No matter who’s the head coach, one of Florida’s main appeals to recruits is the potential for playing on Sundays.
And that pitch is a credible one. Since the year 2000, UF is among the highest-ranked schools in terms of players selected in the NFL Draft, notching 109 overall total picks (24 of which were in the first round) over that time period.
Both of those are tied for the fifth-most in the country, alongside Florida’s divisional rival, the Georgia Bulldogs.
UGA has the edge on the field at the moment, and that has shown on draft day. Overall, it has had 14 players selected in the last two drafts.
The Gators aren’t far behind, though. They’ve had 12 players selected in that span, and coach Dan Mullen is only going into his third season in his current post, as opposed to Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who is going into his fifth.
Only one Florida player — cornerback C.J. Henderson — has been selected in the first round under Mullen, when Jacksonville selected him ninth overall in April’s draft.
Still, UF alumni litter the NFL. Among the best players taken this century for the Gators are Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, Trent Brown (currently the fourth-highest paid offensive lineman in the league) and Joe Haden.
Another Florida rival, the Miami Hurricanes, are ranked fourth with 119 player selected and 30 first-rounders.
Meanwhile, only two SEC schools have done better than UF and UGA when it comes to getting players drafted: LSU and Alabama.
The Tigers have had 126 selections (30 first-rounders) and the Crimson Tide have had 127 (31).
Ohio State leads the nation in total selections with 141, 31 of which came in the first round.
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