College Football Teams, Conferences with Most First Round 2026 NFL Draft Picks

These college football programs and conferences had the most success during the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft is set and done, with the first 32 selections taken off the Big Board and giving some of college football’s elite programs an opportunity to do a little bragging.

Especially if you’re in the SEC or Big Ten, which have emerged as the effective Power 2 conferences in the sport after realignment and given their dominance over the national recruiting landscape and in the postseason.

And especially if you’re the Big Ten, which finally overtook the SEC as the kings of college football not only on the field after winning the last three national championships, but now also in turning out the most drafted players on the first night of the 2026 event.

New contenders enter the fray

Even so, those two conferences’ complete dominance over the first round of the NFL Draft took a notable hit from last spring.

A year ago, the Big Ten and SEC together accounted for more than 81 percent of the players taken in the opening round (26 out of 32), but this spring that number fell to just 53 percent of the total.

That drop illustrates again how the transfer portal era has introduced a little more parity into college football and allowed more programs and leagues to acquire draft-worthy talent.

College football's Power 2 still in the lead

Not that the Big Ten and SEC were not well represented in 2026: put together, they led the way with 17 of the first 32 players taken off the board in Pittsburgh this week.

The school that owned the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft? Once again, that was Ohio State, which matched its 2025 total with four players taken in the first 32.

2026 NFL Draft picks by college football team, conference in Round 1

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

1. Big Ten (10 players)

Ohio State (4): WR Carnell Tate (No. 4 to Titans), Edge Arvell Reese (No. 5 to Giants), LB Sonny Styles (No. 7 to Commanders), S Caleb Downs (No. 11 to Cowboys)

Indiana (2): QB Fernando Mendoza (No. 1 to Raiders), WR Omar Cooper, Jr. (No. 30 to Jets)

Oregon (2): TE Kenyon Sadiq (No. 16 to Jets), S Dillon Thieneman (No. 25 to Bears)

Penn State (1): OL Vega Ioane (No. 14 to Ravens)

USC (1): WR Makai Lemon (No. 20 to Eagles)

2. SEC (7 players)

Alabama (2): OT Kadyn Proctor (No. 12 to Dolphins), QB Ty Simpson (No. 13 to Rams)

LSU (1): CB Mansoor Delane (No. 6 to Chiefs)

Florida (1): DT Caleb Banks (No. 18 to Vikings)

Georgia (1): OT Monroe Freeling (No. 19 to Panthers)

Texas A&M (1): WR KC Concepcion (No. 24 to Browns)

Auburn (1): Edge Keldric Faulk (No. 31 to Titans)

3. ACC (6 players)

Miami (3): OT Francis Mauigoa (No. 10 to Giants), Edge Rueben Bain, Jr. (No. 15 to Buccaneers), Edge Akheem Mesidor (No. 22 to Chargers)

Clemson (2): OT Blake Miller (No. 17 to Lions), DT Peter Woods (No. 29 to Chiefs)

Georgia Tech (1): OL Kenyan Rutledge (No. 26 to Texans)

4. Big 12 (5 players)

Arizona State (2): WR Jordyn Tyson (No. 8 to Saints), OT Max Iheanachor (No. 21 to Steelers)

Utah (2): OT Caleb Lomu (No. 28 to Patriots)

Texas Tech (1): Edge David Bailey (No. 2 to Jets)

5. Independent (2 players)

Notre Dame (2): RB Jeremiyah Love (No. 3 to Cardinals), RB Jadarian Price (No. 32 to Seahawks)

T-6. American (1 player)

UCF (1): Edge Malachi Lawrence (No. 23 to Cowboys)

T-6. Mountain West (1 player)

San Diego State (1): CB Chris Johnson (No. 27 to Dolphins)