SEC, Big Ten lead the way in producing NFL players

This is the opening weekend in the NFL and it’s time to celebrate pro football is back. It’s also tied to recruiting and how each conference is represented in the league. Here’s a breakdown of the Power Five conferences and which ones are doing best with putting players in the NFL:

Note: These numbers reflect rosters as of Wednesday before any final moves.

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FARRELL 25: Nos. 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25

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Overview: The dominance of Alabama in the NFL cannot be understated, could be a massive edge in recruiting battles and it points to the incredible job of Nick Saban and his staff of not only recruiting so well but also developing players for the pros and NFL franchises trusting that the best come through Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide lead all Power Five programs with 54 players on NFL rosters as 26 pro teams have Alabama players on their team, many with multiple former Crimson Tide standouts.

Much of the rest of the SEC is also well-represented as every program in the conference has multiple players in the NFL. After Alabama with 54, LSU has 42, Florida has 39, Georgia is at 32 and Texas A&M has 30. Then Auburn and South Carolina are tied at 27 each, Mississippi State is at 23, Tennessee 22 and that’s it for the 20s.

Closing out the conference is Arkansas at 16, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Vanderbilt at 15 and then Missouri has 14 players in the league.

Farrell’s take: LSU is gaining a bit of ground on Alabama based on the expected number of players that will be drafted in 2021 and after that it’s anyone’s guess. Florida is consistent. Georgia is disappointing based on the talent in its home state and the mighty Vols have fallen off a bit. It’s more clean than ever how programs like Arkansas and Vanderbilt and Missouri will continue to struggle in the SEC against these powerhouses.

Overview: After Alabama’s monstrous run, Ohio State is not far behind. The handoff from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day has gone extraordinarily well and the Buckeyes’ pumping to the NFL should continue as Ohio State has 48 players in the league. Not only do the Buckeyes have that many players in the NFL but they’re some of the game’s biggest stars in RB Ezekiel Elliott, WR Michael Thomas, the Bosa Bros., and first-year DE Chase Young, who could be the league’s next superstar.

A large swath of the rest of the conference is also well-represented with a battle at the top as Michigan has 35 players followed by Penn State with 34 and then Iowa (28), Wisconsin (25) and Nebraska with 21.

Maryland is next at 15, Michigan State and Purdue have 12 each, Rutgers is at 11, Illinois has 10 and then Indiana, Minnesota and Northwestern are sitting at nine each.

Farrell’s take: Ohio State continues to rule the Big Ten and its NFL production is one of the big reasons why. It’s not even close between the Buckeyes and Michigan and Penn State. Iowa and Wisconsin do a good job without great recruiting territories and both programs are recruiting well, especially the Badgers, in 2021.

Overview: Clemson has dominated this conference in recent years, winning national championships, winning double-digit games for nine-straight seasons and recruiting has also been off the charts so it’s surprising not to see the Tigers in the No. 1 spot here as well.

But Miami leads the ACC in NFL players with 35 followed by Florida State with 31 and then Clemson comes into view at 29. It’s also expected for that number to grow dramatically in the coming years including with QB Trevor Lawrence, the expected No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Following those three power programs is NC State with 22, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech with 16 each, Boston College at 15 and then Virginia (13) and Louisville (12). The only other ACC program with double-digit NFL players is North Carolina at 10. Wake Forest has nine, Georgia Tech and Syracuse eight each and then Duke with only seven.

Farrell’s take: it’s surprising that Miami is still on top here because of how it has struggled on the field, but Clemson is charging and Florida State remains steady. NC State does not get enough credit for the players they churn out. North Carolina has been very weak in this category but all that is changing.

Overview: There is a five-team battle at the top here with no clearcut leader but Washington does have the edge right now with 29 players in the NFL led by Budda Baker, Kaleb McGary, Shaq Thompson and Vita Vea. But it’s close.

Stanford is sitting at 28 and then the Los Angeles programs come into picture as USC has 26 and UCLA is right behind the Trojans with 25. Utah is also in the hunt at 23. Cal is at 18, Colorado has 14 and then Oregon and Oregon State have 12 each. With all the Ducks’ success over the years, it’s surprising they don’t have more than a dozen.

Rounding out the conference is Arizona State at eight, Washington State at seven and Arizona at only four.

Farrell’s take: I’m not sure which is more surprising — that USC is an embarrassing third here or that Oregon is as far down the list as it is. Kudos to Washington and Stanford for continuing to develop players but the rest have to step it up.

Overview: In stories like this, the Big 12 is always hurt because the conference only has 10 teams but there is some solid NFL representation at least at the top. Oklahoma leads the way with 30 players in the pros with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts and running backs Adrian Peterson and Joe Mixon as some of the bigger names.

Texas is right behind the Sooners with 29 players on NFL rosters and then there is a major drop-off to West Virginia at 15 and then Oklahoma State and TCU at 14 each. Texas Tech has 12, Kansas State 11 and then rounding out the conference is Baylor (eight), Kansas (seven) and Iowa State at six.

Farrell’s take: Of course the Sooners lead followed by Texas and that won’t ever change. And the Big 12 has smaller numbers because of fewer teams but can boast the best player in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech. Baylor is surprisingly low even with the Art Briles scandal and it speaks to how amazing a job Matt Rhule did.

Note: Notre Dame has 30 former players currently on NFL rosters with Quenton Nelson, Kyle Rudolph, Jaylon Smith and Ronnie Stanley being some of the biggest names.