College Football Powerhouses Dominate NFL Rosters

The NFL's final roster cuts have once again highlighted the top talent pipelines in college football, with a select group of universities consistently feeding the professional ranks. As teams finalized their 53-man rosters, the data reveals a clear hierarchy of programs that are the most prolific suppliers of NFL talent.

Leading the charge is the University of Alabama, which stands at the top of the list with a league-high 62 players on active NFL rosters. The SEC powerhouse has cemented its status as the premier program for developing NFL-ready athletes.

Hot on their heels are a pair of perennial contenders tied for second place with 57 players each: Georgia and Ohio State. These two schools, from the SEC and Big Ten respectively, have established themselves as consistent factories for professional talent. Michigan follows closely in fourth with 44 players, while LSU and Notre Dame are tied for fifth with 39 players each.

In total, 214 universities across all divisions have at least one player in the NFL. This includes a notable presence from Division III, with three schools—Greenville, Saint John's (MN), and Wisconsin-Whitewater—each boasting a representative. The most successful of these is Wisconsin-Whitewater's Quinn Meinerz, who earned All-Pro honors at guard for the Denver Broncos last year.

While the numbers are a testament to the dominance of the SEC and Big Ten, they also showcase the wide-reaching impact of college football. From the biggest programs to smaller schools, the sport continues to be a crucial proving ground for the NFL's next generation of stars.

Note: This list only highlights players on active 53-man rosters as of Tuesday, Aug. 26. It does not include players on the injury reserved, practice squads or the commissioner’s exempt list).

• Alabama 62

• Georgia 57

• Ohio State 57

• Michigan 44

• LSU 39

• Notre Dame 39

• Penn State 38

• Texas 37

• Oregon 35

• Oklahoma 32

• Florida 31

• Iowa 28

• Texas A&M 27

• Clemson 26

• Stanford 26

• Tennessee 26

• USC 26

• South Carolina 25

• Washington 25

• UCLA 24

• Wisconsin 24

• Miami 22

• Auburn 21

• Illinois 21

• Florida State 20

• Maryland 20

• Minnesota 20

• Ole Miss 20

• TCU 20

• California 17

• Louisville 17

• North Carolina 17

• Iowa State 17

• Utah 17

• Boston College 16

• NC State 16

• Virginia Tech 16

• Arkansas 15

• Michigan State 15

• Mississippi State 14

• Pittsburgh 14

• Baylor 13

• Kentucky 13

• Missouri 13

• Nebraska 13

• Kansas State 13

• Syracuse 13

• Colorado 12

• Duke 12

• Oregon State 12

• Washington State 12

• Boise State 11

• BYU 11

• Cincinnati 11

• Oklahoma State 11

• SMU 11

• Houston 10

• Texas Tech 10

• Western Michigan 10

• Arizona 9

• Purdue 9

• Rutgers 9

• Tulane 9

• UCF 9

• Virginia 9

• Wake Forest 9

• North Dakota State 8

• San Diego State 8

• Temple 8

• West Virginia 8

• Buffalo 7

• Central Michigan 7

• Georgia Tech 7

• Indiana 7

• Louisiana 7

• Memphis 7

• Toledo 7

• Vanderbilt 7

• South Dakota State 6

• Arizona State 6

• Colorado State 6

• Northwestern 6

• UConn 6

• Western Kentucky 6

• Wyoming 6

• Arkansas State 5

• Florida International 5

• Kansas 5

• Southern Miss 5

• Troy 5

• UTEP 5

• South Alabama 4

• Northern Iowa 4

• Yale 4

• Florida Atlantic 4

• Georgia Southern 4

• Louisiana Tech 4

• Nevada 4

• Rice 4

• UTSA 4

• Air Force 3

• Ball State 3

• Bowling Green 3

• Eastern Michigan 3

• Eastern Washington 3

• East Carolina 3

• Ferris State (DII) 3

• Fresno State 3

• Idaho 3

• Marshall 3

• Middle Tennessee 3

• Montana State 3

• Sacramento State 3

• Tulsa 3

• Utah State 3

• William & Mary 3

• Youngstown State 3

• Alabama A&M 2

• Alabama State 2

• Charlotte 2

• Fayetteville State (DII) 2

• Florida A&M 2

• Georgia State 2

• Harvard 2

• Holy Cross 2

• Illinois State 2

• Lenoir-Rhyne 2

• Liberty 2

• Maine 2

• Miami (OH) 2

• Minnesota State (DII) 2

• Missouri Western (DII) 2

• Navy 2

• Pennsylvania 2

• San Diego 2

• San José State 2

• Shepherd (DII) 2

• Sioux Falls (DII) 2

• South Carolina State 2

• South Dakota 2

• Southeast Missouri State 2

• Southern Arkansas (DII) 2

• Southern Illinois 2

• Southern Utah 2

• Stephen F. Austin 2

• Tarleton State 2

• UAB 2

• UMass (FBS) 2

• Western Illinois 2

• Alabama A&M 1

• Albany State GA (DII) 1

• Alcorn State 1

• App State 1

• Army 1

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1

• Cal Poly 1

• Campbell 1

• Canisius 1

• Central Arkansas 1

• Chattanooga 1

• Coastal Carolina 1

• Dayton 1

• Drake 1

• Duquesne 1

• East Central (OK) DII 1

• East Texas A&M 1

• Eastern Illinois 1

• Elon 1

• Findlay 1

• Fort Hays State (DII) 1

• Fort Valley State (DII) 1

• Furman 1

• Grambling 1

• Grand Valley State University (DII) 1

• Greeneville (DIII) 1

• Hawai'i 1

• Houston Christian 1

• Humboldt State (DII) 1

• Idaho State 1

• Indiana-Pennsylvania (DII) 1

• Jackson State 1

• Kutztown University (DII) 1

• Malone (DII) 1

• Marist 1

• Missouri S&T (DII) 1

• Missouri State 1

• Morgan State 1

• Murray State 1

• New Hampshire 1

• New Mexico 1

• North Carolina Central 1

• Northern Arizona 1

• Northern Colorado 1

• Ohio 1

• Old Dominion 1

• Pittsburg State (DII) 1

• Prairie View A&M 1

• Princeton 1

• Sacred Heart 1

• Saginaw Valley State (DII) 1

• Saint John's (MN) (DIII) 1

• South Florida 1

• Stephen F. Austin 1

• Texas State 1

• UC Davis 1

• Valdosta State (DII) 1

• Villanova 1

• Wagner 1

• Washburn 1

• Weber State 1

• West Alabama (DII) 1

• Western Colorado (DII) 1

• Wingate (DII) 1

• Wisconsin-Whitewater (DIII) 1