The Alabama Crimson Tide led all schools with 58 players on active rosters for the NFL’s Kickoff Weekend for the sixth straight season. The usual suspects follow them in LSU, Ohio State, and Georgia.Top 10 Schools With NFL Players on Week 1 Rosters:
- Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC): 58 players
- LSU Tigers (SEC): 52 players
- Ohio State Buckeyes (B1G): 52 players
- Georgia Bulldogs (SEC): 44 players
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (IND): 37 players
- Penn State Nittany Lions (B1G): 35 players
- Florida Gators (SEC): 33 players
- Michigan Wolverines (B1G): 33 players
- Oklahoma Sooners (Big12): 32 players
- Iowa Hawkeyes (B1G): 31 Players
Three of the top four programs hail from the SEC, with the Big Ten joining them with four apiece in the top 10, rounded out by independent Notre Dame and Oklahoma out of the Big 12. The highest-ranked ACC school is Clemson (29), ranked 11th, while Washington (26) out of the Pac-12 is tied for 12th. The NFL released the top 21, and all are Power 5 schools, plus Notre Dame.
Biggest surprise? It has to be the Iowa Hawkeyes, who routinely recruit outside the top 25. It’s wild that Kirk Ferentz has produced more current pros than Texas, Auburn, Miami, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.
Second biggest surprise? USC is not among the 21 schools listed. Wow.
The most players any school produced at a position is Alabama, with 14 defensive backs.
Schools With the Most NFL Players by Position:- QBU (3): Missouri, North Dakota State, Oklahoma
- RBU (6): Alabama
- WRU (7): Ohio State
- TEU (5): Notre Dame
- OTU (5): Alabama, Florida
- OGU (5): LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State
- CU (4): Missouri
- DTU (10): Alabama
- DEU (7): Michigan
- LB (10): Georgia
- DB (14): Alabama
Not only is North Dakota State the only non-Power 5 program represented, but two of the three quarterbacks were top-three overall picks in Carson Wentz (2016) and Trey Lance (2021). Who’s the third QB? Easton Stick went to the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round in 2019.Any wonder why the Bison are an FCS powerhouse?
Back to the biggest FBS power, Alabama. The NFL numbers also back up the notion that the gap between the tippy top of college football and everyone else is widening.
Their streak started in 2017 (tied for first) when they had 39 players on NFL rosters on the opening weekend. That’s 19 fewer than this season and would rank them fifth in 2022, barely ahead of Notre Dame.
