ACC to NFL: Miami leads the way
The University of Miami’s football program still does one thing right – produce NFL players.
The Hurricanes, who have five national titles but no ACC titles, had an ACC-best 39 players on an NFL roster for the opening week of the season.
Miami’s total is second nationally only to Louisiana State (43). The Hurricanes and Florida State (36) are the only ACC schools among the 10 highest totals in the country.
The SEC, which has the most players in the NFL with 350, has five teams among the top 10 (Auburn is tied for 10th with Ohio State).
The ACC is second among Power 5 conferences in total players with 269. Of the ACC’s total, there are 37 former players who never competed in a conference game, including former Pittsburgh stars LeSean McCoy and Darrelle Revis, who are featured in the ACC’s commercial touting the conference’s NFL success.
North Carolina leads the in-state contingent with 22 players in the NFL, which ranks fifth in the conference. Former Tar Heel Giovani Bernard had his second 100-yard rushing game Sunday for the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat Philip Rivers’ San Diego Chargers. N.C. State (18), Wake Forest (nine) and Duke (eight) trail the Tar Heels. Among the 65 schools (including Notre Dame) in a Power 5 conference, UNC’s total ranks tied for No. 25 nationally.
About the numbers:
All players on the active roster – plus injuries and suspensions – on each team’s official website for Week 1 of the regular season are counted in the totals. Practice squad players are not.
Players who graduated from one school and transferred to another are counted in both schools (ex. Russell Wilson for N.C. State and Wisconsin). Other transfers are counted only for the player’s last school before the NFL (ex. Cam Newton goes in only Auburn’s total).
ACC breakdown
No. | Power 5 rank | |
Miami | 39 | T2 |
Florida State | 36 | T6 |
Clemson | 29 | 13 |
Louisville | 23 | T23 |
UNC | 22 | T25 |
N.C. State | 18 | T33 |
Virginia | 18 | T33 |
Virginia Tech | 17 | T36 |
Georgia Tech | 15 | T40 |
Boston College | 15 | T40 |
Pittsburgh | 13 | T49 |
Wake Forest | 9 | T53 |
Duke | 8 | T57 |
Syracuse | 7 | 62 |
Miami being ahead of Florida State, which has had 29 draft picks in the past three years alone, is a surprise.
The Hurricanes have not been the same dominant national program since joining the ACC in 2004. There still are four players on Miami’s list who didn’t play in the ACC, but for the most part, the group has been a part of the ACC struggles.
Despite all the talent, the Canes have never won the Coastal Division and have a 41-37 record in ACC play.
But just looking at Miami’s list, you can see it’s a matter of quantity over quality with the recent additions to the NFL. Running back Duke Johnson (Cleveland) and receiver Phillip Dorsett (Indianapolis) have a chance to break out, but there’s a lot more “who?” (LaDarius Gunter, Chase Ford) than “wow!” on Miami’s list.
Indicative of Miami’s ACC problems, the best player in the group is arguably Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham. The Goldsboro native went to Miami on a basketball scholarship and only played college football for one year before turning into an All-Pro tight end.
Virginia Tech (65 ACC wins since 2004) and Georgia Tech (57 conference wins) are the teams which win the most with the fewest number of NFL players.
By the way, there’s at least one ACC player on every NFL team, and the Buffalo Bills have the most (18).
Power 5 conferences
NFL | Teams | Avg. | |
SEC | 350 | 14 | 25 |
ACC | 269 | 14 | 19.2 |
Big Ten | 248 | 14 | 17.6 |
Pac-12 | 246 | 12 | 20.5 |
Big 12 | 151 | 10 | 15.1 |
There are five SEC teams with more than 30 players in the NFL and nine with at least 20.
Of note in LSU’s remarkable total is there is only one quarterback (but two punters!), Tennessee Titans backup Zach Mettenberger. The Tigers have two national titles since 2000, but imagine LSU’s talent with N.C. State’s quarterbacks.
The ACC has the second-highest total, but the Pac-12, with two fewer teams than ACC, has a better average per team (20.5 compared to 19.2). The final days of the Pete Carroll era still are propping up Southern California’s total (37), but Oregon (32) is closing in.
The ACC does have bragging rights over the 14-team Big Ten, at least until Urban Meyer’s current wave of talent from Ohio State crashes into the league.
If the Big 12’s total seems low (there are 10 teams in the league), it’s because Kansas (eight), Texas Tech (eight) and Iowa State (six) aren’t exactly helping. Iowa State, Indiana and Vanderbilt are tied for the fewest former players in the NFL among Power 5 conferences. Every school in the Power 5 has at least one NFL product.
