Which College Has Most Players in the NFL?

We all know that playing in the NFL is a dream for many college athletes. But which college has the most players in the NFL? The answer might surprise you.

Clemson

Clemson University has had the most players drafted into the NFL of any school over the past five years. With 41 players drafted since 2015, Clemson has had eight more players drafted than the next closest school, Ohio State.

Location

Clemson is a city in Pickens and Anderson counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Clemson is home to Clemson University. As of 2019, the city’s population was 13,905.

Notable Players

Clemson has had 210 players drafted into the NFL since 1936, including a league-leading 12 first-round picks. The school has also produced four Pro Football Hall of Famers: Banks McFadden, Terry Kinard, Bennie Cunningham and Jeff Davis. Notable Clemson players currently in the NFL include quarterback Deshaun Watson, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, defensive end Vic Beasley and linebacker Shaq Lawson.

Ohio State

As of September 2020, Ohio State has the most former players active in the NFL, with a total of 168. This includes players who were drafted, as well as undrafted free agents. USC is in second place with 165 active NFL players, and Alabama is in third place with 161 active NFL players.

Location

Ohio State is a large, public university located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a long tradition of success in athletics, and it is one of the most prominent college football programs in the country. Ohio State has produced more NFL draft picks than any other school, and it is consistently ranked near the top of lists of schools with the most players in the NFL.

Notable Players

The Ohio State University has produced a number of notable NFL players, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Michael Strahan and Eddie DeBartolo Jr. The school has also had 17 former players named to the NFL All-Pro team and 12 named to the NFL Pro Bowl.

Alabama

If you’re looking at which college has sent the most players to the NFL, the clear winner is Alabama. The Crimson Tide have had 83 players drafted since 2010, which is nearly twice as many as the next school on the list, Ohio State. Alabama also has had more first-round picks than any other school since 2010, and their 11 total first-rounders are tied for the most of any school in the history of the NFL Draft.

Location

Alabama is located in the southeastern United States, bordering the Gulf of Mexico to the south. The state is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, and Florida and Mississippi to the south. Alabama is the 30th-largest state in the US with a total area of 52,423 square miles. The state’s capital is Montgomery, and its largest city is Birmingham.

Notable Players

Alabama has had many notable players in the NFL, including Hall of Famers like John Hannah and Derrick Thomas. The school has also produced Pro Bowlers like Julio Jones and Mark Ingram, as well as Super Bowl winners like Bart Starr and Joe Namath.

Florida

Florida has had the most players drafted into the NFL of any college since 1986. In the past 32 NFL drafts, Florida has had more players drafted than any other college.

Location

The state of Florida is located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Florida is the 22nd most populous state with a population of over 21 million people.

Notable Players

The state of Florida has produced a number of NFL players over the years. Some of the most notable players include:

-QB Peyton Manning (retired): He played college football at the University of Tennessee before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. He won two Super Bowls with the Colts and is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

-WR Jerry Rice (retired): He played college football at Mississippi Valley State University before being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1985. He is considered the greatest wide receiver in NFL history and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

-RB Emmitt Smith (retired): He played college football at Florida before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1990. He is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

LSU

Since 2000, Louisiana State University has had the most NFL players of any college with 83 total drafted into the league. This includes having a total of nine first round picks and 27 players drafted in the first three rounds.

Location

LSU is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Notable Players

There have been 572 NFL draft picks from LSU since 1936, when the first Tiger was selected in the second round. That’s the fourth-most of any school in that span.

The school has also had 62 first-round picks, which is tied with Ohio State and Miami (Fla.) for sixth most all time. And over the last 10 years, LSU has had 13 first-round picks, which is second most behind only Alabama (17).

The Tigers have had at least one player drafted in 75 straight drafts dating back to 1964, which is the longest active streak in the nation.

Here are some of the more notable LSU players to play in the NFL: