Which College Produces The Most NFL Players?

A recent study set out to answer the question: which college produces the most NFL players? The results may surprise you.

Clemson

Clemson has had 275 NFL draft picks in its history, the most of any school in the ACC and second-most of any school in the country. Miami is right behind Clemson with 272 NFL draft picks. Notre Dame is third with 259 NFL draft picks, followed by Ohio State (251) and Southern California (243).

Alabama has had 242 NFL draft picks, the most of any school in the SEC. Oklahoma is second in the conference with 234 NFL draft picks, followed by Tennessee (223), LSU (221) and Florida (216).

Ohio State

There is no denying that Ohio State is one of the top NFL producing schools in the country. In fact, they have been the top NFL producer for the past few years. In the 2016 NFL Draft, 14 Ohio State players were drafted, which is more than any other school. In total, Ohio State has had 249 players drafted into the NFL since 1936, which is also more than any other school.

Alabama

Since the NFL began in 1920, there have been 1,303 players who played college football at the University of Alabama, ranging from Jay Berwanger (the first ever NFL draft pick in 1936) to Tua Tagovailoa (the most recent first-round pick in 2020). Alabama has had 86 first-round picks in the NFL draft, the most of any school. In 2020, a total of 15 former Alabama players were on active NFL rosters, the most of any school.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma has produced more NFL players than any other college over the past decade, according to data from the NFLPA.

The Sooners have had 56 players drafted into the NFL since 2010, including eight first-round picks. That’s seven more than the next closest school, Alabama.

Oklahoma has been particularly strong at producing offensive linemen, with 12 drafted since 2010. That’s more than double the next closest school, Ohio State (five).

The Sooners have also had success at producing quarterbacks, with four of their alumni (Sam Bradford, Landry Jones, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray) currently starting in the NFL.

LSU

LSU has produced the most NFL players of any college over the last decade, with 83 players drafted into the league since 2010. That’s 10 more than Alabama, the next closest school.

The SEC has been dominant in recent years when it comes to sending players to the NFL, and LSU has been leading the way. Nine LSU players were taken in the first round of the NFL draft over the last 10 years, tied for the most of any school. No other school has more than six.

While LSU has had success sending players to the NFL, it hasn’t necessarily translated to success on the field for the Tigers. LSU has won just one national title since 2003, when it took home the BCS championship.

Florida State

Florida State has produced more NFL players than any other school in the nation since 2013, with 83 Seminoles hearing their names called in the NFL Draft. That includes a league-high 11 first-round picks over that span.

programs have produced more NFL players over the last five drafts than Florida State. The school’s 83 draft picks since 2013 are 10 more than Alabama, which is second on that list. Ohio State is third with 74 draft picks during that span, followed by USC (71), LSU (68) and Notre Dame (61).

Stanford, Miami, Oklahoma, Clemson and Florida round out the top 10 schools in terms of producing NFL talent over the last five drafts.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame produces the most NFL players of any college, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by the National Football League Players Association, looked at the colleges that have produced the most NFL players since 2006. Notre Dame topped the list with 84 players, followed by Ohio State (74), USC (69), Texas (67) and Florida (59).

This is the first time that Notre Dame has been atop the NFLPA’s list of colleges producing the most NFL players. The previous two years, Ohio State held the top spot.

“Notre Dame’s success in sending its players to the NFL is a testament to the school’s commitment to developing its student-athletes both on and off the field,” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA, in a statement. “The campus culture at Notre Dame fosters an environment of excellence that allows its student-athletes to take full advantage of their time at one of America’s great universities.”

According to the study, Notre Dame has had 84 players drafted into the NFL since 2006, including 14 in the first round. That is more than any other school during that time period.

Notre Dame has also had 26 former players selected to Pro Bowls since 2006, tied for second with USC behind only Florida (27). Five Notre Dame alumni have been named All-Pros since 2006: linebacker Manti Te’o (2013), offensive lineman Zack Martin (2014-16), defensive lineman Julius Peppers (2010, 2014), linebacker Courtney Roby (2010) and offensive lineman Ryan Harris (2009).

USC

Of the 1,696 players on NFL rosters, USC has produced more than any other school with 83 players. That’s nearly 5% of all NFL players! Runners up include Notre Dame (74), Miami (68), and Florida (60).

Georgia

Georgia has had 287 NFL players drafted since the league began in 1936. That is the most of any college in the country. The school has also produced six Hall of Fame members: Charles Haley, Fran Tarkenton, Herschel Walker, Terrell Davis, Vince Dooley and Billy Shaw.

Texas

In Texas, the top college producing NFL players is the University of Texas. The Longhorns have had 374 NFL players in their history, with 323 of those coming since 1950. There have been 28 first-round picks out of Texas, and the school has produced five NFL Hall of Famers.