What College Sends The Most Players To The NFL?
Which college has sent the most players to the NFL? See the top 10 schools, including Notre Dame, USC, and Miami.
Clemson
Clemson has had many football players go on to have successful careers in the NFL. Some of the most notable Clemson NFL players include Deshaun Watson, Sammy Watkins, and Andre Ellington. Clemson has had a total of 33 players drafted into the NFL since 2000. That is the most of any college during that time period.
Location
Located in South Carolina, Clemson is a public, land-grant research university. It was founded in 1889 and is currently the state’s largest university with an enrollment of over 24,000 students.
Notable Players
Since 2011, Clemson has had 84 players drafted into the NFL – the most of any college over that span. They have had at least one player drafted in each of the last 11 drafts, and have had at least two players drafted in each of the last 10 drafts. 31 of those 84 draft picks have come in the last four drafts, including a school-record 11 in 2019.
Why Clemson Sends The Most Players To The NFL
Since 2012, Clemson has sent 83 players to the NFL, the most of any school in the country.
There are a few reasons for this:
1) Clemson has a strong football program. They have been to the College Football Playoff 6 times in the last 7 years, winning it twice. This means that they have had a lot of success at the highest level of college football, which attracts NFL scouts.
2) Clemson has a good track record of developing NFL-ready talent. Many of their players have gone on to have successful careers in the NFL, which likely encourages scouts to take a closer look at Clemson’s current crop of players.
3) Clemson is located in a state with a strong football tradition. Many of the state’s top high school prospects choose to stay in-state to play for Clemson, giving the school a larger pool of talent to choose from.
Whatever the reasons may be, it’s clear that Clemson is currently churning out more NFL-ready prospects than any other school in the country.
Ohio State
Location
Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio.
Notable Players
Ohio State has had a long tradition of sending players to the NFL. In fact, they have had more players drafted in the first round of the NFL draft than any other school. They also have had the most players overall drafted in the NFL draft than any other school. Some of their notable players include:
-Terry Glenn: A wide receiver who was drafted in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. He played six seasons with the Patriots and was a part of their Super Bowl XXXVI winning team.
-Orlando Pace: A offensive tackle who was drafted first overall in the 1997 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. He played 12 seasons with the Rams and was a seven-time Pro Bowler.
-Aeneas Williams: A cornerback who was drafted in the third round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He played 14 seasons with the Cardinals and was a eight-time Pro Bowler.
Why Ohio State Sends The Most Players To The NFL
Ohio State has had more football players drafted by NFL teams in the last 20 years than any other college. In fact, from 1999 to 2018, Ohio State had 160 draft picks — an average of eight per year. That’s nearly twice as many as the next-closest school, USC (88 draft picks in that span).
So what makes Ohio State such a fertile ground for NFL talent? It starts with the program’s rich history and tradition. The Buckeyes have won eight national championships and countless conference titles, which helps them attract top recruits from all over the country.
Ohio State also does a great job of developing its players and preparing them for the NFL. The coaching staff is filled with former NFL players and coaches, so they know what it takes to make it at the highest level. And because Ohio State is such a big school, there’s a lot of pressure to perform — which only makes the players better.
If you’re a top high school football player and you want to play in the NFL, your best bet is to go to Ohio State.
Alabama
Location
The state of Alabama is located in the southeastern United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama shares a small border with Florida in the south. The capital of Alabama is Montgomery, and the largest city is Birmingham.
Notable Players
Since the school’s founding in 1892, Alabama has produced a long line of exceptional football players. In all, Crimson Tide players have been drafted into the NFL a total of 517 times, including 117 first-round picks. Below is a list of some of the most notable Alabama football players to ever play in the NFL.
-Quarterback Bart Starr led the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships and was named MVP of both the 1956 and 1960 NFL Championship games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.
-Running back Derrick Henry is a two-time Pro Bowler and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 after setting a franchise record for rushing yards by a rookie.
-Wide receiver Julio Jones is a six-time Pro Bowler and was named First Team All-Pro four times. He holds the NFL record for most receiving yards in a game (374).
