The 6 colleges with the most drafted players of all time
While going pro in any sport comes with a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability, there is a tested, trusted, and working formula when it comes to the NFL.
Impress, get scouted to play college football. Again, impress all your years playing college football, be the toast of all the scouting reports, and get invited to the NFL Combine. Smash all the records at the combine, and the NFL drafts come a-knocking. Last stop? The NFL.
This in no way says it’s an easy, simple journey. On the contrary, it shows how much work you have to put in and how much you have to impress. But for the sake of this post, it shows that your journey to the NFL starts from college and that your choice of college has some say in your NFL career.
If you want an edge, you have to choose one of the soon-to-be-listed colleges. They have been selected because they have produced the most NFL drafts of all time, multiple yearly drafts, and number-one picks.
1. Notre Dame
Team Name: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Conference: FBS Independent
Number of Drafts: 526
The Fighting Irish are as prestigious as collegiate football royalty gets. Playing out of Notre Dame in Indiana, the Fighting Irish have serenaded their home crowd with quality football for 117 seasons with a win, lose, tie record of 886-320-33. This team has been ranked 60 times in the preseason, 58 times in the final, and has spent 98 weeks at number one. They have a 20-21 bowl record and are tied for the most NFL drafts in a single year, and the most NFL draft number-one picks with 10 and 5, respectively.
2. USC
Team Name: USC Trojans
Conference: Pac-12
Number of Drafts: 523
A close second is the Trojans from the University of Southern California. Playing out of Los Angeles, California, the Trojans have deservedly ridden a high horse with a win, loss, tie record of 786-322-40. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that the Trojans are currently bookmakers’ favorites (+230) to win the Pac-12 Conference this season.
They have been conference champions 39 times, National Champions 9 times, with the last two back to back in 2003 and 2004. The Trojans have a 35-21 bowl record and have been ranked by the Associated Press 62 times in the preseason, 51 times in the final, and spent 91 weeks at number one. The Southern California Trojans have produced 11 NFL drafts in a year and are tied for 5 number one picks.
3. Ohio State
Team Name: Ohio State Buckeyes
Conference: Big Ten
Number of Drafts: 485
If you are a football fan living in Ohio, you must have browsed one or more legal betting apps in Ohio state to wager on the Buckeyes. The team is as impressive as they make them with a win, lose, tie record of 848-264-36, and they’re currently joint favorites with the Wolverines to win the conference this season.
Playing out of Columbus, Ohio, the Buckeyes have won 40 conference championships. They have won the National Championship 8 times, with the last coming in as recently as 2014. The Buckeyes have been ranked on the AP poll 70 times in preseason, 62 times in the final, and spent 105 weeks in the number one spot. Ohio State has produced 14 NFL drafts in a single year and 3 number-one picks all time.
4. Oklahoma
Team Name: Oklahoma Sooners
Conference: Big 12
Number of Drafts: 414
The Sooners play out of Norman, Oklahoma, with an all-time 884-318-47 record. In their 115 seasons of college football, they have been conference champions 49 times and National champions 7 times, the last of which was in 2000. The team has a 31-24-1 bowl record and has been ranked in the AP poll 65 times in preseason, 61 times in the final, and spent 101 weeks at the number one spot. The Oklahoma Sooners have produced 5 number one picks and had 11 players drafted in a year.
5. Alabama
Team Name: Alabama Crimson Tide
Conference: Southeastern Conference
Number of Drafts: 401
The Crimson Tide play out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and they have one of the most impressive records in college football. In 120 seasons, the team has secured conference championship 29 times and been National Champions 15 times, with the last one as recent as 2020. The Crimson Tide are currently second-favourites for the conference this season, behind odds-on favourites the Georgia Bulldogs. The Tide are also fairly favored to make the playoffs, with odds of around +150.
The team has a 969-310-42 record, ranked 57 times in preseason and 60 times in the final by AP Poll. The Crimson Tides have produced only 2 number one picks, but have produced 12 NFL draftees in a single year.
6. Michigan
Team Name: Michigan Wolverines
Conference: Big Ten
Number of Drafts: 401
The Michigan Wolverines are as fierce in name as they are on the field of play and are ranked among the best college football teams ever. With 134 seasons to show their mettle, they have a 966-345-35 record and have been crowned conference champions 43 times. They have been national champions 9 times, the first four coming back to back from the 1901 to 1904 seasons. The Wolverines have a 21-29 bowl record and have been ranked in the AP poll 52 times in preseason and 63 times in the final. The team has produced 2 number one picks and had 11 players drafted into the NFL in a year.
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