Patrick Peterson has emerged as one of the top NFL players after becoming a standout DB at LSU.
Week 1 of the college football season, with huge upsets and thrilling finishes, already has come and gone. If that wasn't enough for you, fans can now turn their college rooting interests to the NFL, where the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs opened the season Thursday night with a 42-27 Kansas City win.
Some 285 schools, from all levels of college football, are represented on NFL rosters for Opening Day 2017. Here are the top five schools with players in the NFL:
RELATED: Which schools were represented most in 2016?
(Our list includes players on active rosters, injury reserved lists, practice squads and the commissioner’s exempt list). This list was updated from the initial published date to relfect a change for Louisiana State.
1. LSU: 51 — The Tigers are the lone program to reach the 50-player mark. Although LSU hasn’t fulfilled its national championship aspirations in 10 seasons, a lot of talent comes through Baton Rouge, and purple and yellow still runs deep in the NFL. LSU has produced elite talent on both ends of the ball with the likes of defensive backs Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu (Arizona Cardinals), as well as star wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants) and Jarvis Landry (Miami Dolphins). Look for rookies Jamal Adams (New York Jets) and Leonard Fournette (Jacksonville Jaguars) to make immediate impacts as well this season.
T-2. Florida: 45 — The Gators snag a tie for second on this list with a mix of key members from Florida’s national championship teams in 2006 and 2008 as well as a bunch of newcomers. Joe Haden (Pittsburgh Steelers), Maurkice Pouncey (Pittsburgh Steelers) and his brother Mike (Miami Dolphins) were members of the Tim Tebow era while young stars like Mike Gillislee (New England Patriots), Vernon Hargreaves II (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Jordan Reed (Washington Redskins) have developed into solid players at the next level.
Mike Gillislee (23) ran for 20 touchdowns during his time at Florida from 2009-12.
T-4. Alabama: 44 — Though Alabama might not have the most players on NFL rosters, there’s no doubt that coach Nick Saban has produced some of football’s brightest young stars. Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders), Landon Collins (New York Giants), Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) and Don’t’a Hightower (New England Patriots) have already emerged as top players at their respected positions and were all part of the Crimson’s Tide’s run of of four national championships in eight seasons. In this year's NFL draft, Alabama produced four first-round picks and nine of the top 100.
Julio Jones was a star receiver for the Crimson Tide from 2008-2010.
Below is a breakdown of all colleges represented in the NFL on opening day rosters:
| School | Total |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State | 51 |
| Florida | 45 |
| Southern California | 45 |
| Alabama | 44 |
| Miami (Fl.) | 44 |
| Ohio State | 42 |
| Florida State | 40 |
| Clemson | 38 |
| Georgia | 38 |
| Michigan | 35 |
| Auburn | 34 |
| Oklahoma | 33 |
| California | 32 |
| Wisconsin | 32 |
| Notre Dame | 31 |
| Utah | 31 |
| Penn State | 30 |
| UCLA | 30 |
| Michigan State | 29 |
| Tennessee | 29 |
| Texas | 29 |
| Texas A&M | 29 |
| Stanford | 28 |
| Arkansas | 27 |
| Nebraska | 27 |
| Oregon | 27 |
| Iowa | 26 |
| North Carolina | 26 |
| Oregon State | 25 |
| South Carolina | 25 |
| Louisville | 24 |
| West Virginia | 24 |
| Mississippi | 23 |
| Pittsburgh | 23 |
| Washington | 23 |
| Missouri | 22 |
| Boise State | 21 |
| Virginia | 21 |
| TCU | 20 |
| Illinois | 17 |
| Mississippi State | 17 |
| Rutgers | 16 |
| Baylor | 15 |
| Boston College | 15 |
| Cincinnati | 15 |
| Georgia Tech | 15 |
| NC State | 15 |
| Connecticut | 14 |
| Virginia Tech | 14 |
| Arizona | 13 |
| Arizona State | 13 |
| Central Florida | 13 |
| Colorado | 13 |
| Houston | 13 |
| Oklahoma State | 13 |
| SMU | 13 |
| Temple | 13 |
| Utah State | 13 |
| Louisiana Tech | 12 |
| Maryland | 12 |
| Memphis | 12 |
| Northwestern | 12 |
| Purdue | 12 |
| South Florida | 12 |
| Southern Mississippi | 12 |
| Toledo | 12 |
| Brigham Young | 11 |
| Central Michigan | 11 |
| Fresno State | 11 |
| Kansas State | 11 |
| Kentucky | 11 |
| San Diego State | 11 |
| Texas Tech | 11 |
| Vanderbilt | 11 |
| Duke | 10 |
| Minnesota | 10 |
| Syracuse | 10 |
| Florida Atlantic | 9 |
| Harvard | 9 |
| Indiana | 9 |
| San Jose State | 9 |
| Texas-El Paso | 9 |
| Western Kentucky | 9 |
| Wyoming | 9 |
