NFL prospects come from all around the world. And every year, they bring with them a variety of skills and backgrounds to the league. But there are some college football programs that have consistently built reputations as NFL factories. They bring out top talent year after year. Which schools have had the most players selected in the history of the NFL Draft?
College Football Programs With the Most NFL Draft Picks
10) Florida Gators | 373
Notable selections: WR Cris Collinsworth, RB Emmitt Smith, RB Fred Taylor, DL Jevon Kearse, and CB Joe Haden
Florida’s standing as one of the top NFL talent pipelines might just have taken a shot. The 2024 NFL Draft was a reminder of that decline. After seeing six players drafted in 2023, including quarterback Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall, the Gators had a fall from grace. In 2024, they had a single draftee, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. This drop is also visible on the field.
Billy Napier’s squad opened the 2024 season with a 41-28 home loss to Miami. This was their first home-opening defeat since 1989. This game also set the unfortunate record for most points allowed in such a game.
Despite rebounding to finish 7-5 in the regular season and winning 33-8 Gasparilla Bowl, there is a lot of work to be done. Napier’s 18-19 record as of Dec. 19 is the worst winning percentage for a Florida head coach since Raymond Wolf in the 1940s.
9) Georgia Bulldogs | 379
Notable selections: WR Hines Ward, CB Champ Bailey, QB Matthew Stafford, WR A.J. Green, and EDGE Justin Houston
Georgia Bulldogs has become a name that cannot be ignored when it comes to NFL talent. Since 2017, the Bulldogs have seen 55 players drafted. Of these, 25 were selected in the last two years. The trend continued in the 2024 NFL Draft, where eight Bulldogs heard their names called. This also had two first-round picks, Brock Bowers to the Raiders at No. 13 and Amarius Mims to the Bengals at No. 18.
Last year, apart from the first-round picks Ladd McConkey was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers, Kamari Lassiter was drafted by the Houston Texans, and Javon Bullard by the Green Bay Packers.
According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, 14 Bulldogs will likely be drafted in the upcoming NFL Draft. He also predicts that three might be drafted in the first round. The Bulldogs have already made it to the top 10 in all-time drafted players and first-round picks, and with Smart, they might just be on a rollercoaster that only goes up.
8) LSU Tigers | 381
Notable selections: S Jamal Adams, EDGE Danielle Hunter, DB Tyrann Mathieu, CB Patrick Peterson, and OT Andrew Whitworth
LSU’s NFL draft dominance continued in 2024. The Tigers had six players selected, including three in the first round. That total tied with Alabama and Washington. Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels led the way at No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders and wide receivers Malik Nabers at No. 6 to the New York Giants and Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 23 to the Jacksonville Jaguars followed.
Beyond the first round, LSU’s defensive front also made a lot of noise. Defensive tackles Maason Smith was drafted at No. 48 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jordan Jefferson, No. 116 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Mekhi Wingo, No. 189, by the Detroit Lions all heard their names called.
7) Penn State Nittany Lions | 389
Notable selections: RB Franco Harris, OL Mike Munchak, RB Curt Warner, EDGE Tamba Hali, and WR Allen Robinson
Penn State continued its draft tradition in 2024. They sent eight Nittany Lions to the NFL, including two first-round selections. Offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu led the charge, going No. 11 overall to the New York Jets. He was followed by Chop Robinson, taken at No. 21 by the Miami Dolphins.
Beyond the first round, the Nittany Lions had six more players joining the league. This included Caedan Wallace at No. 68 drafted by the New England Patriots and Hunter Nourzad at No. 159 drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, in the offensive pipeline. Adisa Isaac at No. 93 drafted by Baltimore Ravens on the defensive side.
Meanwhile, defensive backs Daequan Hardy (No. 219, Buffalo Bills) and Kalen King (No. 255, Green Bay Packers) ensured that Penn State extended its incredible 19-year streak of having a player selected in the first three rounds.
6) Alabama Crimson Tide | 411
Notable selections: QB Ken Stabler, RB Shaun Alexander, WR Julio Jones, RB Derrick Henry, and WR Amari Cooper
Alabama in 2024, sent 10 players to the league, including three first-round selections. Offensive tackle JC Latham led the way at No. 7 overall to the Tennessee Titans, followed by outside linebacker Dallas Turner at No. 17 to the Minnesota Vikings and cornerback Terrion Arnold at No. 24 to the Detroit Lions. That made it seven consecutive years of having multiple first round picks.
Beyond the early selections, Alabama continued its deep draft presence across all rounds. Kool-Aid McKinstry (No. 41, Saints) and Chris Braswell (No. 57, Buccaneers) ensured the Tide had five players taken within the first two rounds.
