The Southeastern Conference has positioned itself as the premier port of call for college football players and a high-level producer of talent for the NFL. However, there’s a clear hierarchy among SEC teams when it comes to elevating players to the highest level of the professional game. Using NFL First-Team All-Pro honors as a measuring stick, how do the 16 SEC teams rank from worst to first?
16) Vanderbilt Commodores
Although they’re coming off a season that elevated them into the national spotlight, the Vanderbilt Commodores rank dead last among SEC teams for producing NFL First-Team All-Pro talent. The Nashville-based college football program developed just one player to be honored at the professional level, with punter Jim Arnold earning an All-Pro nod during his 12-year career in the NFL.
In 1984, Arnold led the NFL in total punts (98), punt yardage (4,397), and yards per punt (44.9), his second season in the league after being selected with the 119th overall selection of the 1983 NFL Draft. His professional honors came two years after being named an All-American punter for the Commodores, the final act of a college career where he averaged 43.9 yards per punt across 44 games.
14) Mississippi State Bulldogs
There’s a significant gap from Vanderbilt to the next of the SEC teams on this list, with the Mississippi State Bulldogs having six individual players earning 11 First-Team All-Pro nods. Darius Slay, J.T. Gray, and Fletcher Cox all have one appearance on an All-Pro team, while center Kent Hull twice received the honor during his 11-year NFL career. Yet, there are two standout Bulldogs above him.
Linebacker Joe Fortunato, who played at VMI before moving to Starkville, earned three First-Team All-Pro nods after being selected in the seventh round of the 1952 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Chris Jones earned All-Pro honors in three consecutive seasons (2022-2024) for the Kansas City Chiefs following a college career at Mississippi State, where he tallied 102 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks.
14) Kentucky Wildcats
Joining Mississippi State among SEC teams with 11 All-Pro selections are the Kentucky Wildcats. Unlike their conference compatriot, however, there is a top-heavy element to the Wildcats’ list of professional wonders. Offensive lineman Dermontti Dawson, who played both center and guard, leads the way with six All-Pro appearances during a 13-year NFL career from 1988-2000.
Dawson earned second-team All-SEC honors in 1987, his senior season with the Wildcats, and was a second-round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft. However, his college prowess pales into insignificance compared to his professional accolades. Joining the Hall of Fame lineman among Kentucky All-Pro recipients are Bob Talamini (3), George Blanda, and Babe Parilli.
12) South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks are enjoying a national resurgence under Shane Beamer and with exciting quarterback LaNorris Sellers under center, but they rank near the bottom among SEC teams with All-Pro selections. Eight different Gamecocks have secured All-Pro honors, with 13 total selections, led by three-time selection Sterling Sharpe, who tallied 2,444 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns during his South Carolina career.
Defensive end John Abraham and cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Keisean Nixon all have two All-Pro nods, while linebacker Tom Addison, running back George Rogers, and wider receivers Pharoh Cooper and Deebo Samuel have all been named to the All-Pro team once. Samuel earned the accolade following a 2021 season where he led the NFL with 18.2 yards per reception, replicating his big-play performances from his time with the Gamecocks.
12) Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers are tied with South Carolina among SEC teams with 13 total NFL First-Team All-Pro selections. Wide receiver Mel Gray, defensive ends Aldon Smith and Justin Smith, plus defensive back Eric Wright, all earned one All-Pro nod, with Aldon being the last Tiger to accomplish the honor following the 2012 NFL season. He tallied 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in just two years at Mizzou.
The remaining nine selections belong to three players equally, with Clyde Smith earning All-Pro honors in three of his four NFL seasons from 1925 to 1928. Roger Wehrli, a consensus All-American for Missouri in 1968, was named an All-Pro thrice. Tight end Kellen Winslow, who led the Big 8 in touchdowns twice and earned All-American honors, is the other Tiger to accomplish three All-Pro nods.