In case you’re curious, Notre Dame ranks 12th on the national list with 30 players in the NFL. Connecticut (from the American Athletic), with 18, has the most of any school outside of a Power 5 conference. Montana, a Football Championship Subdivision program with nine former players in the pros, has more NFL products than nine Power 5 teams, including Duke and Syracuse, and outpaces Appalachian State (six) and East Carolina (five).
School | Conf. | No. |
1. LSU | SEC | 43 |
T2. Miami | ACC | 39 |
T2. Florida | SEC | 39 |
T4. Alabama | SEC | 37 |
T4. Southern Cal | Pac-12 | 37 |
T6. Florida State | ACC | 36 |
T6. Georgia | SEC | 36 |
8. Oklahoma | Big XII | 35 |
9. Oregon | Pac-12 | 32 |
T10. Ohio State | Big Ten | 31 |
T10. Auburn | SEC | 31 |
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By ACC school
Boston College (15)
Anthony Castonzo, T | Indianapolis |
Gosder Cherilus, T | Tampa Bay |
Kasim Edebali, LB | New Orleans |
Andy Gallik, C | Tennessee |
*Matt Hasselbeck, QB | Indianapolis |
Mark Herzlich, LB | N.Y. Giants |
Luke Kuechly, LB | Carolina |
Ifeanyi Momah, TE | Arizona |
Tyler Murphy, WR | Pittsburgh |
Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB | Seattle |
Ryan Quigley, P | N.Y. Jets |
B.J. Raji, DT | Green Bay |
Matt Ryan, QB | Atlanta |
Ian Silberman, OL | San Francisco |
Andre Williams, RB | N.Y. Giants |
Clemson (29)
Dwayne Allen, TE | Indianapolis |
Stephone Anthony, LB | New Orleans |
Tavaris Barnes, DE | New Orleans |
Vic Beasley, DE | Atlanta |
Andre Branch, DE | Jacksonville |
Jaron Brown, WR | Arizona |
Kourtnei Brown, LB | Tampa Bay |
Martavis Bryant, WR | Pittsburgh |
Chandler Catanzaro, K | Arizona |
Kavell Conner, LB | San Diego |
Chris Clemons, S | Arizona |
Andre Ellington, RB | Arizona |
Marcus Gilchrist, S | N.Y. Jets |
Malliciah Goodman, DE | Atlanta |
Chris Hairston, T | San Diego |
DeAndre Hopkins, WR | Houston |
Adam Humphries, WR | Tampa Bay |
Grady Jarrett, DT | Atlanta |
Jarvis Jenkins, DT | Chicago |
Bryon Maxwell, CB | Philadelphia |
Bradley Pinion, P | San Francisco |
Cody Sensabaugh, CB | Tennessee |
Tyler Shatley, G | Jacksonville |
C.J. Spiller, RB | New Orleans |
Tony Steward, LB | Buffalo |
Brandon Thomas, G | San Francisco |
Brandon Thompson, DT | Cincinnati |
Sammy Watkins, WR | Buffalo |
Charlie Whitehurst, QB | Tennessee |
Duke (8)
Kenny Anunike, DE | Denver |
Ross Cockrell, CB | Pittsburgh |
Jamison Crowder, WR | Washington |
Cooper Helfet, TE | Seattle |
Sean Renfree, QB | Atlanta |
Vincent Rey, LB | Cincinnati |
Juwan Thompson, RB | Denver |
Laken Tomlinson, G | Detroit |
Florida State (36)
Kelvin Benjamin, WR | Carolina |
Nigel Bradham, LB | Buffalo |
Anquan Boldin, WR | San Francisco |
Terrence Brooks, S | Baltimore |
Tank Carradine, DT | San Francisco |
Antonio Cromartie, CB | N.Y. Jets |
Ronald Darby, CB | Buffalo |
Mario Edwards, DE | Oakland |
Cameron Erving, C | Cleveland |
Andre Fluellen, DT | Buffalo |
Devonta Freeman, RB | Atlanta |
Graham Gano, K | Carolina |
Eddie Goldman, DT | Chicago |
Rashad Greene, WR | Jacksonville |
Letroy Guion, DT | Green Bay |
Bobby Hart, G | N.Y. Giants |
Rodney Hudson, C | Oakland |
Tre Jackson, G | New England |
Sebastian Janikowski, K | Oakland |
Timmy Jernigan, DT | Baltimore |
Christian Jones, LB | Chicago |