The draft concluded with kicker Will Reichard (No. 203, Vikings) and safety Jaylen Key (No. 257, Jets), with Key earning the honor of Mr. Irrelevant as the final selection. Since 2009, Alabama has produced 133 draft picks, which is more than any other college football program.
5) Michigan Wolverines | 414
Notable selections: DB Ty Law, DB Charles Woodson, G Steve Hutchinson, WR Desmond Howard, and OT Jake Long
Michigan undoubtedly was the star of the 2024 draft. They had 13 players selected, setting a new school record. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy headlined the class as the No. 10 overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings, extending Michigan’s streak to six straight years with a first-round selection. Defensive standouts Kris Jenkins at No. 49, Bengals, and Mike Sainristil at No. 50, Commanders, followed him.
Beyond the high-profile picks, Michigan had running back Blake Corum (No. 83, Rams) and wide receiver Roman Wilson (No. 84, Steelers) drafted from their offense line. The draft concluded with Cornelius Johnson (No. 253, Chargers) joining his former coach in Los Angeles. With 13 selections, the Wolverines now sit among the all-time great draft classes, just behind Georgia’s record-setting 15 picks in 2022.
4) Oklahoma Sooners | 417 Picks
Notable selections: RB Billy Sims, OT Lane Johnson, DB Roy Williams, OT Trent Williams, and RB Adrian Peterson
Oklahoma’s NFL Draft legacy continued in 2024. They had three Sooners hearing their names called. This also meant the Sooners were keeping the program’s streak of at least three draft picks to 22 consecutive years. Offensive tackle Tyler Guyton led the way as a first-round selection (No. 29 overall) by the Dallas Cowboys. This was followed by Walter Rouse (No. 177, Vikings) and Jonah Laulu (No. 234, Colts) followed on Day 3.
The Sooners have now sent at least two players to the NFL for 29 straight years. The Sooners have seen 119 players drafted since 2000. This surpasses every Big 12 school by a significant margin. The program has had five No. 1 overall picks, including Lee Roy Selmon (1976), Billy Sims (1980), Sam Bradford (2010), Baker Mayfield (2018), and Kyler Murray (2019).
3) Ohio State Buckeyes | 489
Notable selections: WR Cris Carter, RB Eddie George, EDGEs Joey and Nick Bosa, WR Paul Warfield, and RB Ezekiel Elliott
Ohio State had a rather small number when it came to NFL picks in 2024. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. led the charge, becoming the No. 4 overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals. This got Ohio State’s first-round selections to a total of 90. Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (No. 54, Browns), tight end Cade Stover (No. 123, Texans), and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (No. 148, Raiders) rounded out the Buckeyes’ draft class.
With 163 draft picks since 2000, Ohio State ranks No. 1 in producing NFL talent over the past two decades. The Buckeyes have consistently churned out first-round stars, with 21 of those selections coming since 2016 alone. Last year, quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba continued that tradition.
2) USC Trojans | 530
Notable selections: RB Reggie Bush, DB Ronnie Lott, WR Lynn Swann, RB Marcus Allen, and LB Junior Seau
USC comfortably sits as one of the top NFL talent pipelines. In 2024, seven Trojans were drafted. Caleb Williams became the program’s sixth No. 1 overall pick, joining legends like O.J. Simpson and Carson Palmer, and headed to the Chicago Bears. Safety Calen Bullock (Texans) and running back MarShawn Lloyd (Packers) followed on Day 2. Meanwhile, Brenden Rice, son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, landed with the Chargers, looking to make his own mark.
With over 500 draft picks in program history, USC has consistently found success at all levels of the draft. While first-rounders like Drake London and Jordan Addison have made an immediate impact, late-round gems such as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Talanoa Hufanga have far outplayed their draft positions.
1) Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 532
Notable selections: QB Joe Montana, WR Tim Brown, QB Joe Theismann, FB Jerome Bettis, OL Zack Martin
Notre Dame’s legacy as an NFL talent factory continues. Fighting Irish players heard their names called, spanning from the first to the seventh round. Joe Alt led the way as the No. 5 overall pick. The university’s rich draft history remains unparalleled, with Notre Dame producing an NCAA-best 532 total draft picks.
KEEP READING: College Football Teams With Most No. 1 NFL Draft Picks of All Time
While their last No. 1 overall pick came in 1972 with Walt Patulski, the Fighting Irish remain a name that cannot be taken lightly in player development. Joe Alt was followed by fellow lineman Blake Fisher (Round 2, Houston Texans) and linebacker Marist Liufau (Round 3, Dallas Cowboys).
Rounding out the class were cornerback Cam Hart (Round 5, Los Angeles Chargers), linebacker JD Bertrand (Round 5, Atlanta Falcons), running back Audric Estime (Round 5, Denver Broncos), and defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste (Round 7, Washington Commanders).
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