After Alabama and Georgia, here are 3 colleges Brad Holmes could be looking to build a pipeline to the Lions next

Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions really seem to love certain schools. For a while there, it seemed like you could almost guarantee that the Lions would draft someone from Alabama. The Lions drafted Jameson Williams, Brian Branch, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Terrion Arnold from there. 

It was expected that they would take at least one guy this year, but instead, the Lions drafted three Georgia players and signed former Georgia player Jackson Meeks. 

"Have been to Georgia practices a lot, and have been around that program a lot, and it’s unlike anything else that I’ve seen live in terms of a college practice, in terms of just the intensity – (former Alabama Head Coach Nick) Saban at Alabama was very similar. Holmes said. "But just the intensity, the physicality, the detail, the tempo, the whole thing, the energy, I mean, it’s just – so when you can go through that kind of regimen and you practice like that, that they’re ready. But I think everything that (Georgia Head Coach Kirby) Smart’s done with that program, I think everything speaks for itself." 

Holmes said that the Lions don't go into the draft thinking that they're just going to draft a bunch of players that come from one school and that the board just fell that way, but at this point, there seems to be enough proof to suggest that the Lions like their players to come from a certain type of program. 

With that in mind, we looked at the college football landscape to see what other schools the Lions might be looking to make a pipeline from outside of Alabama and Georgia. Here are three that come to mind. 

Iowa

The Lions have already taken two players from the school in Sam LaPorta and Jack Campbell, but that doesn't mean they're done.  The school has produced some solid talent in the NFL, and they're not all tight ends. Kirk Ferentz runs a tight program over there, and they tend to generate the type of players that fit the Lions' culture. 

Players to keep an eye on: OT Gennings Dunker, DL Aaron Graves, C Logan Jones, and S Xavier Nwankpa. 

Clemson

Dabo Swinney has a really good program that has consistently been good. He's had one losing season, and that was back in 2010. Other than that, it's all winning seasons and multiple national championships. Speaking of championships, this team has a really good chance to win one in 2025 and will have a bunch of players heading into the draft. 

Players to watch: Edge T.J. Parker, DT Peter Woods, CB Aveion Terrell, WR Antonio Williams, Edge Will Heldt, and OT Blake Miller. 

LSU

Back to the SEC. LSU is going to have a really strong defense this year, and they're going to produce some of the 2026 draft's best linebackers. As we all know, the Lions love them some linebackers. With the possibility that Alex Anzalone might be gone, maybe they want to get one from here. 

Players to watch: LB Whit Weeks, LB Harold Perkins, CB Mansoor Delane, QB Garrett Nussmeier, and WR Barion Brown.