If it wasn’t already apparent from the Big Ten winning three consecutive national championships or the absence of the SEC in those three title games, let the 2026 NFL draft show it—the SEC no longer runs college football.
Over the first five picks of the 2026 NFL draft, players from Ohio State, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and Indiana—yes, Indiana—heard their names called. Those names included:
- QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (No. 1)
- DL David Bailey, Texas Tech (No. 2)
- RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (No. 3)
- WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State (No. 4)
- LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State (No. 5)
Only one player, however, from any of the 16 proud universities that make up the SEC, heard their name called in the first 10 picks of the draft—LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, who the Chiefs moved up to select at No. 6. Even with the additions of strong programs in Texas and Oklahoma over the past couple years due to conference realignment, the SEC saw a decrease in first-round picks this year.
Between the expanded College Football Playoff, NIL, transfer portal and coaching carousel, more programs are on the rise and more players are getting opportunities to become pro-ready at non-SEC schools.
This is now being reflected in this year’s draft, where an increasing number of prospects are coming from other conferences and programs than the typical staple of schools such as LSU, Alabama and Georgia.
The last time there were no SEC players taken in the top five of the draft was 2018, which saw Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (No. 1), Penn State’s Saquon Barkley (No. 2), USC’s Sam Darnold (No. 3), Ohio State’s Denzel Ward (No. 4) and NC State’s Bradley Chubb (No. 5) go in the top five.
The last time no SEC player was taken in the top 10 of the draft was 20 years ago in 2006, when NC State’s Mario Williams (No. 1), USC’s Reggie Bush (No. 2), Texas’s Vince Young (No. 3), Virginia’s D’Brickashaw Ferguson (No. 4), Ohio State’s A.J. Hawk (No. 5), Maryland’s Vernon Davis (No. 6), Texas’s Michael Huff (No. 7), Ohio State’s Donte Whitner (No. 8), Florida State’s Ernie Sims (No. 9) and USC’s Matt Leinart (No. 10) were selected in the top 10. The 2006 draft was one of four occurrences since the NFL and AFL began holding the draft together in 1967 before their eventual merger in which no SEC players were taken in the top-10 of the draft. The other years were 1970, 1980 and 1992.
| Year | No. of SEC players taken in top 5 | No. of SEC players taken in top 10 | Total No. of SEC players taken in Round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 15 |
| 2024 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| 2023 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 2022 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| 2021 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| 2020 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| 2019 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 2018 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2017 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| 2016 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 2015 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2014 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
A total of just seven SEC players went in the first round this year, less than half the amount that came off the board in the first round last April. This is the fewest number of SEC players taken in the first round since 2015, when seven players from the conference were taken.
This doesn’t necessarily indicate a trend will come where no SEC players will go in the top five or top 10 in the future. After all, the draft varies from year to year. Assuming Texas quarterback Arch Manning has a good season in 2026 and declares next year, it would be surprising to not see him go in the top five. There are also promising prospects that could be top-10 picks in Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons and South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart.
The SEC remains one of the top conferences in college football, but is facing stiffer competition from other conferences—most notably, the Big Ten.
More NFL Draft from Sports Illustrated
- Oh, So Lonely: Meet the Two Players in NFL Draft Green Room Who Weren’t Selected in the First Round
- The Eagles Trolled Pittsburgh So Hard After Stealing Its Draft Pick at the Last Second
- Eliot Wolf Details What Patriots Will Miss Most From Mike Vrabel on NFL Draft’s Final Day
- SI’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft for Rounds 2 and 3
- NFL Draft Round 1 Winners and Losers: Eagles Get Great Value, Cardinals Make a Reach
This article was originally published on www.si.com as What the NFL Draft Says About College Football: The SEC Is No Longer King.
