NFL Draft 2024: Michigan Sets School Record as J.J. McCarthy Among 13 Players Picked
April 28, 2024
No college program was better represented in the 2024 NFL Draft than the defending national champions.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was the first of 13 Michigan players taken off the board this weekend, setting a program record and leading all schools in the 2024 draft, per USA Today's John Leuzzi.
The 13 former Wolverines also marked the third-highest number of players ever drafted from the same program in 30 years of the seven-round draft, Leuzzi noted.
Georgia set the all-time record when 15 former Bulldogs were drafted in 2022, per NCAA.com's Stan Becton.
Here's a complete list of the program record-breaking Michigan draft class.
- No. 10: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
- No. 49: Kris Jenkins, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
- No. 50: Mike Sainristil, S, Washington Commanders
- No. 69: Junior Colson, LB, Los Angeles Chargers
- No. 83: Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
- No. 84: Roman Wilson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- No. 85: Zak Zinter, G, Cleveland Browns
- No. 121: AJ Barner, TE, Seattle Seahawks
- No. 172: Trevor Keegan, G, Philadelphia Eagles
- No. 240: Michael Barrett, LB, Carolina Panthers
- No. 249: LaDarius Henderson, T, Houston Texans
- No. 252: Jaylen Harrell, EDGE, Tennessee Titans
- No. 253: Cornelius Johnson, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Four more Michigan players were then signed in undrafted free agency, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefterAfter Michigan set a school record with 13 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft held in Detroit, four more Michigan men signed as undrafted free agents:<br>🏈OL Karsen Barnhart, Chargers<br>🏈DL Braiden McGregor, Jets<br>🏈DB Josh Wallace, Rams<br>🏈OL Drake Nugent, 49ers <a href="https://t.co/Kc4EgdtgtY">https://t.co/Kc4EgdtgtY</a>
Texas was the second-most drafted program behind Michigan with 11 players taken off the board, including two first-rounders in defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (No. 16, Seattle Seahawks) and wide receiver Xavier Worthy (No. 28, Kansas City Chiefs.)
Three programs tied for third, with Alabama, Florida State and Washington each sending 10 former players to the NFL, per Chip Patterson of CBS Sports.
Alabama sent out three first-rounders, including offensive tackle JC Latham (No. 7, Tennessee Titans), edge Dallas Turner (No. 17, Minnesota Vikings) and corner Terrion Arnold (No. 24, Detroit Lions).
The highest-drafted former Florida State player was edge Jared Verse, who went at No. 19 to the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback Jordan Travis was also drafted by the New York Jets in the fifth-round.
Washington's first-rounders included two top-ten picks in quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8, Atlanta Falcons) and wide receiver Rome Odunze (No. 9, Chicago Bears.) The Huskies also saw offensive guard Troy Fautanu (No. 20, Pittsburgh Steelers) go off the board in the first round.
Per Patterson, Oregon, Georgia and Penn State each saw eight players drafted, while Notre Dame and USC sent seven each to the NFL.
Missouri, LSU, and Clemson came in behind with six players each in the draft, while Utah and Auburn sent five each, Patterson noted.
A total of 216 players, or 84 percent of the total draft, were from Power Five conferences. The SEC was the most well-represented conference with 59 players in the draft, per Patterson.