NFL Draft 2021: Which schools had most players selected?

There are two familiar names at the top of the list of which colleges produced the most 2021 NFL Draft picks, and there are certainly some surprises further down the rankings.

Alabama, the defending national champs, had 10 players chosen, highlighted by three players among the first 10 overall selections — No. 6 Jaylen Waddle to the Dolphins, No. 9 Patrick Surtain II to the Broncos, and No. 10 DeVonta Smith to the Eagles. Ohio State, the national runner-up, tied with the Crimson Tide with 10 players selected. Quarterback Justin Fields led the charge for the Buckeyes with his No. 11 overall selection by the Chicago Bears.

Overall, there were 53 schools that produced multiple 2021 draft selections. 12 of the 14 SEC teams are among these schools, excluding only Arkansas and Vanderbilt. SEC teams also made up four of the top seven drafted player-producing schools — Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and LSU. Ten of the 14 Big Ten members were on this multiple-draft choice list, too.

Compared to other power conferences, eight ACC schools, seven Pac-12 schools, and only five Big 12 schools had multiple selections. Among non-power conferences, the American Athletic Conference had the best showing with four schools getting multiple draft picks. Central Florida and BYU tied for the most draft picks from a Non-Power Five school (five selections each).

It’s not the end-all for a college football program, but having a steady NFL talent pipeline is a great selling point for coaches on the recruiting trail and for administrators selling a vision to boosters. NFL executives may make the decision based on a player’s potential or on what they believe a player can do at the next level instead of solely on strong collegiate performances.

One alarming conclusion for the Big 12 is its comparison to the American, a supposedly “Group of Five” league. Overall, the Big 12 had 22 players compared to the AAC’s 19. The AAC placed two players in the first round, while the Big 12 had no first-round picks for the first time in league history in 2021. Is this evidence that the Big 12 is losing its power conference luster, or does it speak more to the AAC’s assertion that it is a “Power Six” conference?

Top schools with 2021 NFL Draft picks

It makes sense to review the top four schools: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, and Notre Dame as teams that have recently participated in the College Football Playoff. LSU, too, had seven draft picks more than a year removed from winning the 2019 national title. Oregon’s position in the Top 20 (with five players drafted) is logical, too, considering that the Ducks are two-time winners of the Pac-12 but didn’t reach college football’s national semifinals in either season.

Don’t read too much into the 2021 numbers, though: for example, Pitt had more draft picks (six) than their in-conference rivals, Clemson (five), despite the Panthers finishing 2020 with a 6-5 record. It’s easy to question Michigan’s place as one of the six most drafted teams after the Wolverines sputtered to a 2-4 record last season. Penn State and Kentucky, both teams that finished with losing records in 2020, produced more draft picks (six apiece) than schools like Texas A&M (four), who was in strong contention for a spot in the CFP.

Here’s the list of the 20 schools with the most 2021 NFL Draft selections, courtesy of the NCAA:

T1. Alabama – 10
T1. Ohio State – 10
T3. Georgia – 9
T3. Notre Dame – 9
T5. Florida – 8
T5. Michigan – 8
7. LSU – 7
T8. Kentucky – 6
T8. Penn State – 6
T8. Pittsburgh – 6
T11. BYU – 5
T11. Clemson – 5
T11. Missouri – 5
T11. North Carolina – 5
T11. Oklahoma – 5
T11. Oregon – 5
T11. Stanford – 5
T11. Texas – 5
T11. UCF – 5
T11. USC – 5

Do any of these surprise you?