10 Major College Football Programs That Had Zero Players Selected in 2026 NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft saw 10 Power 4 programs not have a player selected.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

This past weekend saw 257 college football players hear their names called during the 2026 NFL Draft, representing programs and countries from all over.

While Ohio State led the way with a total of 11 players drafted, there were 10 Power 4 programs across the country that were, unfortunately, not represented. It doesn't necessarily mean that they didn't have players who will get an opportunity at the next level. Some players signed as UDFAs or received training camp invites, but the programs that didn't produce a draft pick may surprise some.

ACC leads the way with most programs that didn't produce a pro

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

While being in this group of 10 schools in general isn't ideal, it certainly doesn't strengthen conference arguments. The ACC had four schools that didn't see a player drafted, with conference runner-up Virginia headlining the bunch. Quarterback Chandler Morris seemed to have the best chance of being drafted, considering the caliber of quarterbacks that were taken in the later rounds.

However, the sixth-year quarterback who started his college career in 2020 spent most of the pre-draft process fighting for another year of eligibility. The other three programs that didn't have players drafted finished toward the bottom of the ACC standings, with Syracuse, Virginia Tech and North Carolina all not producing pros.

Three Big 12 programs join the list

To say that 2025 was a disappointing year for Colorado would be an understatement. Just one season after they finished 9-4 and produced four pros, including the No. 2 overall pick in Travis Hunter, the Buffs went 3-9 and saw no players selected. Joining the Buffs in this category were the West Virginia Mountaineers, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who fired head coach Mike Gundy after three games.

Three Big Ten Programs that didn't have a player drafted

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Similar to the rest of the schools that didn't have anyone taken (outside of Virginia), the three Big Ten programs featured on this list had tough seasons. UCLA, Purdue and Wisconsin combined to go 9-27 this past season, with the Bruins firing DeShaun Foster after three games. As for Purdue, the 2025 season marked the first of the Barry Odom era, while Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell finds himself on a scorching hot seat heading into the 2026 college football season.

Each of these teams made significant additions in the portal, and will have a chance to get on the right side of .500 next year, and also pump out a couple of pros.