College football teams with most No. 1 NFL Draft picks all-time, ranked

These college football programs have produced the most No. 1 NFL Draft picks all-time

Peyton Manning went No. 1 in the 1998 NFL Draft coming out of Tennessee / Bryon Small/News Sentinel

A major date on the preseason schedule is upon us as the 2024 NFL Draft is ready to kick off, live from Detroit as the league gathers to take its pick from the best talent the college football world has to offer and select the next generation of football stars.

Ever since the first NFL Draft back in 1936 — also the year the AP introduced its first college football rankings — a small number of schools have done most of the work producing the most talent taken at the No. 1 overall position.

You'll know many of the names, like Peyton Manning or Earl Campbell, while other players have been forgotten by time.

In all, 51 schools have produced the top overall pick in draft history.

Where does your team land in the rankings? 

Scroll through to see which college football programs have produced the most No. 1 NFL Draft picks all-time.

Ranking College Football Teams With Most No. 1 NFL Draft Picks All-Time

T-10. Tennessee

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 2

Most recent: Peyton Manning, 1998 NFL Draft

Almost 50 years after George Cafego went No. 1 overall to the Chicago Cardinals out of Rocky Top, Peyton Manning came out of UT to help define the quarterback position in the 21st century, winning two Super Bowls, earning five NFL MVP honors, 14 Pro Bowl nominations, and election to the Hall of Fame, among a bevy of other on the field honors and records.

T-10. Michigan

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 2

Most recent: Jake Long, 2008 NFL Draft

Wolverines halfback Tom Harmon, or "Old 98" as they called him, was a highly-decorated college football player and won the Heisman Trophy in 1940 before going on to become Michigan's first-ever No. 1 NFL Draft pick. The school would wait a few decades for its second — offensive lineman Jake Long went to four Pro Bowls with the Miami Dolphins in his NFL career.

T-10. Miami

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 2

Most recent: Russell Maryland, 1991 NFL Draft

The late 80s and early 90s were very good to the Hurricanes, who emerged as the college football dynasty of the time, and went on to produce two top picks in a few years' time, including Russell Maryland, a former defensive tackle who won three Super Bowls in his NFL career, and quarterback Vinny Testaverde, a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

T-10. Nebraska

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 2

Most recent: Irving Fryar, 1984 NFL Draft

Sam Francis was the Cornhuskers' first No. 1 pick, playing with four teams before serving the nation in World War II. Fryar went to five Pro Bowls with four teams as the school's most recent top selection. Overall, Nebraska is ninth among college football programs with 363 draft picks.

T-10. Penn State

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 2

Most recent: Courtney Brown, 2000 NFL Draft

Penn State is seventh all-time with 367 draft picks, including six in 2021, and put out a pair of top selections: running back Ki-Jana Carter (1995) and Brown, a defensive end who remains one of the Cleveland Browns' biggest draft busts.

T-10. South Carolina

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 2

Most recent: Jadeveon Clowney, 2014 NFL Draft

George Rogers was the first Gamecocks product to go No. 1 overall, adding two Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring to his career plaudits, which include a Heisman Trophy during the 1980 season. Clowney went to three Pro Bowls with the Houston Texans.

T-7. Texas

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 3

Most recent: Kenneth Sims, 1982 NFL Draft

Longhorns linebacker Tommy Nobis and running back Earl Campbell went on to earn 10 combined Pro Bowl nominations in their NFL careers, and Campbell is regarded as one of the best running backs in NFL history after a career defined by physical, determined, and aggressive play.

T-7. Ohio State

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 3

Most recent: Orlando Pace, 1997 NFL Draft

Pace went on to seven Pro Bowl selections in his NFL career, in addition to a win in Super Bowl XXXIV with St. Louis, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson, one of the Buckeyes' stars during the 90s, played a 12-year pro career.

T-7. LSU

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 3

Most recent: Joe Burrow, 2020 NFL Draft

Burrow and halfback Billy Cannon both played for national championship teams at LSU and both were Heisman Trophy winners. Cannon won three AFL championships with the Oilers and Raiders. 

JaMarcus Russell went No. 1 to the Raiders in 2007, but infamously failed to live up to his lofty expectations. Burrow has fared better so far, earning an AFC championship and Super Bowl appearance in his second NFL season.

T-5. Stanford

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 4

Most recent: Andrew Luck, 2012 NFL Draft

All of Stanford's top draft picks have been quarterbacks, starting with Bobby Garrett in 1954, Jim Plunkett in 1971, John Elway in 1983, and Andrew Luck in 2012. Plunkett won a Super Bowl, Elway won two more, and Luck could have if he hadn't decided to retire early due to injuries.

T-5. Auburn

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 4

Most recent: Cam Newton, 2011 NFL Draft

One of the SEC schools with the most top overall selections, former Auburn players on this list include quarterback Cam Newton and legendary running back Bo Jackson, one of the best players in college football history at any position.

T-1. Notre Dame

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 5

Most recent: Walt Patulski, 1972 NFL Draft

Notre Dame has etched its name across not only college football history, but that of the NFL Draft, too, producing the most top picks. But it's been a while since the Irish climbed to the top of this ladder, with most of its run of elite talent production coming from the 1940s through 1960s.

T-1. Oklahoma

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 5

Most recent: Kyler Murray, 2019 NFL Draft

OU has emerged as quarterback factory in the 21st century, producing a trio of signal callers that went No. 1 since 2010, including Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray. All three also won the Heisman Trophy.

T-1. USC

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 5

Most recent: Carson Palmer, 2003 NFL Draft

The top football factory on the West Coast, USC is also responsible for producing the second-most NFL Draft picks all-time with 516. Heisman Trophy winners O.J. Simpson and Carson Palmer highlight the Trojans' No. 1 selections.

T-1. Georgia

No. 1 NFL Draft picks: 5

Most recent: Travon Walker, 2022 NFL Draft

The quarterback who recently won the Super Bowl of course comes to mind when you think of Georgia's top draft picks, but don't forget Frank Sinkwich, the halfback who also landed with Detroit and was NFL MVP in 1944. 

Or Charley Trippi, who was NFL champion in '47 and elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968. Edge rusher Travon Walker is the Bulldogs' most recent top pick, going No. 1 to the Jaguars in 2022.

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