Despite having more pro players than Arizona State, Iowa alums have scored 363 fewer touchdowns (730 to 1093), which places them close to last on this top 30 list. North Carolina State has never been to a BCS bowl and hasn't won an ACC title since 1979. Using this data we were able to illustrate some key data points for every franchise in the league, as well as the league as a whole. But in recent years, the states that are football factories has shifted a little. The dominance of Florida, Florida State and Miami has dwindled slightly over the years, but they are still producing NFL players at a high rate. Its not just quantity were talking about either. Texas ranks last in ESPN's QB formula because of the expectations given the state's resources. Still, they dont have decades of winning traditions, which is why they fall a little lower on this list than many might expect. 4-year graduation rate: 90%. In fact, 12 of their Pro Bowl players played either running back or fullback. Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU have been at the forefront of the supply chain of great talent for the NFL. But that number dropped to 28 in 2022, due to some lean years for the Seminoles. California is more than just Tom Brady, and the great state of Texas hasn't been so great when it comes to producing NFL QBs, according to our formula, which counts a player's home state as the one in which he finished his high school career. We support responsible gambling. Woodson has a Super Bowl ring, 71 career interceptions, 11 Pro Bowls and six All-Pro honors. Active NFL players from Texas include Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes; Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams. Both J.J. Watt and Russell Wilson started their college careers elsewhere, then ended their playing days suiting up for the red and white of the Wisconsin Badgers. The most notable star to come from the Sunshine State is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Unfortunately, the two never shared a backfield while at Iowa, or maybe thats fortunate for opposing quarterbacks. Over those100-plus years, they have won two national championships (1920 and 1922) and produced many pro players. In terms of schools that have produced the most NFL players all-time, Notre Dame just edged out USC for the top spot, with Ohio State joining those historic programs as the only ones to send more than 400 players to the NFL. And that Mississippi number doesnt count such NFL legends as Ray Guy, Robert Brazile and Gene Hickerson, who played their college ball in Mississippi after growing up in nearby states. From John Brodie and Jim Plunkett to John Elway and Andrew Luck, there's a reason Stanford has a reputation as Quarterback U. Eventually, we had gathered data on every player to ever appear on an active NFL roster, including their position, who they played for, how long they played in the league and of course which college they attended. 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. 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. Bottom line:Whether or not Notre Dame is the greatest program in NCAA history is up for debate, but theres no denying the impact that the Fighting Irish football program has had on the NFL. About 20 miles on I-75 separate the Georgia high school homes of two of the draft's top QB prospects. And some make NFL players. All rights reserved (About Us). Some colleges excel at producing Fortune 500 CEOs. 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. 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. The only thing UCLA is missing is an elite NFL receiver since theyve had Pro Bowlers at every position except out wide. It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. by Rick Cleveland, Mississippi Today November 1, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. Note: All figures are NFL stats for players. Mississippi not only produces the most NFL players per capita, but not only that, the state also produced the most Pro Football Hall of Famers per capita, as well, Diallo said. We also took the combined data we had gathered and made a slightly different graphic for the entire history of the NFL. 1. 3 is Georgia (one in 78,761). That is, the Magnolia State, relatively small and poor in so many ways, kicks tail when it comes to producing football talent. What college has the most NFL players all time? Alabama (17) was a distant fifth. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence went 52-2 as a starter at Cartersville High, winning two state titles. Troy Aikman, Jonathan Ogden and Jimmy Johnson all have rejected USC for Westwood and currently reside in the Hall of Fame. Notre Dame and USC were actually tied for the most draft selections ever entering the 2021 draft with 511. California has been strong in its quarterback production in every decade, leading the way in the 1970s, '80s and '90s (based on the final year of high school for each QB). 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. The population of New York State is nearly 20 million, compared to Mississippis fewer than 3 million. No. Though it might surprise some fans, the state of Florida actually has the most current NFL players. Top 10 States that have produced the greatest NFL quarterbacks Graphic by Ryan Escobar 1. But great players in Norman havent translated to great players in the NFL. Texas A&M led all Texas college football programs with 37 current NFL players, followed by the University of Texas (29), TCU (25), Baylor (23) and Houston (20). Bottom line:The Auburn Tigers are not currently considered an SEC powerhouse, but it wasn't that long ago when they were. Several prestigious Texas programs have contributed to the current NFL talent pool. That makes them a bit of an outlier since every other school in the top seven is in a warm-weather location in either the South or Southern California. The city of Miami has more NFL players than any other city, and these players just arent your run-of-the-mill second and third-stringers. 