CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco unveiled his top 100 players for the 2023 NFL season. The list represents the best of the best at the professional level of football, but before most of these names were commanding multi-million dollar contracts, they had to cut their teeth in college.
When it comes to which programs produce the most of the NFL’s elite, usual suspects like Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson are at the top. In fact, those three alone account for more than 20% of the players in Prisco’s rankings.
But on the other side of that coin, there are a few surprises peppered in with the expected list of blue bloods. Taking a look at Prisco’s top 100 through a collegiate lens not only shows which colleges are the best at producing NFL talent — it shows which schools are able to pump out prospects with serious staying power at the game’s highest level.
With that, here are the schools that produced the most top 100 players in Prisco’s rankings, and some of the more notable inclusions.
Alabama (9)
Patrick Surtain II, CB, Denver Broncos (No. 19 in Prisco’s rankings): A recent Alabama product, Surtain has emerged as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks. He was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American honors as a junior.
Quinnen Williams, DL, New York Jets (No. 28): Before he was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Williams won the 2018 Outland Trophy. He logged eight sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss as a junior.
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans (No. 30): The two-time NFL rushing leader and former NFL Offensive Player of the Year swept almost every collegiate offensive award in 2015, including the Heisman Trophy. He was the last running back to win the award and the only one to do it since 2009.
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 69): Smith won the Heisman in 2020, becoming the first wide receiver to do so since Desmond Howard in 1991 and just the fourth overall. He was also named the Offensive MVP of the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Ohio State (7)
Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers (No. 4): Bosa was a first-team All-American and All-Big Ten selection in 2017 before a core injury cut his 2018 campaign short after three games. The 49ers still selected him with the No. 2 overall pick, and he was named the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Joey Bosa, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 61): In terms of college careers, Joey Bosa performed a bit better than his younger brother. He finished his Buckeyes tenure with 26 sacks, two first-team All-Big Ten and two first-team All-American selections.
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets (No. 63): The 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Wilson racked up 1,781 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Ohio State.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears (No. 78): Fields broke out as Chicago’s starter in 2022, his second year with the franchise. He is no stranger to waiting his turn. He initially signed with Georgia out of high school but transferred to Ohio State as a sophomore and emerged as a two-time All-Big Ten first-team signal caller.
Clemson (6)
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 23): One of the greatest quarterback prospects to ever pass through the college ranks, Lawrence led the Tigers to three ACC championships and a national title in 2018. He was the 2021 ACC Athlete of the Year and twice finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting.
Dexter Lawrence, DL, New York Giants (No. 34): Lawrence was a key figure on two national championship teams, earning All-ACC selections in each of his three years with the program.
Christian Wilkins, DL, Miami Dolphins (No. 74): Wilkins was on the same defensive line as Lawrence that led the Tigers to two national titles. He is also a two-time first-team All-American and unanimous All-American.
Trent Williams, OL, San Francisco 49ers (No. 10): Widely regarded as the top left tackle in the NFL, Williams was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and a consensus All-American with the Sooners.
Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 31): Hurts led the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance last season and just signed a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL. Prior to that, he started for two seasons at Alabama and transferred to Oklahoma in 2019, where he was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year while finishing second in Heisman voting.
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 3): After transferring from Ohio State, Burrow put together one of the greatest quarterback seasons in the history of college football in 2020. He led the Tigers to a national title and swept every major award available to him — including the Heisman.
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings (No. 7): Jefferson has earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his three NFL seasons and was named the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year. Before that, he was connecting with Burrow to total 2,415 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air over two seasons.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 16): Chase opted out of the 2020 season, but in 2019, he was Burrow’s favorite target, hauling in 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns while winning the Biltenikoff Award.
Jalen Ramsey, CB, Miami Dolphins (No. 14): Ramsey was a freshman on the Florida State team that won the last BCS National Championship. Over the next two seasons, he raked in All-American and All-ACC honors.
Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 45): James worked his way into a starting role in 2015 as a freshman with the Seminoles and went on to earn two first-team All-ACC selections and one first-team All-American honor.
Georgia (3)
Andrew Thomas, OL, New York Giants (No. 24): The No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Thomas was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection and took unanimous All-American honors in 2019.
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns (No. 33): Chubb ran for 1,000 yards in three out of four seasons with the Bulldogs and had 747 yards in just six games in 2015 before his year was cut short by injury.
Zack Martin, OL, Dallas Cowboys (No. 25): Martin may be an NFL Hall of Famer when all is said and done. The 32-year-old started on Notre Dame’s offensive line for four years and was named the MVP of the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl, becoming the first offensive lineman since 1959 to manage that.
Harrison Smith, S, Minnesota Vikings (No. 97): Smith finished his Notre Dame career with 309 total tackles, 28 pass deflections and seven interceptions.
Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns (No. 5): Garrett was the No. 1 overall prospect out of high school, a 2016 unanimous All-American at Texas A&M and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Von Miller, EDGE, Buffalo Bills (No. 44): Miller has put together a Hall of Fame career since entering the NFL as the No. 2 overall pick in 2011. He was a two-time first-team All-American with the Aggies and took home the 2010 Butkus Award as the top linebacker in college football.
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs (No. 6): Kelce has already cemented himself as one of the best tight ends to ever play the game, yet he only had one season with more than 500 yards receiving at Cincinnati
Micah Parsons, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys (No. 8): Parsons has found success as both an off-ball linebacker and an edge rusher, dating back to his Penn State days. He only played two seasons with the Nittany Lions before opting out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants (No. 54): Barkley finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and third in the Maxwell voting in 2017 after totaling 1,903 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 22): Herbert took over Oregon’s starting job midway through his freshman season, becoming the first true freshman in 30 years to start under center for the Ducks. He finished his career with over 10,000 yards and 95 touchdowns through the air.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers (No. 32): Iowa puts plenty of tight ends in the league, but Kittle stands as the best. He had 737 yards and 10 touchdowns in four years with the Hawkeyes.
Chris Jones, DL, Kansas City Chiefs (No. 13): A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, Jones developed into a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after three years at Mississippi State.
A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 47): Brown posted at least 1,000 yards receiving in two out of three seasons with the Rebels and was a two-time All-SEC first-team member.
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks (No. 55): Metcalf’s Ole Miss career itself was not quite as prolific, but he put up some of the most eye-popping numbers ever seen at the NFL Combine. Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, Metcalf ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and jumped 40.5 inches in the vertical, which boosted his stock all the way to the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
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Author: Will Backus
June 15, 2023 | 1:36 pm
