Producing three No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks is a distinction shared by only a few college football programs.
The University of Miami is part of that exclusive group, joining an elite tier of schools to reach the milestone.
The Hurricanes’ three top selections span 38 years: Vinny Testaverde as a Heisman-winning quarterback in 1987, Russell Maryland as a dominant defensive tackle in 1991, and Cam Ward as an elite dynamic passer in 2025.
The trio became No. 1 overall picks after leaving lasting legacies in Coral Gables.
Vinny Testaverde, 1987
Quarterback Vinny Testaverde became the first Miami player selected No. 1 overall when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him at the top of the 1987 NFL Draft.
Testaverde won the Heisman Trophy in 1986 after throwing for 2,557 yards and 26 touchdowns, leading the Hurricanes to an undefeated regular season.
He set multiple single-season program standards and solidified “QB U” status in Coral Gables.
Russell Maryland, 1991
Four years after Testaverde made history, defensive tackle Russell Maryland heard his name called first by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1991 NFL Draft.
Maryland anchored a ferocious defense, capped by a stellar 1990 senior season during which he won the Outland Trophy and a national championship.
He finished with 158 tackles and 20.5 tackles for loss during his dominant career with the Canes.
Cam Ward, 2025
Quarterback Cam Ward became Miami’s third No. 1 overall pick when the Tennessee Titans chose him first in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ward, who transferred to UM after playing at Washington State and Incarnate Ward, put together a historic campaign that earned him the Davey O’Brien and Manning Awards.
He set single-season school records with 4,313 passing yards and 39 passing touchdowns while finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2024.
The 19-program club
Only 19 programs have produced two or more No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft. USC leads the way with six, most recently quarterback Caleb Williams in 2024.
Georgia, Notre Dame and Oklahoma each have five. Auburn and Stanford have four. Miami shares the three-pick tier with LSU, Ohio State and Texas.
Nine programs have had two No. 1 overall picks – Alabama, California, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
Here’s a look at the schools that have produced multiple No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft, which began in 1936:
USC (6): OT Ron Yary (1968), HB O.J. Simpson (1969), HB Ricky Bell (1977), WR Keyshawn Johnson (1996), QB Carson Palmer (2003), QB Caleb Williams (2024)
Georgia (5): HB Frank Sinkwich (1943), HB Charley Trippi (1945), WR/DE Harry Babcock (1953), QB Matthew Stafford (2009), DE Travon Walker (2022)
Notre Dame (5): QB Angelo Bertelli (1944), QB Frank Dancewicz (1946), WR/DE Leon Hart (1950), HB Paul Hornung (1957), DE Walt Patulski (1972)
Oklahoma (5): DE Lee Roy Selmon (1976), HB Billy Sims (1980), QB Sam Bradford (2010), QB Baker Mayfield (2018), QB Kyler Murray (2019)
Auburn (4): HB Tucker Frederickson (1965), HB Bo Jackson (1986), LB Aundray Bruce (1988), QB Cam Newton (2011)
Stanford (4): QB Bobby Garrett (1954), QB Jim Plunkett (1971), QB John Elway (1983), QB Andrew Luck (2012)
LSU (3): TE Billy Cannon (1960), QB JaMarcus Russell (2007), QB Joe Burrow (2020)
Miami (3): QB Vinny Testaverde (1987), DL Russell Maryland (1991), QB Cam Ward (2025)
Ohio State (3): LB Tom Cousineau (1979), DT Dan Wilkinson (1994), OT Orlando Pace (1997)
Texas (3): LB Tommy Nobis (1966), HB Earl Campbell (1978), DE Kenneth Sims (1982)
Alabama (2): HB Harry Gilmer (1948), QB Bryce Young (2023)
California (2): QB Steve Bartkowski (1975), QB Jared Goff (2016)
Indiana (2): FB Corbett Davis (1938), QB Fernando Mendoza (2026)
Michigan (2): HB Tom Harmon (1941), OT Jake Long (2008)
Nebraska (2): FB Sam Francis (1937), WR Irving Fryar (1984)
Penn State (2): RB Ki-Jana Carter (1995), DE Courtney Brown (2000)
South Carolina (2): RB George Rogers (1981), DE Jadeveon Clowney (2014)
Tennessee (2): HB George Cafego (1940), Peyton Manning (1998)
Virginia Tech (2): DE Bruce Smith (1985), QB Michael Vick (2001)
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.