1 overall picks and 6,532 TD passes. And some make NFL players. Ohio has 71 players in the league followed by Alabama with 61, Virginia with 58 (and that so many played at prep school in that state helps) and North . 1 overall pick in 1993, was one of four first-round picks from Washington and one of 12 taken within the first 100 selections. Bottom line:UT is home to four Hall of Famers, although one of them, Tom Landry, is enshrined in Canton due to his work as a coach rather than a player. Miami - 341 8. Bottom line:Lots of schools have proclaimed themselves as "DB U" due to the prolific number of defensive backs they have sent to the NFL. Thats right, Mississippi, for its population, produces more pro football players than Texas, Florida, California and more than Louisiana and Alabama, as well. The school actually has more Heisman winners (2) than Pro Football Hall of Famers (1), though Von Miller or even Shane Lechler may one day even things up. Pennsylvania State University--University. Fortunately for the Sooners, Adrian Peterson is sure to increase that number five years after he retires. For the Cardinals, this means that Georgia Tech and Duke footballers last the longest with the franchise at nearly four seasons on average. 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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. Walter Payton, from Columbia and Jackson State, is the NFLs second all-time leading rusher. The University of Alabama has produced the most pro athletes out of college, though, with 82. following organizations: Whoops! Here are some takeaways: - Notre Dame has produced more NFL players than any other college, with 495 athletes going on to play in the NFL. Copyright 2023 Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices. That is reflected by the Gators having the fifth-most active players in the NFL despite being outside the top 10 in total players. Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. AV refers to approximate value and is PFRs attempt to quantify a players career value. Louisiana, which doesn't have. Its highest touchdown scorer, Elroy Hirsch, found the end zone just 66 times. Did you also know that the streak started a dozen years before the NFL was founded so none of the players on those teams made it to the league? 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. Heres how the rest of the list shakes out: The college football landscape is already taking shape for the 2022-23 season. The Volunteers can thank three players for boosting up their number of Pro Bowl selections: Peyton Manning (14), Reggie White (13) and Jason Witten (11) account for nearly 30 percent of those nods. Among states that have produced at least 15 NFL quarterbacks, Washington has the highest average draft position at 71.3 for its 16 QBs selected in the NFL draft (not counting the supplemental draft). No promotions available. 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. 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. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). 2023 www.clarionledger.com. According to Pro Football Reference, Arizona has produced 19 NFL quarterbacks, eighth most in the country, but it has the lowest percentage of starts (55%) among states with at least 400 games played. . Bottom line:While many of the aforementioned schools have had recent success but not decades of winning, the exact opposite can be said for Nebraska. But now, Florida has joined them as one of the three biggest producers of NFL talent. It was enough to move . He might be No. That's the highest start percentage of any state with at least 400 games played. And now, theres even data that would appear to back it up. The research was done by Sidelines, a sports technology and digital media company, which also found that Texas has produced the most NFL players (2,515) of any state. 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. So, it is no surprise to see them on this list. Bottom line:Illinois never won a national championship, but the Illini had two of the most iconic players in NFL history. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. We just dont have available stats on the authors and musicians. How Mississippis outdated application process keeps parents from getting child care assistance, Another Democratic defection adds to Republican supermajority in Legislature, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 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. Here's a breakdown of the 10 states with the most NFL. LSU - 325 10. You can only publish select stories individually not as a collection. A study conducted by Grand Canyon University found that Notre Dame has produced the most players in NFL history, with 495 of the league's 25,453 all-time players coming out of the school. California, with 141 quarterbacks, is tops in the union with 14 Super Bowl wins in 25 starts, three Hall of Famers, seven No. From there, we ranked which state currently has produced the most NFL players. Nick Saban has given NFL franchises 29 first-round picks during his time as Alabama's head coach While Washington D.C., which isnt a state, has the best ratio of any place, it is followed by six states that feature SEC schools. Rick has been recognized 13 times as Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year, and is recipient of multiple awards and honors for his reporting and writing. Youd probably expect huge numbers from the likes of Texas, California and Pennsylvania, but when you take into account population, it completely changes the outlook, Diallo said. The schools that dominate on Saturdays have their alumni playing on Sundays. Many of the schools on this list are poised to send another great class of rookies to the NFL next season. Heres the full chart that Feldman shared on Twitter below: The District of Columbia, with one NFL player for every 54,702 residents, has the most NFL players per capita. NFL Players By College - Overall Top 10 All-Time 1. