With the 2024 NFL draft just around the corner, stars like J.J. McCarthy, Caleb Williams, and Marvin Harrison Jr. dominate the conversation. Fans are also eager to see where these top college players will land in the NFL. Naturally, this leads to a big question — which college football program sends the most players to the NFL, especially those coveted first-round picks?

As it turns out, the usual college powerhouses are at the top, and the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan takes an interesting new twist. Ohio State is leading the way this time over McCarthy’s team. 

J.J. McCarthy’s team falls short of Ohio State’s talent

Ohio State University continues to dominate the NFL Draft, especially when it comes to coveted first-round picks. Since the draft began in 1936, Ohio State sent 90 players to the NFL in the first round. Last year alone, they had three first-round selections, including star quarterback C.J. Stroud. This year, the trend continues with three more Buckeyes on the list — wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (pick 2), defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau (pick 19), and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (pick 18).

USC and Alabama narrowly miss the top spot with 85 and 79 first-round picks, respectively. Meanwhile, Ohio State’s biggest rival, Michigan, lags in 7th place with 51 first-round picks. This ranking difference fuels the ongoing fire of the classic Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

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Ohio State-Michigan longtime rivalry to keep flaming?

The rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan is one of the longest in college football history, stretching back over 100 years. It’s said the roots of this rivalry might lie in a land dispute of the “Toledo Strip” that even sparked a war in 1835. While those times are long gone, the real battles between these two teams now occur on the football field. Michigan dominated the first half, winning 61 of the first 119 meetings.

However, Ohio State has flipped the script in the last decade, winning seven straight games from 2013 through 2019. This competition further intensified with the arrival of stars like Marvin Harrison Jr. and J.J. McCarthy to Ohio and Michigan, respectively. McCarthy even led the Wolverines to a perfect record and a championship title last season. However, recent ranking reports favor Ohio State, proving their knack for developing NFL-caliber players. The Buckeyes have a lot to celebrate, but you can bet Michigan will be hungry to avenge this in the coming seasons.