The 2018 NFL Draft is slated to kick off on Thursday night, so let us take a look at the college who has the most first round picks in NFL Draft history.
When the 2018 NFL Draft kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, it will begin a three-day festival of anxiety, happiness, and for some fans, anger. Over the course of the three days, the 32 NFL teams will combine to select 256 players, all of whom will be starting their journey towards hopeful NFL stardom.
On Thursday, only the first round will be selected, and there has already been so much shakeup heading into round one. The New York Jets have traded up three spots to No. 3 overall, and the New England Patriots actually have two first rounders this season, after having none last year.
Joining the Patriots with two first round picks are the Buffalo Bills, and the Cleveland Browns, who will select first on Thursday night. The Browns also hold the No. 4 selection in round one, so they have a golden opportunity to really improve their franchise heading into the 2018 season.
Of all the colleges who will see their players selected in round one on Thursday, there is one school who it is old news for. When it comes to the college that has had the most players selected in the first round, there is only one school that has had 80 players hear their name called, according to Hero Sports.
The answer: USC
The USC Trojans have sent 80 first rounders to the NFL, which barely beats the mark of 77 held by the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (66), Miami Hurricanes (63) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (55) round out the top five, and all of those school, except for Miami, should add to that list on Thursday.
USC has the top quarterback entering the draft in Sam Darnold, who many expect to go first overall. Notre Dame could have two first rounders in offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey and Ohio State has the best cornerback in the draft, Denzel Ward.
Alabama always seems to send a handful of players in the NFL via the first round, and that will be no different in 2018. Guys like Rashaan Evans, Calvin Ridley, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Da’Ron Payne could all be first round guys Thursday night.
Next: NFL mock draft: Browns, Giants and Jets land QBs
The Trojans certainly have a storied history, and they are going to add to their title on Thursday when Darnold is selected early in round one. This is a program that seems to reload every season, and they will certainly be in the running for the Pac-12 title in 2018.