11) Arkansas Razorbacks
Sitting just outside the top 10 of the All-Pro honors among SEC teams are the Arkansas Razorbacks, who have 17 total selections to the first team. Offensive line duo Jason Peters (2) and Shawn Andrews (1), who played for Arkansas together and were both selected in the 2004 NFL Draft, are the most recent Razorbacks to earn All-Pro consideration.
Steve Atwater and Jim Benton join Peters with two selections, while Bobby Joe Edmonds, Barry Foster, Dan Hampton, and R.C. Thielemann all had one. However, one name reigns supreme among professional pigs. Lance Alworth, who tallied 1,917 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns for Arkansas from 1959 to 1961, earned six All-Pro selections during an 11-year NFL career across two teams.
10) Auburn Tigers
Moving inside the top 10 SEC teams with the most All-Pro selections in the NFL, the Auburn Tigers produced 13 different players to earn the honor, with four individuals earning multiple selections. Among the former Tigers with just one selection, kicker Daniel Carlson is the most recent honoree. After leading the SEC in total points in 2017, the Auburn kicker earned first-team honors following the 2022 campaign.
Other notable Auburn honorees include QB Cam Newton, LB Takeo Spikes, and defensive juggernaut Kevin Greene (2), but a trio of three-time selections leads the Tigers. Offensive linemen Willie Anderson, Forrest Blue, and Frank Gatski all have three All-Pro selections to their name, with Anderson earning the accolade on successive seasons from 2004 to 2006 with the Cincinnati Bengals.
9) Florida Gators
They may have just won a men’s basketball national championship, but the Florida Gators still have some way go to establish themselves among SEC teams for producing All-Pro football talent. The program has produced 22 first-team selections in its history, with 13 individuals earning accolades for their NFL play. Punter Tommy Townsend was the most recent selection from the Gators (2022).
Running back Emmitt Smith (4), linebacker Wilber Marshall (2), and Maurkice Pouncey (2), have all received multiple All-Pro nods, but defensive end Jack Youngblood stands alone as the standout Gator in the NFL. After tallying 29 sacks during an All-American career in Gainesville, the first-round selection of the Los Angeles Rams terrorized NFL offenses and received five All-Pro nods as a result.
8) Texas A&M Aggies
Punters can be All-Pros too! The Texas A&M Aggies’ contingent of NFL All-Pro talent is 13-deep, with 26 overall selections, but no single player has earned more NFL accolades than professional ball smasher Shane Lechler. After averaging 44.7 yards per punt with nearly 12,000 punt yards during his college career, Lechler became one of the best to do it in the NFL, earning six All-Pro nods in 18 years.
However, his place at the top of All-Pro Aggies could come under threat in the coming years. Following closely behind is defensive dynamo Myles Garrett, who dominated offenses (49 tackles for loss, 32.5 sacks, 2016 All-American) at the college football level and hasn’t taken his foot off the gas in the NFL. Garrett has four All-Pro nods, one more than another Texas A&M terror, Von Miller.
7) Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels have a shorter list of All-Pro individuals than some of the SEC teams behind them in these rankings. However, with six former Rebels earning multiple selections, the program has a rich history of producing award-winning talent. Nine student-athletes went from the Grove to garnering NFL honors, but Ole Miss has accounted for 27 All-Pro selections, led by a defensive trio.
Larry Grantham, Jimmy Patton, and Patrick Willis all earned five selections, with the latter being the only All-Pro recipient from the Rebels this millennium. Willis was an All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2006, and twice led the SEC in solo tackles before embarking on a 950-tackle, 60-tackle-for-loss NFL career that included All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2007.
6) Oklahoma Sooners
A newcomer to the pantheon of SEC teams in 2024, the Oklahoma Sooners brought a rich heritage of college football success that translates into NFL production. The program’s 30 First-Team All-Pro Selections ranks sixth in the conference and contains 18 individuals, many of whom will ultimately end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Furthermore, a good chunk played their football in this millennium.
While Trent Williams (3), Lane Johnson (2), and Creed Humphrey showcase the Sooners’ offensive line prowess, the headliner of Oklahoma’s All-Pro contingent is running back Adrian Peterson. A man among boys at every level he ever played, Peterson parlayed an All-American college career with over 4,000 rushing yards into four All-Pro appearances and 14,918 rushing yards in the NFL.
