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Urban Meyer Names Determining Factors in SEC vs. Big Ten Debate

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Urban Meyer sent top-tier talent to the NFL from his time with the Florida Gators (2005-2010) and Ohio State Buckeyes (2012-18).

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the SEC had the most players selected with 79, while the Big Ten was close behind with 71.

Meyer weighed in on which conference was superior in terms of recruiting. In a recent episode of "The Triple Option," Meyer stated that national championships and NFL Draft picks were the key factors in determining which conference was better overall.

Meyer-coached players such as Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Michael Thomas, and Ezekiel Elliott all had varying levels of success in the NFL.

"The recruiting rankings and the other way to evaluate recruiting is the NFL Draft," Meyer said. "There was a time where the SEC had so many, and they still have more than the other conferences, but if you wanna talk about the strongest conferences, you look at championships and the NFL Draft and you stop there."

The USC Trojans and Ohio State are second and third in all-time NFL Draft picks. The Trojans have 523, while the Buckeyes have 485. The Michigan Wolverines (401) and Penn State Nittany Lions (381) are inside the top 10.

SEC schools in the top 10 include the Oklahoma Sooners (414), Alabama Crimson Tide (401), LSU Tigers (375), Florida (372), and Georgia Bulldogs (371).

Meyer also believed that the Big Ten had caught up to the SEC in recruiting, as evidenced by a recent episode. He even put his two cents in for what conference was the best in college football, picking the Big Ten, even though he clarified it was not that way when he arrived at Ohio State in 2012.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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