Wisconsin Badgers have more active NFL players than Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, among others

Spotrac tracks how many NFL players each college has produced, and the Wisconsin Badgers have more active players in the league than some of their closest their Big Ten rivals and other big name programs.

Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers T.J. Watt (90) and Nick Herbig (51) following the win over the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Fans of rival football programs love to argue over which team produces the best talent for the NFL.

It's usually a subjective argument over quality of players, but the numbers show the Wisconsin Badgers are ahead of their closest rivals.

The salary cap website Spotrac tracks how many NFL players each college has produced, and Wisconsin has more active players in the league than some big name programs and nearby schools.

33 Badgers are currently active in the NFL, which ranks 24th in the country and is one more than SEC schools Arkansas and Texas A&M.

Colleges With Most Active NFL Players, per @spotrac 🏈 pic.twitter.com/6zuqLXeRpf

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) June 16, 2025

That puts Wisconsin ahead of Big Ten rivals Illinois (30), Minnesota (28) and Nebraska (22) among others.

It's no surprise that the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State are at the top, but the Badgers are right there in the mix with other major programs in the country.

When it comes to their financial success, active Wisconsin players in the NFL have accrued nearly $155 million combined, which is the 16th most of any school.

Current Badgers contracts in the pros add up to more money earned than players from programs like Miami, Florida, and Texas, in addition to the aforementioned Big Ten rivals.

Those earning are largely led by the massive deals Russell Wilson has signed, but offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler surprisingly comes in second just barely ahead of T.J. Watt, who is seeking a new contract that will boost the Badgers in this metric.

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