With the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, this year's class of drafted rookies will soon begin life in the NFL. A total of 240 high schools contributed to the 257 players selected in the seven rounds of the April 23-25 Draft.
"The Draft reflects the full journey of the game, from high school to college to the National Football League, and the values that define it: resilience, teamwork, character, leadership, and a commitment to academics," said Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. "It also speaks to the impact of high school coaches, who help shape and guide these young men at a critical stage. Each opportunity that is presented to these athletes allows them to pursue and see their dream realized."
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) led the way with four players selected followed by Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), which had three players drafted. Eight high schools – Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.), Clearwater Academy International (Fla.), Marist (Chicago, Ill.), McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.), Pickerington Central (Ohio), St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio), Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) and Westlake (Austin, Texas) – each had two players selected.
Thirty-nine states each had at least one player drafted. Texas led all states with 33 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, followed by Florida (26 players), Georgia (22), California (19) and Ohio (11).
Over the past nine NFL Drafts (2018-26), high schools from Florida (268 players) and Texas (266) have had the most players selected. Florida led all states with five first-round selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Fernando Mendoza (No. 1 overall) and Carnell Tate (No. 4).
IMG Academy is the only school to have multiple players drafted in each of the past eight years and has produced a first-round selection for the seventh-consecutive draft (Francis Mauigoa and Tate in 2026, Tyler Booker and Jihaad Campbell in 2025, JC Latham and J.J. McCarthy in 2024, Nolan Smith in 2023, Evan Neal in 2022, Greg Newsome in 2021 and Cesar Ruiz in 2020).
For the third time since 1970, a high school had multiple top-10 selections in the same NFL Draft: IMG Academy in 2026 (Mauigoa and Tate) and 2024 (Latham and McCarthy), and Servite in 2025 (Mason Graham and Tetairoa McMillan).
For the 20th time in the past 21 seasons, at least one player who attended high school outside of the United States was selected in the NFL Draft as the Philadelphia Eagles selected DT Uar Bernard (from Nigeria and the International Pathway Program) in the 7th round.
The breakdown of the 11 high schools that had multiple players drafted by NFL clubs:
| High school | Total | Players (NFL team/round) |
|---|---|---|
| IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 4 | Carnell Tate (Tennessee/1); Francis Mauigoa (N.Y. Giants/1); Daylen Everette (Pittsburgh/3); Kaytron Allen (Washington/6) |
| St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) | 4 | Derrick Moore (Detroit/2); Jaishawn Barham (Dallas/3); Jude Bowry (Buffalo/4); Elijah Sarratt (Baltimore/4) |
| Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) | 3 | David Bailey (N.Y. Jets/1); Domani Jackson (Green Bay/6); C.J. Williams (Jacksonville/6) |
| Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) | 2 | Mansoor Delane (Kansas City/1); Zakee Wheatley (Carolina/5) |
| Clearwater Academy International (Fla.) | 2 | Akheem Mesidor (L.A. Chargers/1); Seydou Traore (Miami/5) |
| Marist (Chicago, Ill.) | 2 | Jimmy Rolder (Detroit/4); Pat Coogan (Tennessee/6) |
| McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.) | 2 | J.C. Davis (N.Y. Giants/6); Michael Dansby (Seattle/7) |
| Pickerington Central (Ohio) | 2 | Sonny Styles (Washington/1); Lorenzo Styles Jr. (New Orleans/5) |
| St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) | 2 | Max Klare (L.A. Rams/2); Brian Parker (Cincinnati/6) |
| Westlake (Ga.) | 2 | Zion Young (Baltimore/2); Avieon Terrell (Atlanta/2) |
| Westlake (Texas) | 2 | Cade Klubnik (N.Y. Jets/4); Michael Taaffe (Miami/5) |
High school states with most NFL players drafted in 2026 per capita
| State | Population* | NFL players | NFL players per capita |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 3,190,369 | 7 | 1 NFL player per 455,767 people |
| Georgia | 10,711,908 | 22 | 1 NFL player per 486,905 people |
| Alabama | 5,024,279 | 10 | 1 NFL player per 502,428 people |
| Maryland | 6,177,224 | 10 | 1 NFL player per 617,722 people |
| Missouri | 6,177,224 | 9 | 1 NFL player per 683,879 people |
| United States | 331,449,281 | 256 | 1 NFL player per 1,294,724 people |
*Based on most recent U.S. Census Data (2020)
State breakdown by high school
| State | Players drafted |
|---|---|
| Texas | 33 |
| Florida | 26 |
| Georgia | 22 |
| California | 19 |
| Ohio | 11 |
| Alabama | 10 |
| Illinois | 10 |
| Maryland | 10 |
| Missouri | 9 |
| Virginia | 9 |
| Tennessee | 8 |
| Iowa | 7 |
| Louisiana | 6 |
| Minnesota | 6 |
| Wisconsin | 6 |
| Arizona | 5 |
| Michigan | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 |
| South Carolina | 5 |
| Utah | 4 |
| Colorado | 3 |
| Connecticut | 3 |
| Indiana | 3 |
| Kansas | 3 |
| Nevada | 3 |
| New Jersey | 3 |
| New York | 3 |
| Oklahoma | 3 |
| Kentucky | 2 |
| Mississippi | 2 |
| Nebraksa | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 |
| Oregon | 2 |
| Washington | 2 |
| Arkansas | 1 |
| Hawaii | 1 |
| Idaho | 1 |
| Montana | 1 |
| International | 1 |
| Total | 257 |
