Darnell Mooney wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons came from Tulane. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Tulane Among Top Universities With Most Active Players in NFL

Originally posted on Tulane Green Wave on SI
By Maddy Dickens | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Official College Football report posted the top universities with active NFL football players. It might surprise many that the Tulane University Green Waves are not only on that list, but in the top 50 with 20 active players.

Ten of the Waves' active players were all drafted during rounds three through seven as stated on the depth charts on OURLADS. The other half were taken as a CFA. That means these players were not drafted during the actual draft, but signed as a Compensatory Free Agent.

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Three of the active players are on first string: Darnell Mooney (wide receiver/ Atlanta Falcons), Cairo Santos (place kicker/Chicago Bears), and Ryan Wright (punt team/ Minnesota Vikings).

Wright and Santos are actually inspiring stories to anyone chasing the NFL dream as they were both chosen in CFA.

Tulane shows Santos as one of their top kickers the program has seen. He was a four-year letterman and only missed three extra-point attempts during his career. He averaged 62.6 yards per kickoff which totaled 11,887 yards. Santos has now been playing professional football for 11 total seasons.

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Wright was an exceptional punter for the Waves. In his final season of his collegiate career (drafted in 2022 per the Green Waves) he had 16 punts for over 50 yards. The Vikings signed him during free agency and he’s been with them ever since.

The final Wave that is playing first string right now, Darnell Mooney, is an offensive weapon. His breakout season was during his junior year (2018, drafted in 2020 to the Chicago Bears). Per the official Tulane football website Mooney averaged 20.6 years per reception which ranked sixth nationally for Division1 football. He was just shy of a 1,000 yard season.

It is no surprise that Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, and LSU make up the top 5. Alabama and Georgia have a very respectable 72 and 70 total active players.

The institutions that are ranked 31 through 51 have 20+ active players including other top programs like Michigan State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, among others.

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Tulane football has been constantly advancing in their ability to compete. This previous season they posted an impressive 7-1 record and it is no surprise that they have talent who are able to compete at the next level. College football fans should definitely keep an eye on Tulane football.

For more Tulane news, head over to Tulane Green Wave On SI.

This article first appeared on Tulane Green Wave on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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