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The 10 Colleges That Have Dominated The NFL Draft

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 3:19 PM ET

Thursday marks the beginning of the NFL Draft, where over 200 of the best college players in the national will hear their names called. It's the reward for a great college career, and some of the best teams in the nation will be represented well on the biggest stage.

Some schools have simply put more players into the league than others, and the numbers show it. Many of the top schools with national championship trophies and Heisman winners also do well when it comes to getting players into the NFL itself.

Among colleges, Ohio State has produced the most first-round draft picks in history with 91 heading into Thursday's event. Following in second is USC with 85, and Alabama comes in third with 81.

Powerhouses like Ohio State and Alabama are slated to add to their collection of players drafted in the first round on Thursday.

Which schools have produced the most first round picks in NFL Draft history? Here’s the top 10: pic.twitter.com/LpufpotmWu
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) April 23, 2025

Many of college football's perennial powerhouses are on this list, showing that the top talent tends to make their way to the best campuses for their particular advantages and benefits.

Programs like Notre Dame, Miami, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia all play in major conferences, have prominent national brands, and have some of the most state-of-the-art facilities in the sport.

The charm of smaller teams finding a way to produce NFL-level talent makes for a great story, but it's clear that players want to go where schools have an NIL budget and a vested interest for whatever athletic endeavor is going on at them. Some players make their way to bigger schools through the transfer portal.

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 20: Head Coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes interviewed after the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

That was the case for former Miami quarterback and projected No. 1 pick Cam Ward, who joined the team after first playing at FCS Incarnate Word and then on the FBS level in the Pac-12 with Washington State.

Transferring to Miami was the boost that Ward's career needed to propel him to the top overall pick. As the transfer portal continues to heat up in college football, pay attention to some of the players that head to bigger schools.

As we've seen with Ward, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts and others, making the move to a new school can set you up for success at the NFL level, giving a more clear picture of what the transfer portal can do for college football players.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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