13 Texas A&M at Kyle Field, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. This college has also produced the second-most players in the 2021 season. Where do NFL quarterbacks come from? The best and worst states, how it Nearly 900 players came from the USC and UCLA campuses (separated by just 11 miles), but the majority of those are singing "Fight On.". Texas ranks last in ESPN's QB formula because of the expectations given the state's resources. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports shared a chart on Twitter on Thursday that breaks down which states have the most NFL players per capita. Read on to see the results. They are followed by Florida, Texas, Georgia and then Ohio. Of that 82, 74 are playing in the NFL after spending time at Nick Saban's powerhouse football program. Before he expanded to Louisiana and founded his own personal QB franchise, Archie Manning started another unique trend of QB1s from his home state of Mississippi. Though it might surprise some fans, the state of Florida actually has the most current NFL players. Most touchdowns in NFL: James Lofton (76), Most games played in NFL: John Elway (234). Thats right, Mississippi, for its population, produces more pro football players than Texas, Florida, California and more than Louisiana and Alabama, as well. necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Most games played:Sebastian Janikowski (284). a proud member of the Only 44 wide receivers in NFL history have reached 10,000 receiving yards, and three of them came from MSU Andre Rison, Muhsin Muhammad and Derrick Mason. Chris Spencer (center for Tennessee Titans), Jamarca Sanford (defensive back for Minnesota Vikings) and Damien Lewis (offensive line for Seattle Seahawks) are all outstanding players from Mississippi. California and Texas are still at the top of the list. Colleges That Produce the Most NFL Players | Stadium Talk Weve ranked the best NFL-talent producing universities in Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. NFL Players By College - Overall Top 10 All-Time 1. Now, Warner's name is synonymous with football in the United States, and Stanford has had a legacy of great passers who went on to shine in the NFL. Copyright 2023 Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices. North Carolina State has never been to a BCS bowl and hasn't won an ACC title since 1979. When you factor in population, the state produces 26.6 pro football players for every 100,000 people. While some schools are known for producing CEOs or millionaires, these 10 colleges have the most NFL players on active rosters, according to NCAA data. Trevor Lawrence, of Cartersville High, and Justin Fields, of Harrison High, became the top two recruits in the nation in 2018. Current NFL players: 37. Fortunately for the Sooners, Adrian Peterson is sure to increase that number five years after he retires. Despite all of that success in the defensive backfield, the Sun Devils never have won a national championship, making them just one of six teams on this list without a natty. Ohio State - 426 4. The Lone Star State produced a plethora of talented quarterbacks, such as Drew Brees, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Ryan Tannehill. For the Cardinals, this means that Georgia Tech and Duke footballers last the longest with the franchise at nearly four seasons on average. We are particularly interested in which colleges have been the most successful at sending players to the pros. However, Nebraska hasnt finished in the top 10 in the final AP poll since the 2001 season, and its once-abundant NFL pipeline has all but dried up. Ohio State's Justin Fields was a five-star recruit at Harrison High. But Michigan also has struggled when it comes to skill position players in the NFL. While Brady (and his seven rings) is the headliner, the Golden State's dominance is more than just the Golden Boy, a sixth-round pick who graduated from Serra High School in 1995. Still, they dont have decades of winning traditions, which is why they fall a little lower on this list than many might expect. What high school has produced the most NFL quarterbacks? 20 college football teams we aren't sold on in 2023, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Mizzou shocks Tennessee, Alabama downs Auburn and more, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Alabama stays unbeaten in SEC play, Tennessee outlasts Auburn and more, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: A new top team emerges, Alabama loses in blowout fashion, Mizzou lights it up again. Seven of the school's 11 national championships came in the first half of the 20th century, and none of those titles have come in the last 30 years. Yale Lary is the only Hall of Famer in school history, and that one HOF selection is the fewest of any school on this list. 2 is Louisiana (one in 76,837) .. No. Bottom line: Oregon won a Rose Bowl in their first season in 1916. They are from Pro Football Reference and through the 2022 NFL season. