wills and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis.

Florida State

Florida State has had 269 of its players drafted into the NFL as of the end of the 2020 draft, leading all colleges. That is over 60 more than the second-place school, Notre Dame, which has had 206 players drafted.

The vast majority of Florida State’s NFL draftees have come in the last 30 years, with 152 of them coming since 1990. In that timespan, the Seminoles have had at least one player drafted in all but two years (1991 and 2000). The school’s best draft came in 2013, when 11 Florida State players were selected.

While most of Florida State’s NFLdraft success has come in recent years, the Seminoles have actually been sending players to the pros for nearly a century. The school’s first NFL draftee was quarterback Bert Bell, who was taken in the 1930 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

LSU

While there are a number of collegiate programs that have produced a high number of NFL players, LSU has been particularly successful in this area in recent years. In fact, over the past decade, LSU has produced more NFL players than any other school.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to LSU’s success in sending players to the NFL. First and foremost, LSU has been extremely successful on the football field over the past few years. This has helped the school attract some of the best high school prospects in the country. Additionally, LSU has a well-established reputation for developing NFL-caliber talent. This is due in part to the school’s strong coaching staff and top-notch facilities.

LSU’s success in sending players to the NFL is likely to continue in the years to come. With the school’s recent success on the football field and its excellent track record for developing talent, LSU is poised to remain one of the top collegiate programs for producing NFL players.

USC

Since 1932, when Jay Berwanger became the first Heisman Trophy winner to be drafted into the NFL, the University of Southern California has sent 377 players to the pros, more than any other school in America.

The Trojans’ total includes 59 first-round picks, 11 No. 1 overall selections and seven Hall of Famers: running backs O.J. Simpson and Marcus Allen, wide receiver Michael Haynes, defensive end Ron Yary, offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz, linebacker Junior Seau and quarterback Troy Aikman.

Oklahoma

Since 1932, the NFL Draft has become the most common way for professional football teams to select players. With the advent of the Internet and television, the draft has become a major media event, with fans and analysts debating the merits of various prospects.

The college that has produced the most NFL draft picks since 1932 is Oklahoma. The Sooners have had 305 players drafted, including Hall of Famers Steve Owens and Lee Roy Selmon. Oklahoma has also produced five No. 1 overall picks: Billy Sims (1980), Lee Roy Selmon (1976), Jim Plunkett (1971), Earl Faison (1961) and Luq Barcoo (1992).

Georgia

In 2018, Georgia had the most NFL players of any college, with 53 former Bulldogs spread across 28 teams. This is nothing new for the school, which has churned out NFL talent at an impressive clip in recent years. From 2014 to 2018, an average of 42.6 Georgia players were on NFL rosters each season. That number peaked in 2017 at 48, before dropping slightly last year.

In second place is Ohio State, which had 50 former players on NFL rosters in 2018. The Buckeyes have been nearly as good as Georgia at producing NFL talent over the past five years, averaging 41.4 players per season from 2014 to 2018. They also peaked in 2017 with 49 players.

Rounding out the top five are Alabama (47), LSU (46) and Florida (42). All three schools have been consistently strong at sending players to the NFL over the past five years, but LSU has been the best of the bunch lately, averaging 45.2 players per season from 2016 to 2018.

Auburn

Auburn has produced more NFL players than any other college over the past decade, according to a new study.

The study, which was conducted by the National Football League Players Association, looked at the colleges that have produced the most NFL players from 2010 to 2019.

Auburn led all colleges with 75 players, followed by Alabama (74), Ohio State (68), Florida (67) and LSU (66).

The study also found that the SEC has produced more NFL players than any other conference over the past decade, with 706 players. The ACC is second with 636 players, followed by the Pac-12 (588), Big Ten (569) and Big 12 (488).

Notre Dame

Notre Dame is the college with the most NFL players. There are currently 96 Notre Dame alumni playing in the NFL, including stars like Manti Te’o, Tyler Eifert, and Zach Martin. Notre Dame has also produced more NFL quarterbacks than any other school, with 31 alumni currently playing in the league.