The Schools Producing the Most NFL Talent May Surprise You

On Monday National Football Post’s Tony Villiotti published a table which charts NFL caliber talent by college and university. Villiotti ranked the Top 37 schools based on the number of games started in 2013:

Image courtesy of NationalFootballPost.com

The most surprising revelation—or the most obvious example of why a particular conference is vastly overrated, depending on who you ask—is the SEC performing well below the national championship standard the conference has set for itself in recent years.

Of the Top 10 schools, just three of them—No. 2 Georgia, No. 6 Alabama, No. 8 Tennessee—are in the SEC. Then again, it’s the only conference with three schools in the Top 10 and five in the Top 15, so don’t get too down on the big, bad SEC.

Although it’s been awhile since Miami was a legitimate national contender, the No. 1 ranked Hurricanes continue to attract and produce NFL caliber talent. Georgia is right behind them with five less starts last season, and Southern Cal placing third with 17 less.

Villiotti notes the surprising omission of top tier teams like Clemson and Missouri—both are among the top programs in their respective conference—and the inclusion of schools such as Illinois and Virginia, which are not traditionally known as football powerhouses.

The entire post is absolutely worth a look, as other factors such as the number of games started per draftee, the number of school starters per round, and the most/least efficient schools as selected per round are all evaluated.

With a reputation for first round busts, Penn State ranks among the schools with the least efficient early round selections, along with South Carolina and Florida State. South Carolina rebounds with some of the most efficient picks in the second round, along with California and Florida.

In the second round, LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State and Florida State—again—are ranked among as the least efficient talent producers. It’s Penn State, Florida State and North Carolina that keep popping up as the least efficient schools through seven rounds.

Villiotti also notes that Bama doesn’t appear anywhere on the “most efficient” side of things, raising the question: “Are Alabama players ‘overdrafted.’”

Of course, just because a question is raised, doesn’t mean an answer is immediately forthcoming.