-Offensive lineman John Hannah was a nine-time Pro Bowler and is considered one of the greatest offensive lineman in NFL history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
-Defensive lineman Lee Roy Jordan was a five-time Pro Bowler during his 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1989.
Why Alabama Sends The Most Players To The NFL
Nick Saban has established Alabama as a powerhouse in the world of college football. The team has won five national championships since he took over in 2007, and they show no signs of slowing down.
But what makes Alabama so special?
One big reason is that Nick Saban recruits top high school talent from across the country. But he also develops that talent once they’re on campus, preparing them for a future in the NFL.
Since 2007, Saban has produced 83 NFL draft picks, by far the most of any college coach. And those picks have gone on to have successful careers, with many of them becoming Pro Bowlers or All-Pros.
Some of the notable Saban-coached NFL players include Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Dee Milliner and Mark Ingram. Jones and Cooper are two of the best wide receivers in the league, while Clinton-Dix and Milliner have been solid starters in the secondary for years. Ingram was a first-round pick in 2011 and is currently one of the top running backs in the NFL.
So if you want to play in the NFL, Alabama is the place to go. And if you’re a high schooler with dreams of playing on Sundays, keep an eye on Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
Florida
Florida has produced more NFL players than any other college over the past decade. In the past 10 years, Florida has had 71 players drafted into the NFL. That is an average of 7.1 players per year. Alabama is second with 61 players drafted, and LSU is third with 57 players drafted.
Location
Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast. Florida is the 22nd-most extensive, the 3rd-most populous, and the 8th-most densely populated of the U.S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan area is Florida’s most populous urban area. Tallahassee is the state’s capital.
Notable Players
Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winston was the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he has been the starter for the Buccaneers ever since. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and helped lead the Bucs to an NFC South title in 2016. Winston has thrown for over 11,000 yards and 60 touchdowns in his career.
A.J. Brown – Tennessee Titans
Brown was a second-round pick in 2019 and had a stellar rookie season, catching 52 passes for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns. He followed that up with an even better sophomore campaign, catching 70 passes for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns. Brown is one of the best young wide receivers in the league.
Luke Kuechly – Carolina Panthers
Kuechly is a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time First-Team All-Pro. He is widely considered to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL, and he has been a key part of the Panthers’ defense for many years. Kuechly has over 1,000 career tackles and 12 career sacks.
Why Florida Sends The Most Players To The NFL
There are plenty of reasons Florida produces more NFL talent than any other state.
First, there’s the sheer number of high school football programs in the state. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, Florida has 775 member schools playing 11-man football, by far the most of any state. Georgia is second with 547 and Texas third with 537.
There are also more Division I college football programs in Florida than any other state. There are 22 schools playing at that level, including national powerhouses such as the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Miami.
In addition, the weather in Florida is conducive to year-round football training. Players can work out outdoors year-round, which gives them a significant advantage over players in states with colder climates.
All of these factors add up to produce more NFL talent per capita in Florida than any other state.
LSU
LSU has had a total of 58 NFL draft picks since 2000 – the most of any school in that timeframe. They have had at least one player drafted in every year since 1963. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks ranks LSU’s 2019 draft class as the best in the nation, and the team has had three first-round picks in the last two drafts.
Location
LSU is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The campus is situated on 1,550 acres of land and is bordered by the Mississippi River.
Notable Players
Since the NFL Draft began in 1936, LSU has had 288 players drafted, which is the most of any school.
In 2019, LSU had 14 players selected in the draft, which tied the record for the most players drafted from one school in a single year.
Some of the most notable LSU players to be drafted into the NFL include:
-Shaq Lawson
-Ja’Marr Chase
-Kristian Fulton
-K’Lavon Chaisson
Why LSU Sends The Most Players To The NFL
There are a few reasons why LSU has been so successful at sending players to the NFL. First, the LSU coaching staff does a great job of preparing their players for the next level. They make sure their players are physically and mentally ready to compete at the highest level. Second, LSU has a great track record of producing top-tier talent. They consistently produce some of the best prospects in the country year after year. Finally, LSU has a great support system in place for their players. They have a team of people that help their players with everything from training to financial planning. This system ensures that their players are ready for life after football.