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Eleven ZIP codes have produced three NFL QBs, and 60 can boast two. But see who makes up the rest of the top 5 in the state: North Carolina has produced a surprising number of NFL players. In fact, those three states rank 1-2-3 all-time for states where NFL players were born. That stat does deserve a caveat as Matthew Slater and Wally Henry were both Bruins receivers who made the Pro Bowl, but they did so at the positions of special teams and return specialist, respectively. In terms of players by decade, the NFL relied heavily on schools from the Midwest such as Notre Dame and Minnesota in the early days, before shifting their focus out west to USC in the 70s and 80s before settling into a varied approach that has seen schools from the Midwest, California, and the Southeast regularly headlining NFL rosters over the last 30 years. Texas has produced more active NFL players than any other U.S. state. Iowa not only has the NFLs all-time interceptions leader in Paul Krause (81), but it also has the second all-time interceptions leader in Emlen Tunnell (79). The school has just one first-round NFL pick since the 2011 season with Prince Amukamara going 19th overall in that years draft. Hall of Famers Warren Moon and Hugh McElhenny came from Los Angeles, six-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz came from Hawaii, and Marcus Peters was from Oakland. First-rounders: 6. West Virginia University's Morgantown recruits many of these athletes. The Sunshine State comes in at #3 with 149 total players in the NFL. Former Buckeyes in the NFL draft this year include Kendall Sheffield (CB, Atlanta Falcons), Rod Smith (RB, Carolina Panthers) and Justin Fields (QB, Chicago Bears). We're dedicated to keeping Mississippians informed with our thorough reporting. Nebraska (21.3 per 100,000), Oklahoma (also 21.3), and Louisiana (21.2) were the three states closest to Mississippi in NFL players per capita. The Cornhuskers have won more games against Power 5 opponents than any other school in history, and their dominance stretches from the early 20th century all the way to the 1990s. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sports writer has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals and newspapers. With the 2021 NFL Draft now firmly in the rearview mirror, here's an updated look at the 25 schools with the most all-time NFL Draft picks. Highest AV in NFL: Randall McDaniel (129), Most touchdowns in NFL: Charley Taylor (90), Most games played in NFL: Terrell Suggs (244). Oklahoma - 328 9. Remember, were talking about per capita here. The Bruins are considered a basketball school while nearby USC is considered the citys football school, but UCLA gets more than just the Trojans leftovers. Its quality, as well. Bottom line: Arkansas has a great football tradition. A new, thorough study confirms what I have long contended to be true. Mississippi State upends No. Arkansas football also produced Jerry Jones, Hall of Fame owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, two Super Bowl-winning coaches in Dallas. The universities to follow Alabama were Ohio State, Florida, Louisiana State and Michigan, all courtesy of its football programs. Cardale Jones. Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. Others create politicians. Bottom line:Michigan has the second most all-time wins in college football history (behind Alabama), produced perhaps the greatest quarterback in NFL history (Tom Brady) and even had a future president play for them (Gerald Ford). That list doesnt even include Cam Newton, who is the NFLs all-time leader in rushing touchdowns for a quarterback. Here is a breakdown of the states where the most active NFL players were born Sign up for notifications from Insider! The Ohio State University has produced a total of 411 players since the 17th NFL season in 1936. Thats more than much larger states such as New York (7) and New Jersey (6). 2 following the 1962 season. Since 1936, 788 NFL players have come from Mississippi. Ohio, a traditional Midwest football-mad state, is fifth on the list in terms of NFL players. Note: All figures are NFL stats for players. That is more than 30 percent of all active players listed Pro-Football-Reference.com. So we didnt. After Georgia the drop-off is significant. This website does not fully support Internet Explorer. Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. In the college game, Tennessee has fallen off over the last 20 years, recording just two top-10 finish over that span. They grew up just 10 minutes from each other in Chicago and are universally known by their surnames: Butkus and Nitschke. Second is Ohio State with 67, followed by LSU with 62. Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke dominated in the 1960s and '70s, and the Fighting Illinis success also is in yesteryear. 1 in health, wealth and education? But Texas surpassed the Golden State in the 2000s with 25 quarterbacks (to California's 22), and they are tied with eight in the 2010s. Over those100-plus years, they have won two national championships (1920 and 1922) and produced many pro players. 1. Colleges That Have Produced the Most NFL Players The Boilermakers started playing football in 1892 and have sent big names to the NFL. What college has the most NFL players all time? More:Mississippi State upends No. Only five players in the program's history have been selected first . To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). In fact, since Saban became coach in 2007, the Crimson Tide have more first-round picks (39) than losses (27). To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. No promotions available. 