Lamarcus Joyner, CB | St. Louis |
E.J. Manuel, QB | Buffalo |
Xavier Rhodes, CB | Minnesota |
Patrick Robinson, CB | San Diego |
Garrison Sanborn, LS | Buffalo |
Telvin Smith, LB | Jacksonville |
Bryan Stork, C | New England |
Chris Thompson, RB | Washington |
Lawrence Timmons, LB | Pittsburgh |
Menelik Watson, T | Oakland |
Karlos Williams, RB | Buffalo |
P.J. Williams, CB | New Orleans |
Vince Williams, LB | Pittsburgh |
Bjoern Werner, LB | Indianapolis |
Jameis Winston, QB | Tampa Bay |
Georgia Tech (15)
Jeremiah Attaochu, LB | San Diego |
T.J. Barnes, DT | N.Y. Jets |
Morgan Burnett, S | Green Bay |
Mario Butler, CB | Buffalo |
Andrew Gardner, T | Philadelphia |
Stephen Hill, WR | Carolina |
Calvin Johnson, WR | Detroit |
Michael Johnson, DE | Cincinnati |
Shaq Mason, G | New England |
Derrick Morgan, LB | Tennessee |
DeAndre Smelter, WR | San Francisco |
Daryl Smith, LB | Baltimore |
Demaryius Thomas, WR | Denver |
Darren Waller, WR | Baltimore |
Vance Walker, DE | Denver |
Louisville (23)
*Gary Barnidge, TE | Cleveland |
*Joshua Bellamy, WR | Chicago |
Jamon Brown, T | St. Louis |
*Preston Brown, LB | Buffalo |
*Teddy Bridgewater, QB | Minnesota |
Gerald Christian, TE | Arizona |
*Damian Copeland, WR | Jacksonville |
*Harry Douglas, WR | Tennessee |
*Elvis Dumervil, LB | Baltimore |
Charles Gaines, S | Cleveland |
*William Gay, CB | Pittsburgh |
*Breno Giacomini, T | N.Y. Jets |
Lorenzo Mauldin, LB | N.Y. Jets |
John Miller, G | Buffalo |
Deiontrez Mount, LB | Tennessee |
DeVante Parker, WR | Miami |
*Senorise Perry, RB | Chicago |
*Bilal Powell, RB | N.Y. Jets |
*Calvin Pryor, S | N.Y. Jets |
Eli Rogers, WR | Pittsburgh |
James Sample, S | Jacksonville |
*Marcus Smith, LB | Philadelphia |
*Eric Wood, C | Buffalo |
Miami (39)
Thurston Armbrister, LB | Jacksonville |
Ray-Ray Armstrong, LB | Oakland |
Allen Bailey, DT | Kansas City |
*Jon Beason, LB | N.Y. Giants |
Traivs Benjamin, WR | Cleveland |
Matt Bosher, P | Atlanta |
Calais Campbell, DE | Arizona |
Phillip Dorsett, WR | Indianapolis |
Jon Feliciano, OL | Oakland |
Ereck Flowers, T | N.Y. Giants |
Chase Ford, TE | Minnesota |
Jason Fox, T | Miami |
Orlando Franklin, G | San Diego |
Richard Gordon, TE | Kansas City |
*Frank Gore, RB | Indianapolis |
Jimmy Graham, TE | Seattle |
LaDarius Gunter, CB | Green Bay |
Leonard Hankerson, WR | Atlanta |
Brandon Harris, CB | Tennessee |
Seantrel Henderson, T | Buffalo |
Devin Hester, WR | Atlanta |
Allen Hurns, WR | Jacksonville |
Mike James, RB | Tampa Bay |
*Andre Johnson, WR | Indianapolis |
Duke Johnson, RB | Cleveland |
Brandon Linder, G | Jacksonville |
Brandon Meriweather, S | N.Y. Giants |
Lamar Miller, RB | Miami |
Stephen Morris, QB | Philadelphia |
Pat O’Donnell, P | Chicago |
Greg Olsen, TE | Carolina |
Denzel Perryman, LB | San Diego |
Antrel Rolle, S | Chicago |
Sam Shields, CB | Green Bay |
Sean Spence, LB | Pittsburgh |
Olivier Vernon, DE | Miami |
Clive Walford, TE | Oakland |
*Vince Wilfork, DT | Houston |
Eric Winston, T | Cincinnati |
North Carolina (22)
Marvin Austin, DT | Denver |
Gio Bernard, RB | Cincinnati |
Russell Bodine, C | Cincinnati |
Tre Boston, S | Carolina |
Zach Brown, LB | Tennessee |
Bruce Carter, LB | Tampa Bay |
Jonathan Cooper, G | Arizona |
Quinton Coples, LB | N.Y. Jets |
