Another Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony is in the books, with four former NFL stars — Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Sterling Sharpe and Eric Allen — taking their place in Canton on Saturday.
Allen’s induction caused a shakeup in the top 10 list of schools that have produced the most Hall of Fame players, expanding that list to 12 thanks to a four-way tie at No. 9.
That said, which 12 schools have produced the most Pro Football Hall of Famers in NFL history?
FOX Sports Research compiled the new list. Here’s a look.
Schools With The Most Pro Football Hall of Famers
T-9. UCLA, Six
Troy Aikman was a star at UCLA before becoming the Cowboys’ quarterback. (Photo by Andy Hayt/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
The Bruins haven’t had the greatest success on the gridiron in recent years, but they’ve done a great job producing elite NFL talent throughout their program’s history. Longtime Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman headlines the group of Hall of Famers to come out of UCLA, while offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden might have had the most decorated career (11 Pro Bowls). Strong safety Kenny Easley, quarterback Bob Waterfield, defensive end Tom Fears and cornerback Jimmy Johnson make up the rest of the group of Hall of Famers that went to UCLA.
Franco Harris was one of the first great players in Joe Paterno’s time as head coach. (Photo by Lane Stewart/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Most of Penn State’s success in developing NFL talent came after Joe Paterno became its head coach, but only three of his former players (linebacker Jack Ham, running back Franco Harris, guard Mike Munchak) make up this list of six, although he was an assistant when running back Lenny Moore and linebacker Dave Robinson were in Happy Valley before turning into Hall of Famers. Guard Mike Michalske is the sixth player.
T-9. LSU, Six
Alan Faneca was a force at LSU. (Credit: Andy Lyons/Allsport)
If all goes well in Justin Jefferson‘s and Ja’Marr Chase‘s careers, then LSU might have a couple of wide receivers joining this list soon. The Tigers have six players representing them in the Hall of Fame for now, though, with center Kevin Mawae and guard Alan Faneca being the two most recent. Quarterback Y.A. Tittle, running back Steve Van Buren, fullback Jim Taylor and free safety Johnny Robinson are also a part of the impressive group.
Former Sun Devil Eric Allen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Similar to UCLA, Arizona State hasn’t produced much high-end talent in recent years. However, it did have a few future Hall of Famers in the league late in the 21st century. Cornerbacks Mike Haynes and Eric Allen are two of the more notable names of the group, with defensive tackle Curley Culp, fullback John Henry Johnson, wide receiver Charley Taylor and guard Randall McDaniel joining them in Canton.
Jim Brown began one of the greatest careers in football history at Syracuse.
Newer college football fans might not know it, but Syracuse has produced some of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Of course, Jim Brown — arguably the best player in NFL history — played at Syracuse, while highly decorated wide receiver Marvin Harrison and edge rusher Dwight Freeney also played college ball there before starring for the Indianapolis Colts. Running back Larry Csonka, wide receiver Art Monk, running back Floyd Little, tight end John Mackey and center Jim Ringo are also a part of the group of Syracuse stars who became Hall of Famers.
Ken Stables, one of three former Alabama quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images)
Nick Saban’s time at Alabama will likely lead to several more players joining this list in the coming years. For now, there are eight Crimson Tide players who’ve been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including three quarterbacks: Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler. John Hannah, widely regarded as one of the best offensive linemen ever, also played at Alabama before his Hall of Fame career. Alabama’s other Hall of Famers include edge rusher Derrick Thomas, defensive end Don Hutson, center Dwight Stephenson and tight end Ozzie Newsome.
Ohio State has emerged as “Wide Receiver University” in recent years, but offensive tackle has historically been the school’s strongest position. Orlando Pace, Jim Parker and Lou Groza (also one of the best kickers of all time) are Pro Football Hall of Famers, with guard Bill Willis joining them in Canton. Wideout Cris Carter, free safety Dick LeBeau, defensive end Dante Lavelli, defensive end Paul Warfield and linebacker Randy Gradishar are also a part of that group.
Charles Woodson won the Heisman during his time at Michigan. (Photo by Albert Dickson/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
As Ohio State has historically been strong at offensive tackle, the same could be said with Michigan at guard. Three former Wolverines guards — Dan Dierdorf, Tom Mack and Steve Hutchinson — are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Two of the game’s top cornerbacks also spent time in Ann Arbor before becoming Hall of Famers, with Ty Law and Charles Woodson being enshrined in Canton in recent years. Defensive ends Bill Hewitt and Len Ford, along with running backs Benny Friedman and Eloy Hirsch join them. Michigan will add a 10th former player to the Hall of Fame soon, with Tom Brady eligible for induction in 2028.
Dan Marino was one of the top passers in the nation before becoming an all-time NFL great. (Photo by Tony Tomsic /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Two of the game’s best running backs spent time at Pitt before becoming Pro Football Hall of Famers, with Tony Dorsett continuing his all-time college success into the pros, while Curtis Martin was one of the top running backs in the game for a decade. Rickey Jackson and Chris Doleman were also among the best outside linebackers in the 1980s and into the 1990s. The same could be said for offensive linemen Jimbo Covert and Russ Grimm in that span. Linebacker Joe Schmidt and tight end Mike Ditka were two of the best pre-merger players, with Ditka continuing his success following the merger. Darrelle Revis was also one of the game’s best corners for much of his 11-year career. That’s all before mentioning Dan Marino, who was ahead of his time as a passer and shattered passing records, and retired as the NFL’s all-time passing leader.
Joe Montana starred at Notre Dame in the late 1970s.
Notre Dame’s 11 Hall of Famers are pretty spread out throughout the field. Tim Brown, Jerome Bettis, Paul Hornung and Dave Casper represent the Fighting Irish at the skill positions. Notre Dame has two Hall of Famers along the offensive line (George Connor, George Trafton) and three along the defensive line (Wayne Millner, Alan Page, Bryant Young). Linebacker Nick Buoniconti is Notre Dame’s only other defensive Hall of Fame representative, but it also had Joe Montana, so it probably evens out.
Michael Irvin was a key player in Miami’s surge as a football power. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images)
Miami is a relatively young powerhouse at producing NFL talent, with quarterback Jim Kelly, linebacker Ted Hendricks and center Jim Otto being the only Hall of Famers that the school produced prior to Jimmy Johnson’s tenure as head coach, but Miami has sent plenty of Hall of Fame talent to the league within the last three-plus decades. Michael Irvin and Andre Johnson were consistently among the best receivers in the league. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis were the linchpins for an iconic Baltimore Ravens defense. Defensive tackles Cortz Kennedy and Warren Sapp became Hall of Famers following their time, while Devin Hester turned into arguably the best returner in NFL history after he left.
1. USC, 14
Junior Seau was one of the NFL’s best linebackers after a standout career at USC. (Photo by Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
No other school has been better at producing Hall of Fame talent than USC, with some of the greatest players at a handful of positions playing their college ball there before turning professional. Junior Seau is among the best linebackers of all time. The same can be said for Troy Polamalu at safety, Anthony Munoz at offensive tackle, Ronnie Lott at cornerback, Bruce Matthews at guard and O.J. Simpson at running back. Joining that group of players is edge Red Badgro, two-way star Frank Gifford, defensive back Willie Wood, offensive tackle Ron Yary, wide receiver Lynn Swann, running back Marcus Allen and offensive tackle Tony Boselli.
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