For the longest time, the Southeastern Conference led in sending the most first-rounders to the NFL. But the Big Ten finally broke that streak on Thursday, and that too by a significant margin. For the first time since 2015, we are seeing the SEC getting outworked.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
HC Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes once again proved that they are the most terrifying talent factory in college football. They became the third school in history to have four—Wide receiver Carnell Tate (#4, Tennessee Titans), defensive standout Arvell Reese (#5, New York Giants), linebacker Sonny Styles (#7, Washington Commanders), and safety Caleb Downs (#11, Dallas Cowboys)—of the top 11 picks.
Not to be outdone here, the Indiana Hoosiers had their biggest draft in school history when quarterback Fernando Mendoza got selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. The Big Ten’s top-end talent was too much for any other conference to match this year.
The Big Ten had 10 first-round picks after Day 1 compared to the SEC’s seven, the ACC’s five, and the Big 12’s four. Further, the SEC’s production took a surprisingly sharp dip compared to its record-breaking 15 picks in 2025.
View this post on Instagram
Even though the Alabama Crimson Tide did well, with offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor going to the Dolphins and quarterback Ty Simpson becoming the heir to Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles at #13, the conference didn’t dominate. Big-time Southern schools like LSU and Georgia had one player each drafted in the first round: Mansoor Delaney (LSU) and Monroe Freeling (UGA).
So, how did the Big Ten actually pull this off? Well, the SEC had it coming a long time, apparently, for two reasons. The first, and most popular consensus, is expansion into “super-conference” math, adding Oregon and USC back in 2025. Three of the Big Ten’s 10 picks were from the Ducks and the Trojans, including Kenton Sadiq at 16 (New York Jets), Makai Lemon at 20 (props to Howie for pulling this one off), and Dillon Thieneman at 25 (Bears).
The second reason has to be NIL. The NIL era and the transfer portal have changed the power hierarchy of college football. Nowadays, the top players are no longer flocking to the SEC or Alabama to become stars.
Colin Cowherd summed it up perfectly: “In the SEC, Alabama territory, your number two or three booster can be a car dealer. In the Big Ten, it’s a car maker.”
These are the perks of having great billionaire alumni. The Big Ten’s money comes from major global hubs, including Hollywood, Silicon Valley (tech), and financial centers like New York and Chicago. While there are some exceptions like LSU, the Big Ten has money to spare.
In the end, this draft might be the start of a brand-new era where the Big Ten and SEC are in a permanent heavyweight battle for the top spot. The Big Ten has now consecutively won three national titles and finally took home the “Draft Crown.” The SEC will definitely be looking for revenge in 2027. They will now go band for band with the Big Ten for the next two days at the draft.
The other conference first-rounders
Two schools powered the ACC’s production. Miami showed its resurgence with three first-rounders, led by offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at pick #10. Clemson continued its pipeline of NFL talent, with stars Blake Miller and Peter Woods also hearing their names called.
Rueben Bain Jr. got drafted at 16 to the Bucs, and Akheem Mesidor went to the Chargers at 22. Meanwhile, Clemson got stars Blake Miller and Peter Woods drafted.
The Big 12 also put on a great show and matched its best draft performance in over ten years. They had three players drafted in the first nine picks, with Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey going No. 2 overall to the Jets, Spencer Fano of the Utah Utes at 9, and Jordyn Tyson, arguably the best WR of this year’s draft class, at 8 to the Saints. The Cowboys took a flier on UCF’s Malachi Williams at 23.
Even smaller schools and independents got some serious love during the first round. Notre Dame saw backs Jeremiyah Love (at 3rd) and Jadarian Price (last pick of the night) drafted on Day 1. The “Group of Five” schools saw San Diego State’s cornerback Chris Johnson go to the Dolphins at pick #27.
It was a great night for the underdogs. The draft proved that as long as you can play, the NFL will find you no matter where you are.
