With the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, this year’s class of drafted rookies will soon begin life in the NFL.
While each drafted rookie enters the NFL from a different background, the one thing they all have in common is an outstanding experience playing high school football. A total of 246 high schools contributed to the 257 players selected in the seven rounds of the April 24-26 Draft.
“The NFL Draft is a powerful bridge between college football and the National Football League,” said Roman Oben, NFL Vice President of Football Development. “Each year, lifelong dreams come true the moment a player’s name is called. Those emotional moments – shared with family and friends on national television – never lose their magic. This year, 257 players were selected, representing 246 high schools across the country. More players will earn roster spots as rookie free agents. American football continues to grow, not just here at home, but in its global reach and appeal.”
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) led the way with three players selected, while nine high schools — Carroll Southlake (Texas), Cass Technical (Detroit, Michigan), Klein (Texas), Manor (Texas), Miami Palmetto (Florida), North Gwinnett (Suwannee, Georgia), Pickerington (Ohio), Pleasant Grove (Texarkana, Texas) and Servite (Anaheim, California) — each had two players selected.
Forty-one states and the District of Columbia each had at least one player drafted. Texas, with four of the 11 schools to produce multiple drafted players, led all states with 37 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, followed by Florida (26 players), Georgia (22), California (16), Louisiana (10) and Virginia (10).
Over the past eight NFL Drafts (2018-25), high schools from Texas (243 players) and Florida (242) have had the most players selected. Texas led all states with six first-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, including Cam Ward (No. 1 overall) and Ashton Jeanty (No. 6).
“Texas high school football is the best-of-the-best from the players to the coaches,” said Jeanty. “There is nothing like the game day atmosphere!”
IMG Academy is the only school to have multiple players drafted in each of the past seven years and has produced a first-round selection for the sixth-consecutive draft (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 II in 2021 and Cesar Ruiz in 2020).
Servite, with Mason Graham (No. 5 overall) and Tetairoa McMillan (No. 8), became the second high school to have two players selected in the top 10 of the same NFL Draft since at least 1970, joining IMG Academy in 2024 (Latham and McCarthy).
“T Mac [Tetairoa McMillan] is one of my best friends and it’s exciting to see him and I make our dreams come true and get drafted in the first round,” said Graham. “Servite brought us a tight brotherhood with its rich history and I’m looking forward to the next group of young guys to come out of there and accomplish the same goals we just did.”
For the 19th time in the past 20 seasons, at least one player who attended high school outside of the United States was selected in the NFL Draft. The 2025 players selected: Denver Broncos P Jeremy Crawshaw (Emu Plains, New South Wales, Australia – 6th round) and San Francisco 49ers QB Kurtis Rourke (Oakville, Ontario, Canada – 7th round).
The breakdown of the 10 high schools that had multiple players drafted by NFL clubs:
High school states with most NFL players drafted in 2025 per capita
*Based on most recent U.S. Census Data (2020)
State breakdown by high school
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