Yahoo looked through the data to determine which programs develop the most 3-star recruits into top NFL draft picks.
TEXAS
https://sports.yahoo.com/which-coll...ruits-into-top-nfl-draft-picks-125011523.html
Here’s what we found:
Note: Drafts from 2011-20, Rounds 1, 2 and 3 only" data-reactid="50" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Note: Drafts from 2011-20, Rounds 1, 2 and 3 only
American Athletic Conference
Cincinnati" data-reactid="52" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Cincinnati
ACC
Boston College" data-reactid="125" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Boston College
Baylor" data-reactid="238" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Baylor
TCU" data-reactid="279" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">TCU
Big Ten
Illinois" data-reactid="313" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Illinois
Conference USA
Charlotte" data-reactid="419" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Charlotte
Independent
BYU" data-reactid="517" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">BYU
MAC
Buffalo" data-reactid="543" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Buffalo
Mountain West
Boise State" data-reactid="609" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Boise State
Arizona" data-reactid="683" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Arizona
Alabama" data-reactid="780" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Alabama
Appalachian State" data-reactid="893" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Appalachian State
TEXAS
- Total: 11
- 4/5 star: 9
3-star: 1 - 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
https://sports.yahoo.com/which-coll...ruits-into-top-nfl-draft-picks-125011523.html
Here’s what we found:
- The 10 programs that developed the most three-star (or lower) recruits into Round 1-3 picks in the last 10 years are Ohio State (14), Wisconsin (13), Boise State (12), LSU (12), Stanford (12), Louisville (11), Washington (11), Mississippi State (10), TCU (10) and Utah (10).
- Many of the programs that end up atop recruiting rankings are still finding high-upside three-star recruits as well, and no program is doing that better than Ohio State.
- OSU has had 43 players go in the top three rounds of the draft over the last 10 years, and 14 of them were rated at three stars or below — more than any other program. Six of those players went in the first round.
- LSU isn’t far behind. Of the 45 Tigers picked in the top three rounds since 2011, 12 were ranked at three stars or below. That figure includes three 2020 first-rounders: Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
- By comparison, Alabama has had 54 players drafted in those rounds, with just six rated at three stars or below. Notre Dame (3/24), USC (2/23), Georgia (3/22) and Oklahoma (4/21) all had a similarly low percentage. That, of course, is also a reflection of how well those programs recruit.
- It could be argued that no program is doing more with less talent than Wisconsin. In the Rivals.com era (dating back to 2002), Wisconsin’s average team recruiting rank is 41.7. Yet the Badgers are routinely developing top NFL draft choices. Over the last 10 years, 18 Badgers have gone in the top three rounds. Thirteen of those players were ranked at three stars or lower and six went in the first round.
- Not only did Boise State have the highest number of draftees among Group of Five programs, it tied Stanford and LSU for third-most three-star-to-NFL stories in all of FBS. The Broncos have had nine three-stars, two two-stars and one unranked player go in the first three rounds. The unranked player was walk-on linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, a first-round selection of the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.
- The Pac-12 was well-represented in this study with Stanford, Washington and Utah all producing NFL players at a high rate. Of that group, Utah had the highest hit rate on three-star talent, with 10 of its 13 top picks earning three-star rankings in high school. For Stanford, it was 12 of 20 while 11 of Washington’s 19 picks were three-star or lower.
- Louisville leads the way out of the ACC with 11 of its 14 high-round picks ranking as three-star recruits. That includes five first-rounders.
- TCU has also developed its talent well with 10 of its 11 Round 1-3 picks coming in as three- or two-star recruits. Four of those 10 ended up as first-rounders in the NFL.
- Temple has also identified some real diamonds in the rough and got them to the NFL. Of the program’s seven top-three round picks, only one (Matt Hennessy) was a three-star recruit. The others were either rated two stars or were walk-ons who were unranked. Also of note in the AAC, Connecticut has produced a surprisingly high amount of top draft choices (seven) relative to the program’s lack of on-field success. Temple and UConn were matched at seven by UCF, a program with a much more fertile recruiting base.