1 overall picks and 6,532 TD passes. The college football programs with the most all-time NFL - 247Sports None are bigger than Drew Brees, who threw for 80,358 yards in his NFL career, more yards than any other quarterback in NFL history. Texas surprisingly has no quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame (based on our criteria for players since 1966), and the collective approximate value of the state's QBs is watered down because many are not key contributors (its 62% start average ranked 15th among states with at least 500 games played). Several prestigious Texas programs have contributed to the current NFL talent pool. For more information on our cookie collection and use please visit our Privacy Policy. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. U.S. News rank: 18 (tie), National Universities. North Carolina can claim 121 current NFL players in the league. BYU's Zach Wilson will be just the sixth Utah QB to play in the NFL, yet somehow he was runner-up in the state's Mr. Football award. The remaining seven states to crack the top 10 are Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Jersey. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Second is California with 187, followed by Texas (160), Georgia (97), Ohio (80), Pennsylvania (66) and Louisiana (63). Across NFL draft history, Notre Dame and USC have seen the most alums get drafted, according to drafthistory.com -- and they are also the most popular programs for the Eagles over time. Louisiana, which doesn't have. Louisiana, with 25 NFL QBs, including Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, is No. Which state produces most NFL talent? Mississippi. - Mississippi Today Despite having the most players all-time, the Fighting Irish ranked eigth in active players for the 2022 NFL season. No school has more active NFL players than Alabamas 77, and that doesnt even include its 10 players taken in the 2019 draft, which was the most of any school. Westlake (Austin, Texas) High and Isidore Newman (New Orleans) School represent the only two ZIP codes in the country to produce multiple Super Bowl-winning starting quarterbacks. Louisiana is the state with the best ratio (one NFL player per 76,837 people), followed by Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina. And in 2018 and 2019, one out of four quarterbacks who started Week 1 hailed from the Lone Star State. Most touchdowns in NFL: Lance Alworth (87), Most games played in NFL: Jason Peters (238). Bottom line:No program has more wins or a better win percentage since World War II than Oklahoma a testament to the great players who have come through Norman. And some make NFL players. The combination of our local NFL squad picking at the top of the draft, an accomplished alum serving in a major leadership role for a different team, and our general interest in seeing college students start their careers after school really got our team thinking about what it means for these student-athletes who are preparing to drop the student part of that moniker. Meanwhile, the Magnolia State has plenty to celebrate when it comes to football or writers and entertainers, for that matter. Vinny Testaverde. 13 Texas A&M at Kyle Field. Here is an in-depth look at the top five states. During your secondary school years, you likely had a little One of the most common questions students hear is, What do you want to be when you grow up? For many individuals that answer is subject to change over time. A winning tradition brings recruits from all over the country, and Ohio States all-time winning percentage of .754 ranks first among Power 5 programs. North Dakota State's Trey Lance could be the first Minnesota QB selected in the first round. It features arguably the most successful college football program in history. About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. Total enrollment: 46,810. NFL draft picks since 2000: 57. Which Schools Have the Most NFL Players? We limited this data to schools who have had at least five players make the all-time roster to weed out one-off outlier players. Here's a breakdown of the 10 states with the most NFL players: It's always fun to see which states generate the most NFL talent. 64 overall) of the San Diego Chargers in the 1973 NFL draft. In terms of 2018 rosters, however, it comes as no surprise that Alabama, the premier program in college football over the last decade, leads the way with 53 players, enough for an entire official NFL roster, suiting up during the most recent season. The Bobby Bowden-Jimbo Fisher era was the best run in program history, and that was evident by FSU having 46 active players in the NFL in 2019. Kiper's two-round mock draft: Top-five trade, record QB haul, Kiper's favorite draft prospects at every position, Biggest question marks for draft's top quarterbacks. Arkansas has sent almost 300 players to the NFL. Bottom line:The Auburn Tigers are not currently considered an SEC powerhouse, but it wasn't that long ago when they were. The NFLs all-time leading receiver and touchdown scorer is Jerry Rice, from Crawford and Mississippi Valley State. The state that produced dynamic personalities such as Favre and Gardner Minshew found a way to make an impression.