Eric Ebron, TE | Detroit |
James Hurst, T | Baltimore |
Greg Little, WR | Cincinnati |
Kareem Martin, DE | Arizona |
Julius Peppers, LB | Green Bay |
Jabari Price, CB | Minnesota |
Robert Quinn, DE | St. Louis |
Garrett Reynolds, T | St. Louis |
Da’Norris Searcy, S | Tennessee |
Jack Tabb, TE | New Orleans |
Brandon Tate, WR | Cincinnati |
Cam Thomas, DT | Pittsburgh |
Greg Warren, LS | Pittsburgh |
Sylvester Williams, DT | Denver |
N.C. State (18)
David Amerson, CB | Washington |
Tyson Chandler, T | Buffalo |
Audie Cole, LB | Minnesota |
Jerricho Cotchery, WR | Carolina |
Mike Glennon, QB | Tampa Bay |
Steven Hauschka, K | Seattle |
Nate Irving, LB | Indianapolis |
Dontae Johnson, CB | San Francisco |
Markus Kuhn, DT | N.Y. Giants |
Ted Larsen, OL | Arizona |
Manny Lawson, DE | Buffalo |
T.Y. McGill, DT | Indianapolis |
Philip Rivers, QB | San Diego |
J.R. Sweezy, G | Seattle |
Stephen Tulloch, LB | Detroit |
Russell Wilson, QB | Seattle |
Mario Williams, DE | Buffalo |
Willie Young, DE | Chicago |
Pittsburgh (13)
T.J. Clemmings, OL | Minnesota |
*Dorin Dickerson, TE | Tennessee |
*Aaron Donald, DT | St. Louis |
*LeSean McCoy, RB | Buffalo |
*Larry Fitzgerald, WR | Arizona |
*Andy Lee, P | Cleveland |
*Dion Lewis, RB | New England |
Mike McGlynn, G | New Orleans |
*Darrelle Revis, CB | N.Y. Jets |
Tom Savage, QB | Houston |
*Jabaal Sheard, DL | New England |
*Devin Street, WR | Dallas |
*K’Waun Williams, CB | Cleveland |
Syracuse (7)
*Jay Bromley, DT | N.Y. Giants |
*Chandler Jones, DE | New England |
*Arthur Jones, DT | Indianapolis |
Cameron Lynch, LB | St. Louis |
*Ryan Nassib, QB | N.Y. Giants |
*Justin Pugh, T | N.Y. Giants |
*Shamarko Thomas, S | Pittsburgh |
Virginia (18)
Oday Aboushi, OL | N.Y. Jets |
Branden Albert, T | Miami |
Luke Bowanko, C | Jacksonville |
Ahmad Brooks, LB | San Francisco |
Chris Canty, DE | Baltimore |
D’Brickashaw Ferguson, T | N.Y. Jets |
Eli Harold, LB | San Francisco |
Dontrelle Inman, WR | San Diego |
Chris Long, DE | St. Louis |
Rodney McLeod, S | St. Louis |
Heath Miller, TE | Pittsburgh |
Eugene Monroe, T | Baltimore |
Moses Morgan, T | Washington |
Austin Pasztor, OL | Cleveland |
Cedric Peerman, RB | Cincinnati |
LaRoy Reynolds, LB | Jacksonville |
Matt Schaub, QB | Baltimore |
Brent Urban, DE | Baltimore |
Virginia Tech (17)
Duane Brown, T | Houston |
Kam Chancellor, S | Seattle |
Antone Exum, S | Minnesota |
Brandon Flowers, CB | San Diego |
Kyle Fuller, CB | Chicago |
Corey Fuller, WR | Detroit |
James Gayle, LB | Washington |
*DeAngelo Hall, CB | Washington |
Jayron Hosley, CB | N.Y. Giants |
Kyshoen Jarrett, S | Washington |
Will Montgomery, C | Chicago |
Eddie Royal, WR | Chicago |
Darryl Tapp, DE | Detroit |
Tyrod Taylor, QB | Buffalo |
Logan Thomas, QB | Miami |
*Michael Vick, QB | Pittsburgh |
Chase Williams, LB | Oakland |
Wake Forest (9)
Tommy Bohanon, RB | N.Y. Jets |
Josh Bush, S | Denver |
Micahel Campanaro, WR | Baltimore |
Chris Givens, WR | St. Louis |
Kevin Johnson, CB | Houston |
Calvin Pace, LB | N.Y. Jets |
Zach Thompson, LB | Baltimore |
Nikita Whitlock, FB | N.Y. Giants |
Kyle Wilber, LB | Dallas |
Note: * did not play in the ACC
This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 9:19 PM with the headline "ACC to NFL: Miami leads the way."