Note: Drafts from 2011-20, Rounds 1, 2 and 3 only" data-reactid="50" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Note: Drafts from 2011-20, Rounds 1, 2 and 3 only
American Athletic Conference
Cincinnati" data-reactid="52" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Cincinnati
- Total draft choices: 5
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 7
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 5
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Byron Jones
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 5
- 4/5 star: 1
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: D.J. Hayden, William Jackson
- Total: 5
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Dontari Poe, Paxton Lynch
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 7
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 4
- Unranked: 2
- Round 1: Muhammad Wilkerson, Haason Reddick
- Total: 9
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Blake Bortles, Breshad Perriman
ACC
Boston College" data-reactid="125" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Boston College
- Total: 10
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 7
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Anthony Castonzo, Luke Kuechly, Chris Lindstrom
- Total: 27
- 4/5 star: 20
- 3-star: 5
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Vic Beasley, Isaiah Simmons
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Laken Tomlinson, Daniel Jones
- Total: 25
- 4/5 star: 17
- 3-star: 8
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Christian Ponder, Bjoern Werner, Xavier Rhodes, Cameron Erving
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 14
- 4/5 star: 3
- 3-star: 11
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Calvin Pryor, Marcus Smith, DeVante Parker, Sheldon Rankins, Jaire Alexander
- Total: 16
- 4/5 star: 11
- 3-star: 5
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Phillip Dorsett, David Njoku
- Total: 12
- 4/5 star: 5
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Bradley Chubb, Garrett Bradbury
- Total: 15
- 4/5 star: 7
- 3-star: 8
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Jonathan Cooper, Sylvester Williams, Eric Ebron, Mitchell Trubisky
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Aaron Donald
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Chandler Jones, Justin Pugh
- Total: 4
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 8
- 4/5 star: 5
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Kyle Fuller, Terrell Edmunds
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Kevin Johnson
Baylor" data-reactid="238" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Baylor
- Total: 9
- 4/5 star: 5
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Kendall Wright
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 21
- 4/5 star: 17
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Lane Johnson, Baker Mayfield
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Justin Blackmon, Brandon Weeden
TCU" data-reactid="279" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">TCU
- Total: 11
- 4/5 star: 1
- 3-star: 8
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Jason Verrett, Josh Doctson, L.J. Collier, Jeff Gladney
- Total: 11
- 4/5 star: 9
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 4
- 4/5 star: 1
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Patrick Mahomes, Jordyn Brooks
- Total: 12
- 4/5 star: 6
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Kevin White, Karl Joseph
Big Ten
Illinois" data-reactid="313" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Illinois
- Total: 10
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 7
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Whitney Mercilus, A.J. Jenkins
- Total: 4
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 14
- 4/5 star: 5
- 3-star: 7
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Riley Reiff, Brandon Scherff, T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Darnell Savage
- Total: 20
- 4/5 star: 15
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 8
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Darqueze Dennard, Trae Waynes, Jack Conklin
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 8
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 2
- Round 1: Prince Amukamara
- Total: 43
- 4/5 star: 29
- 3-star: 13
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Bradley Roby, Darron Lee, Malik Hooker, Gareon Conley, Denzel Ward, Damon Arnette
- Total: 15
- 4/5 star: 11
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Ryan Kerrigan
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 18
- 4/5 star: 5
- 3-star: 9
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: J.J. Watt, Gabe Carimi, Kevin Zeitler, Travis Frederick, T.J. Watt, Ryan Ramczyk
Conference USA
Charlotte" data-reactid="419" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Charlotte
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 4
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Vernon Butler
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 4
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Marcus Davenport
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
Independent
BYU" data-reactid="517" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">BYU
- Total: 5
- 4/5 star: 3
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Ziggy Ansah
- Total: 24
- 4/5 star: 21
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Tyler Eifert
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
MAC
Buffalo" data-reactid="543" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Buffalo
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Khalil Mack
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Eric Fisher
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Jimmie Ward
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Corey Davis
Mountain West
Boise State" data-reactid="609" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Boise State
- Total: 13
- 4/5 star: 1
- 3-star: 9
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Shea McClellin, Doug Martin, Leighton Vander Esch
- Total: 5
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Rashaad Penny
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 5
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Jordan Love
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Josh Allen
- None: Air Force, New Mexico, UNLV
Arizona" data-reactid="683" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Arizona
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 1
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Damarious Randall, Brandon Aiyuk
- Total: 11
- 4/5 star: 4
- 3-star: 6
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Cameron Jordan
- Total: 8
- 4/5 star: 1
- 3-star: 7
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Nate Solder, Jimmy Smith
- Total: 12
- 4/5 star: 6
- 3-star: 6
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Kyle Long, Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert
- Total: 8
- 4/5 star: 3
- 3-star: 4
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 20
- 4/5 star: 8
- 3-star: 12
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: David DeCastro
- Total: 15
- 4/5 star: 13
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 23
- 4/5 star: 21
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 13
- 4/5 star: 3
- 3-star: 10
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Star Lotulelei
- Total: 19
- 4/5 star: 8
- 3-star: 10
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Desmond Trufant, Marcus Peters, John Ross, Vita Vea
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Deone Bucannon
Alabama" data-reactid="780" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Alabama
- Total: 54
- 4/5 star: 48
- 3-star: 6
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Marcell Dareus, Chance Warmack, Ryan Kelly, Josh Jacobs
- Total: 7
- 4/5 star: 4
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Frank Ragnow
- Total: 16
- 4/5 star: 13
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Nick Fairley, Dee Ford
- Total: 27
- 4/5 star: 21
- 3-star: 6
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Jarrad Davis, Taven Bryan
- Total: 22
- 4/5 star: 19
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Dandre Baker
- Total: 7
- 4/5 star: 2
- 3-star: 5
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Bud Dupree, Josh Allen
- Total: 45
- 4/5 star: 33
- 3-star: 10
- 2-star: 2
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Morris Claiborne, Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Total: 17
- 4/5 star: 7
- 3-star: 9
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Montez Sweat, Johnathan Abram
- Total: 13
- 4/5 star: 4
- 3-star: 6
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Aldon Smith, Shane Ray, Charles Harris
- Total: 11
- 4/5 star: 8
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Evan Engram
- Total: 11
- 4/5 star: 7
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: Hayden Hurst, Javon Kinlaw
- Total: 9
- 4/5 star: 7
- 3-star: 2
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 18
- 4/5 star: 10
- 3-star: 7
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: Ryan Tannehill, Johnny Manziel, Germain Ifedi
- Total: 6
- 4/5 star: 3
- 3-star: 3
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
Appalachian State" data-reactid="893" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Yahoo Sans"; font-size: 17px;">Appalachian State
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 3
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 3
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 1
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 0
- 2-star: 0
- Unranked: 1
- Round 1: None
- Total: 2
- 4/5 star: 0
- 3-star: 1
- 2-star: 1
- Unranked: 0
- Round 1: None