Alabama Dominates NFL Rosters in the 2026 Season

In the 2026 preseason, the University of Alabama maintains its lead in the number of former players in the NFL, with 58 active athletes on 53-man rosters across 32 teams. The record surpasses Ohio State, which has 56, keeping the Crimson Tide at the top of the list.

Alabama remains at the top of the list of schools with the most NFL players

The USA Today survey, conducted on September 9, shows that 202 colleges are represented on active NFL rosters, with Alabama leading with 57 players. The analysis of 1,689 athletes confirmed that Alabama has more players than any other school, followed by Ohio State with 56 and Georgia with 52.

2026-27 season results by the numbers

• 58 former Alabama players on active rosters across 32 teams.
• Alabama appears on 27 of the 32 teams.
• Including reserves and practice squads, 72 Alabama players across 28 teams.
• Second place: Ohio State with 56 active players.
• Third: Georgia with 54 active players.
• Fourth: LSU with 44 active players.
• Fifth: Texas with 42 active players.

Comparison with previous seasons

In 2024, Alabama had 61 players on the active roster, and 57 in 2023. In 2025, the official league registered 233 schools represented, while USA Today counted 202 in 2026, a drop compared to the 2019 to 2021 seasons, which had at least 240 schools.

Impact on the opening season

The 2026 season begins at 7:20 PM CT, featuring Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Alabama players such as Christian Barmore and Cameron Latu will be on the Patriots' active roster, while Josh Jobe, Jalen Milroe, and Jarran Reed will be on the Seahawks' active roster.

With information from USA Today, Alabama Athletics.