5) Georgia Bulldogs (32)
The current standard-bearer for SEC teams, the Georgia Bulldogs have seen some of their most exciting and enigmatic talents transition seamlessly to the NFL. The result is 21 individuals with First-Team All-Pro honors and 32 total selections, which ranks fifth in the conference. Tight end Brock Bowers earned an All-Pro nod in his 2024 rookie season as the most recent Bulldog to receive the honor.
If he continues on that trajectory, Bowers has the potential to stamp his name among the great Georgia alumni in the NFL. At present, Champ Bailey, Terrell Davis, Richard Seymour, and Roquan Smith are tied for the program lead with three selections. Meanwhile, Geno Atkins, Todd Gurley, and Jake Scott all have two first-team selections. Unsurprisingly, running backs and defensive players dominate the Bulldogs’ honor roll, demonstrating the strength of the program.
4) Tennessee Volunteers (40)
Nico Iamaleava’s camp might think his talent his better taken elsewhere, but if the goal is to play to a high level in the NFL, there are far worse places to play than Knoxville. The Tennessee Volunteers sit near the top of SEC teams for All-Pro selections, with 40 total representations between 16 different players. That said, their numbers are inflated by two very prominent NFL Volunteers.
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Reggie White was a dominant All-American and SEC Player of the Year at Tennessee in 1983, and went on to be one of the most dangerous pass rushers in NFL history, garnering eight All-Pro nods during his 15-year career. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning earned a selection in seven of his 17 NFL seasons after throwing for 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns during an All-American career as the Volunteers’ starting quarterback.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (50)
The Nick Saban era made the Alabama Crimson Tide one of the most dominant college football teams in recent history while turning the program into a pipeline of NFL success. Unsurprisingly, the Crimson Tide sits among the top SEC teams for total number of First-Team All-Pro selections. However, it isn’t recent success, such as Minkah Fitzpatrick (4), Marlon Humphrey (2), or Patrick Surtain II (2) that powers their 50 selections across 28 individuals.
The top three All-Pro selections all come from pre-1990, with offensive linemen John Hannah and Dwight Stephenson combining for 11 selections across NFL careers spanning 14 years. Yet, the man at the very top of the Alabama All-Pro tree is Don Hutson, who earned All-Pro honors in eight of his 11 NFL seasons as a three-position player following his All-American career in Tuscaloosa.
2) LSU Tigers (50)
Tied with the Tide for second-most NFL First-Team All-Pro selections among SEC teams are the LSU Tigers. With some of the best defensive backs and wide receivers coming out of Baton Rouge in recent seasons, there are sure to be more players added to the list of 50 selections. That those 50 comprise just 21 individuals speaks volumes about the caliber and longevity of the talent being produced at LSU.
Of those, 11 players have multiple selections, led by offensive lineman Alan Faneca and two-way standout Johnny Robinson, who have six selections each. Halfback Steve Van Buren received five All-Pro nods in eight seasons in the late 1940s, while recent defensive back stars Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson were each recognized three times. Ja’Marr Chase (1) and Justin Jefferson (2) might have a stranglehold on the wide receiver All-Pro slot for years to come.
1) Texas Longhorns (52)
The Texas Longhorns shook up the established order among SEC teams in their first season in the conference, reaching the conference championship game and the College Football Playoff. They can also hold bragging rights over their SEC contemporaries as the program with the most All-Pro selections in the conference. The former Big 12 powerhouse has produced 26 individuals with All-Pro honors, with double that amount of total selections to lead the SEC with 52.
Of those, four are active NFL players. Brenden Schooler, Michael Dickson, Devin Duvernay, and program-leading kicker Justin Tucker (5 selections) all played in the 2024 NFL season. Tucker shares the Texas lead with offensive lineman Ox Emerson, who earned five All-Pro nods in the 1930s. A program renowned for running back play, Earl Campbell, Priest Holmes, and Jamaal Charles all had multiple All-Pro selections after their college football career at Texas was over.
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