Conference USA programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
FantasyHQ
College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
Conference USA programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing Day 2 picks out of the Conference USA · reset
Schools that produce the most NFL draft picks
Ranked by total picks within the current filters. Open a program for its full draft board.
-
1
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
7picks
Western Kentucky team hub
-
2
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
6picks
Louisiana Tech team hub
-
3
UTEP
Conference USA
6picks
UTEP team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA · last pick 2016
|
4 | 0 | 125% | 0 | 0 |
| 5 |
Florida International
Conference USA · last pick 2017
|
3 | 0 | 267% | 0 | 1 |
| 6 |
Delaware
Conference USA · last pick 2019
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 7 |
Jacksonville State
Conference USA · last pick 1990
|
1 | 0 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Liberty
Conference USA · last pick 2022
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 9 |
New Mexico State
Conference USA · last pick 1984
|
1 | 0 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
| 10 |
Sam Houston
Conference USA · last pick 2018
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–31 of 31 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Upton Stout
Houston, TX
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
CB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 2024 |
Malachi Corley
Campbellsville, KY
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 22 games 1 career AV |
| 2023 |
Brodric Martin
Tuscaloosa, AL
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DT | DET Detroit Lions | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 2022 |
DeAngelo Malone
Atlanta, GA
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 58 games 4 career AV |
| 2022 |
Malik Willis
Atlanta, GA
|
Liberty
Conference USA
|
QB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 22 games 6 career AV |
| 2021 |
Milton Williams
Crowley, TX
|
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DL | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 79 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 2019 |
Nasir Adderley
Leander, TX
|
Delaware
Conference USA
|
S | LAC Los Angeles Chargers | 50 games · 3 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2019 |
Jaylon Ferguson
St. Francisville, LA
|
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DE | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 38 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2018 |
Will Hernandez
Las Vegas, NV
|
UTEP
Conference USA
|
G | NYG New York Giants | 104 games · 5 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2018 |
P.J. Hall
|
Sam Houston
Conference USA
|
DT | LV Oakland Raiders | 40 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2017 |
Forrest Lamp
Venice, FL
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
G | LAC Los Angeles Chargers | 26 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2017 |
Taywan Taylor
Louisville, KY
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
WR | TEN Tennessee Titans | 35 games 6 career AV |
| 2017 |
Carlos Henderson
New Orleans, LA
|
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 2017 |
Jonnu Smith
1× Pro Bowl
|
Florida International
Conference USA
|
TE | TEN Tennessee Titans | 141 games · 5 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 2016 |
Kevin Byard
3× All-Pro
3× Pro Bowl
|
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
S | TEN Tennessee Titans | 164 games · 9 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 2013 |
Johnathan Cyprien
|
Florida International
Conference USA
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 79 games · 5 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 2012 |
T.Y. Hilton
4× Pro Bowl
|
Florida International
Conference USA
|
WR | IND Indianapolis Colts | 146 games · 8 yrs as starter 72 career AV |
| 2010 |
D'Anthony Smith
|
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DT | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 |
Oniel Cousins
|
UTEP
Conference USA
|
G | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 75 games 10 career AV |
| 2007 |
Johnnie Lee Higgins
|
UTEP
Conference USA
|
WR | LV Oakland Raiders | 60 games 9 career AV |
| 2006 |
Thomas Howard
|
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 95 games · 5 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 2005 |
Ryan Moats
|
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 38 games 7 career AV |
| 2003 | Tyrone Calico |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
WR | TEN Tennessee Titans | 27 games 5 career AV |
| 2002 | Joe Jefferson |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 27 games 3 career AV |
| 1998 | Jonathan Quinn |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
QB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 17 games 4 career AV |
| 1993 | Ed Bunn |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
P | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1993 | Mike Caldwell |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 159 games · 2 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1991 | Reggie Barrett |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1990 | Eric Davis 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Jacksonville State
Conference USA
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 188 games · 9 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1987 | Walter Johnson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1984 | Fredd Young 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 101 games · 6 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
Browse by draft class
Every year from 1980 to 2026 — school counts, conference splits, and the full first round.
NFL draft history guide
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
What this page tracks
NFL Draft History by College ranks every program by the NFL players it has produced since 1980. Browse 12,927 picks across 446 schools — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, Hall of Famers, and recent draft classes — then open any school or year for the full board.
By the numbers
- 12,927 drafted players from 446 colleges, 1980–2026.
- 1,427 first-round selections across 47 drafts.
- 1,326 of those picks made at least one Pro Bowl; 102 reached the Hall of Fame.
- Most picks all-time: Western Kentucky — 7
- Most picks since 2017: Alabama — 95
- Top conference: SEC — 2,760 picks
- Most-drafted first-round position: DB — 181 picks
How to read the board
- Start with the school leaderboard — sort by total picks, first-rounders, Pro Bowls, or the last ten drafts.
- Use the round, conference, and position chips to isolate a pipeline, like SEC defensive backs in Round 1.
- Open a program for its full draft board, or a year for the complete class in pick order.
First round vs. career outcomes
Volume and quality are different signals. A program can lead in raw picks while another turns fewer selections into more Pro Bowlers. The Pro Bowler rate next to each school shows how often its picks became long-term NFL contributors, so read it alongside the Round 1 column rather than instead of it.
Frequently asked questions
Which college has produced the most NFL draft picks?
Western Kentucky leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 7 NFL draft picks since 1980. Compare every program at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
How far back does FantasyHQ’s NFL draft history go?
The archive covers every NFL draft from 1980 through 2026 — 12,927 picks across 446 college programs. Open a school page or a draft class year for the full pick list.
Can I see first-round NFL draft picks by college?
Yes. Filter the board to Round 1, or sort schools by first-rounders. FantasyHQ lists 1,427 first-round selections since 1980. Start at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
Does the page show NFL career outcomes for drafted players?
Where available, each pick includes Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Hall of Fame status, games played, and Approximate Value. The archive currently tracks 1,326 Pro Bowl alumni and 102 Hall of Famers.
How is this different from a fantasy football mock draft?
This page is the real NFL draft pipeline — college programs to NFL clubs — not a fantasy league draft board. For fantasy mock drafts and rankings, use FantasyHQ’s fantasy tools. Draft history lives at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
How often is the draft history page updated?
New draft classes land when the board is published each spring. Career outcomes refresh as seasons complete. This page was last labeled Aug 24, 2026.