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. But one school often overlooked in this conversation is Arizona State. The sheer size of California and the number of universities within it has propelled the state to #2 on the list. Current NFL players: 37. We're dedicated to keeping Mississippians informed with our thorough reporting. For the Cardinals, this evaluation showed us that there was a particularly strong connection to Notre Dame from the 1920s to the 1950s when the team was located in nearby Chicago. Bottom line:Flordia had recent success under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, but doesnt have decades of dominance under its belt and didnt become an elite program until the 1990s. Action Network conducted a study to identify which state produced the most current NFL talent, which determined that the Lone Star State was the home of 211 active players, which accounts for 1 in every 12 players. And there are currently no players that were born in the state of Vermont. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Total enrollment: 46,810. Bottom line: The California Golden Bears have been playing football since 1916. Any amount helps us keep producing quality journalism for Mississippi. Others create politicians. Even though Florida has had over 385 former Gators suit up in the NFL, none of those players were ever drafted first overall out of UF. Rounding out the top five are USC (479), Ohio State (426), Penn State (359), and Nebraska (346). Ohio State is just one of three colleges to produce more than 400 NFL players. And giving them three is a bit generous since Troy Aikman started his career at OU, but finished it at UCLA. Texas is a football crazy state where towns live and die by their local teams at every level. That group includes former No. Heres a breakdown of every states active NFL players. Florida was also the home of superstars like Dalvin Cook, Amari Cooper, Lavonte David, Derrick Henry, Calvin Ridley and Matthew Stafford. 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. 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). We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. One of the first things we found was how many players have ever donned the teams uniform throughout the entirety of the franchises history. They often get those TV slots since their players will be playing in the NFL in a few years. A cleveland.com review of opening week rosters found Florida leads with the way with 193 players, based on the place of birth of each player. The state also produced Richard Sherman, Tyron Smith, Bobby Wagner and several other stars. All six of the Nittany Lions' Pro Football Hall of Famers come from those states, including Franco Harris and Jack Ham, who were Penn State teammates and then teammates with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, since Saban became coach in 2007, the Crimson Tide have more first-round picks (39) than losses (27). 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. According to Pro Football Reference, Arizona has produced 19 NFL quarterbacks, eighth most in the country, but it has the lowest percentage of starts (55%) among states with at least 400 games . 2 is Louisiana (one in 76,837) .. No. LSUs alums rank fifth all-time in touchdowns scored, with most of their best players lining up on the offensive side of the ball. There are 151 NFL players that came from colleges across California. It features arguably the most successful college football program in history. 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. Another amazing fact: Jackson State, alone, has produced four Hall of Famers, three of them native Mississippians. Yet the Panthers also have the third-most Pro Football Hall of Famers of any football program, pointing to the pull of Pittsburgh for top talent in Western Pennsylvania. The rest of the country and other places around the world are home to 838 players. After all, our hometown Arizona Cardinals have the first overall pick! But Michigan also has struggled when it comes to skill position players in the NFL. Bottom line:Wisconsin has the most NFL players of any school to never win a national championship their highest season-ending finish was No. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. Tittle, Steve Van Buren and Kevin Mawae. But that is debatable. The most prolific quarterback state of the 2010s is Florida with nine, including Lamar Jackson and Teddy Bridgewater. 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. Of the 16 Tigers to make at least one All-Pro first team, 11 were offensive players including Hall of Famers Y.A. Of those, 74 have made it to the big game, with three former Buckeyes making four Super Bowl appearances each.. A cleveland.com review of opening week. And Jacksonville, Florida, native Mac Jones is expected to be the third straight Alabama QB selected in the first round, with none of the three hailing from Alabama. These rankings are based on rosters published by Stats LLC on Monday afternoon, three days before the start of the season. That is about 9% of the current active players in the league. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics.