Turning out the top pick in the NFL Draft is the ultimate flex for a college football program, and Texas has hit that peak three times.
While the Longhorns are hunting for their next draft king (no pressure, Arch), the school’s historic trio of overall No. 1 picks is a distinction shared by only a few programs.
Texas carved out its place on the exclusive list by turning out an elite collection of game-changers at every level of the field — a legendary linebacker, a dominant Heisman Trophy-winning running back and a relentless pass rusher — over 16 years.
Though it has been over four decades since Texas last produced the top pick in the draft, Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning entered the 2026 season as the projected No. 1 overall pick in nearly every way-too-early 2027 NFL mock draft.
Manning will look to follow in the footsteps of this historic trio, who earned their No. 1 overall status after leaving lasting legacies in Austin.
Tommy Nobis, 1966
Linebacker Tommy Nobis became the first Texas player selected No. 1 overall when the expansion Atlanta Falcons took him at the top of the 1966 NFL Draft.
Nobis cemented his legendary status by winning the Maxwell Award (most outstanding player in college football) as a senior, anchoring the Longhorns’ defense with bone-jarring hits.
Earl Campbell, 1978
Twelve years after Nobis made program history, halfback Earl Campbell heard his name called first by the Houston Oilers in the 1978 NFL Draft.
The “Tyler Rose” put together a transcendent senior campaign in 1977, capturing the program’s first Heisman Trophy by rushing for a nation-best 1,744 yards and 18 touchdowns. His punishing, bruising style resulted in a then-school record of 4,443 career rushing yards.
Kenneth Sims, 1982
Defensive lineman Kenneth Sims became Texas’ third No. 1 overall pick when the New England Patriots chose him first in the 1982 NFL Draft.
A towering pass rusher at 6-foot-5, Sims dominated the line of scrimmage throughout his career with the Longhorns. He took home the prestigious Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman) in 1981 after racking up 113 tackles, 11 sacks and 12 tackles for loss as a senior.
The 19-program club
USC leads all schools with six No. 1 overall picks, most recently quarterback Caleb Williams in 2024.
Georgia, Notre Dame and Oklahoma each have five. Auburn and Stanford have four. LSU, Ohio State, Texas and Miami have three.
South Carolina shares the two-pick tier with Alabama, California, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
Here’s a look at the schools that have produced multiple No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft:
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)
Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.