College Football’s True ‘LBU’ Debate Gets Settled by NFL Draft Data

Every few years, college football fans reignite the "Linebacker U" argument, usually in defense of their favorite program. Penn State fans wave the banner. LSU fans point to Patrick Queen and Devin White. And yes, even Michigan partisans will make their case.

But NFL draft data since 2010 cuts through the noise and lands somewhere that might surprise everyone.

Alabama and Georgia are tied. Both programs have produced 21 drafted linebackers since 2010, more than any other school in the country. LSU sits third with 15. Florida has 14. Everyone else is just competing for the conversation.

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday in Pittsburgh, and both programs have linebackers on the board again. Whoever adds to their total first could settle this debate for the foreseeable future.

Alabama's linebacker pipeline under Saban

Nick Saban did not build Alabama into a linebacker factory by accident. The Crimson Tide's base defense regularly aligned four linebackers, which meant the position was never an afterthought in recruiting or development. Tuscaloosa consistently attracted the most physically imposing linebackers in the country, and Saban's staff turned them into NFL-ready prospects at a rate no one else could match.

The pipeline starts with Rolando McClain, who went eighth overall to the Raiders in 2010, and it never really stopped. Dont'a Hightower went 25th to New England in 2012, and C.J. Mosley went to Baltimore as a first-round pick in 2014, making the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.

Reuben Foster was a first-rounder in 2017 despite character concerns that teams ultimately looked past, a testament to his raw talent. The pipeline's most recent chapter belongs to Jihaad Campbell, who went 31st overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 after recording a team-high 117 tackles in his final season.

That kind of sustained first-round production at a single position, from a single program, is genuinely rare in college football history. Alabama did not just develop linebackers. It industrialized the position.

Assigning positions between college and the NFL is a bit tricky. If, for example, Will Anderson is included on this list, who played OLB in college, but is now an NFL defensive end, Alabama would move up over Georgia. So perhaps the program with the most players drafted is an imperfect metric. Either way, the two programs are very close when measured this way.

Georgia's Butkus factory and what it means nationally

If Alabama built its linebackers around volume and physical dominance, Georgia built its reputation on producing the best individual linebackers in the country. Under Kirby Smart, the position has been treated as a flagship, with linebacker coach Glenn Schumann, who also worked at Alabama, developing prospects into first-rounders on a near-annual basis. The results speak for themselves in a way that goes well beyond draft position.

Georgia has produced three Butkus Award winners, given annually to the nation's top linebacker, and no other program is even close to that recognition. Roquan Smith won it first and went eighth overall to the Bears in 2018, eventually signing a five-year, $100 million extension with the Ravens. Nakobe Dean won it next. Then Jalon Walker claimed it in 2024 before going 15th overall to the Atlanta Falcons in 2025.

Twenty-one linebackers from Georgia have been picked since 2010, with seven selected in the first round. That first-round rate is arguably more impressive than the raw total, because it reflects consistent elite-level production rather than just depth of volume.

Now comes CJ Allen, Georgia's next linebacker in the 2026 class. Allen led the Bulldogs with 88 total tackles in 2025, adding 8.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. When Allen hears his name called on at the draft, Georgia could pull ahead of Alabama in the all-time drafted linebackers standings, giving the Bulldogs a legitimate solo claim to the LBU crown.

Alabama linebackers drafted from 2010 to 2025

2010: Rolando McClain, Round 1, Pick 8, Oakland Raiders

2012: Dont'a Hightower, Round 1, Pick 25, New England Patriots; Courtney Upshaw, Round 2, Pick 35, Baltimore Ravens

2013: Nico Johnson, Round 4, Pick 99, Kansas City Chiefs

2014: C.J. Mosley, Round 1, Pick 17, Baltimore Ravens

2016: Reggie Ragland, Round 2, Pick 41, Buffalo Bills

2017: Reuben Foster, Round 1, Pick 31, San Francisco 49ers; Ryan Anderson, Round 2, Pick 49, Washington; Tim Williams, Round 3, Pick 78, Baltimore Ravens

2018: Rashaan Evans, Round 1, Pick 22, Tennessee Titans; Shaun Dion Hamilton, Round 6, Pick 197, Washington

2019: Christian Miller, Round 4, Pick 115, Carolina Panthers; Mack Wilson, Round 5, Pick 155, Cleveland Browns

2020: Terrell Lewis, Round 3, Pick 84, Los Angeles Rams; Anfernee Jennings, Round 3, Pick 87, New England Patriots

2022: Christian Harris, Round 3, Pick 75, Houston Texans

2023: Henry To'oTo'o, Round 5, Pick 167, Houston Texans

2024: Dallas Turner, Round 1, Pick 17, Minnesota Vikings; Chris Braswell, Round 2, Pick 57, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2025: Jihaad Campbell, Round 1, Pick 31, Philadelphia Eagles; Quandarrius Robinson, Round 4, Pick 134, Denver Broncos

Georgia linebackers drafted from 2010 to 2025

2010: Rennie Curran, Round 3, Pick 97, Tennessee Titans

2011: Justin Houston, Round 3, Pick 70, Kansas City Chiefs; Akeem Dent, Round 3, Pick 91, Atlanta Falcons

2013: Jarvis Jones, Round 1, Pick 17, Pittsburgh Steelers; Alec Ogletree, Round 1, Pick 30, St. Louis Rams; Cornelius Washington, Round 6, Pick 188, Chicago Bears

2015: Ramik Wilson, Round 4, Pick 118, Kansas City Chiefs; Amarlo Herrera, Round 6, Pick 207, Indianapolis Colts

2016: Leonard Floyd, Round 1, Pick 9, Chicago Bears; Jordan Jenkins, Round 3, Pick 83, New York Jets

2018: Roquan Smith, Round 1, Pick 8, Chicago Bears

2019: D'Andre Walker, Round 5, Pick 168, Tennessee Titans

2020: Tae Crowder, Round 7, Pick 255, New York Giants

2021: Monty Rice, Round 3, Pick 92, Tennessee Titans

2022: Quay Walker, Round 1, Pick 22, Green Bay Packers; Nakobe Dean, Round 3, Pick 83, Philadelphia Eagles; Channing Tindall, Round 3, Pick 102, Miami Dolphins

2023: Nolan Smith, Round 1, Pick 30, Philadelphia Eagles; Robert Beal, Round 5, Pick 173, San Francisco 49ers

2025: Jalon Walker, Round 1, Pick 15, Atlanta Falcons; Smael Mondon, Round 5, Pick 161, Philadelphia Eagles

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