| Rice | 8 |
| Tulane | 8 |
| Wake Forest | 8 |
| Washington State | 8 |
| Delaware | 7 |
| Georgia Southern | 7 |
| Illinois State | 7 |
| Kent State | 7 |
| North Dakota State | 7 |
| Western Michigan | 7 |
| Appalachian State | 6 |
| Arkansas State | 6 |
| Colorado State | 6 |
| East Carolina | 6 |
| Iowa State | 6 |
| Kansas | 6 |
| Marshall | 6 |
| Nevada | 6 |
| Northern Iowa | 6 |
| Portland State | 6 |
| Akron | 5 |
| Buffalo | 5 |
| California (PA) | 5 |
| Coastal Carolina | 5 |
| Eastern Washington | 5 |
| Idaho | 5 |
| Miami (OH.) | 5 |
| Middle Tennessee State | 5 |
| Montana | 5 |
| South Carolina State | 5 |
| Alabama-Birmingham | 4 |
| Eastern Michigan | 4 |
| Florida International | 4 |
| Georgia State | 4 |
| Grand Valley State | 4 |
| Hawai'i | 4 |
| James Madison | 4 |
| New Mexico | 4 |
| Northern Illinois | 4 |
| Ohio | 4 |
| Old Dominion | 4 |
| Southern Utah | 4 |
| Tennessee State | 4 |
| Towson | 4 |
| Troy | 4 |
| Tulsa | 4 |
| UNLV | 4 |
| West Alabama | 4 |
| Colorado State-Pueblo | 3 |
| Hampton | 3 |
| Liberty | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 3 |
| Missouri Western State | 3 |
| Monmouth (N.J.) | 3 |
| Norfolk State | 3 |
| North Texas | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 |
| Regina (Canada) | 3 |
| Richmond | 3 |
| Sacramento State | 3 |
| Samford | 3 |
| South Dakota State | 3 |
| Texas State | 3 |
| Texas-San Antonio | 3 |
| Valdosta State | 3 |
| Villanova | 3 |
| West Georgia | 3 |
| West Texas A&M | 3 |
| William & Mary | 3 |
| Youngstown State | 3 |
| Abilene Christian | 2 |
| Alabama State | 2 |
| Ashland | 2 |
| Bethune-Cookman | 2 |
| Bowling Green | 2 |
| Brown | 2 |
| Cal Poly-S.L.O. | 2 |
| Charlotte | 2 |
| East Central (OK.) | 2 |
| Eastern Illinois | 2 |
| Eastern Kentucky | 2 |
| Grambling State | 2 |
| Hillsdale | 2 |
| Jacksonville State | 2 |
| Louisiana-Lafayette | 2 |
| Manitoba (Canada) | 2 |
| Marist | 2 |
| Midwestern State | 2 |
| Minnesota State | 2 |
| Missouri Southern State | 2 |
| Missouri State | 2 |
| Montana State | 2 |
| New Mexico State | 2 |
| Newberry | 2 |
| North Carolina A&T | 2 |
| Northwestern State (LA.) | 2 |
| Saginaw Valley State | 2 |
| Sam Houston State | 2 |
| Shepherd | 2 |
| South Dakota | 2 |
| Southeastern Louisiana | 2 |
| Southern Illinois | 2 |
| Stony Brook | 2 |
| Tennessee-Chattanooga | 2 |
| Wofford | 2 |
| Alabama A&M | 1 |
| Albany State (Ga.) | 1 |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 1 |
| Army West Point | 1 |
| Augustana | 1 |
| Azuna Pacific | 1 |
| Belhaven College | 1 |
| Beloit | 1 |
| Bloomsburg (PA.) | 1 |
| Bowie State | 1 |
| Bucknell | 1 |
| Canisius | 1 |
| Carson-Newman | 1 |
| Catawaba | 1 |
| Central Missouri | 1 |
| Chadron State | 1 |
| Columbia | 1 |
| Concordia-St. Paul | 1 |
| Cornell | 1 |
| Drake | 1 |
| Eastern Oregon | 1 |
| Emporia State | 1 |
| Fort Valley State | 1 |
| Furman | 1 |
| Greenville | 1 |
| Henderson State | 1 |
| Holy Cross | 1 |
| Howard | 1 |
| Incarnate World (Tex.) | 1 |
| Jacksonville | 1 |
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 1 |
| Kutztown (PA) | 1 |
| Lamar | 1 |
| Lane (Tenn.) | 1 |
| Laval | 1 |
| Lindenwood | 1 |
| Louisiana College | 1 |
| Maine | 1 |
| Marian | 1 |
| Mars HIll | 1 |
| Mary Hardin-Baylor | 1 |
| McGill (Canada) | 1 |
| Michigan Tech | 1 |
| Monmouth (Ill.) | 1 |
| Mount Union | 1 |
| Murray State | 1 |
| Navy | 1 |
| Nebraska-Omaha | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 1 |
| Nicholls State | 1 |
| North Alabama | 1 |
| North Carolina Central | 1 |
| North Greenville | 1 |
| Northeast Mississippi CC | 1 |
| Northern Colorado | 1 |
| Northern Michigan | 1 |
| Northwest Missouri State | 1 |
| Ohio Dominican | 1 |
| Ouachita Baptist | 1 |
| Pittsburg State | 1 |
| Presbyterian | 1 |
| Princeton | 1 |
| Red Lion Christian Academy | 1 |
| Robert Morris | 1 |
| San Diego | 1 |
| Shippensburg | 1 |
| Slippery Rock | 1 |
| South Alabama | 1 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 1 |
| Southern Arkansas | 1 |
| Southern Connecticut State | 1 |
| Southern Oregon | 1 |
| Southern University | 1 |
| St. Francis (PA) | 1 |
| Stetson | 1 |
| Stillman | 1 |
| Tarleton State | 1 |
| Tennessee-Martin | 1 |
| The Citadel | 1 |
| Tiffin University | 1 |
| UC Davis | 1 |
| UC Irvine | 1 |
| Wagner | 1 |
| Washburn | 1 |
| Wayne State | 1 |
| Wesley | 1 |
| Western Illinois | 1 |
| Western Oregon | 1 |
| Western State (CO.) | 1 |
| Western Washington | 1 |
| William Penn | 1 |
| Winston-Salem State | 1 |
| Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 1 |
| Wisconsin-Platteville | 1 |
| Wisconsin-Whitewater | 1 |
