As the 2025 NFL season kicks off, the Atlantic Coast Conference is flexing its muscle once again at the professional level. The league boasts 379 former student-athletes on NFL rosters (active, IR, PUP, or practice squads), and no school is sending more to Sundays right now than Clemson.
The Tigers placed 32 players across NFL rosters, more than any other ACC program. Miami follows with 30, while Florida State and Stanford each check in with 29. It’s a reminder of just how deep Clemson’s talent pipeline runs — and how much of an imprint Dabo Swinney’s program continues to leave on the game.
Star Power on Both Sides of the Ball
The list of Clemson pros reads like a Pro Bowl roll call. Dexter Lawrence II, the New York Giants’ All-Pro defensive tackle, cracked the NFL Top 20 players list this preseason and remains one of the most dominant interior linemen in football.
On offense, Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. continue to carry the flag in Jacksonville, while Tee Higginsgives the Bengals another dynamic weapon when healthy. Add in veterans like DeAndre Hopkins in Baltimore and Grady Jarrett in Chicago, and Clemson’s stars are scattered across nearly every major NFL market.
The Next Wave
It’s not just the household names, either. The Tigers’ younger alums are already making waves:
- Bryan Bresee (Saints) flashed potential as a disruptive force on the defensive line.
- Myles Murphy (Bengals) and Ruke Orhorhoro (Falcons) are expected to grow into cornerstones.
- Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (Eagles) and Nate Wiggins (Ravens) headline a rookie class eager to prove Clemson’s defensive tradition is alive and well.
Meanwhile, rookies like Will Shipley (Eagles) and Barrett Carter (Bengals) add depth to loaded rosters, showing that Clemson’s recruiting machine continues to produce NFL-ready talent.
Setting the ACC Standard
For the conference, the numbers are staggering. In addition to Clemson’s 32:
- Miami (30) and Florida State (29) continue to churn out pros.
- NC State (26) and North Carolina (25) show steady pipelines of their own.
- In total, 270 former ACC players made 53-man active rosters.
It’s a sign that while national narratives may ebb and flow around the ACC’s place in the college football landscape, its ability to send players to the NFL is second to none.
Bottom Line
Clemson’s dominance in the ACC-to-NFL pipeline isn’t a one-year story — it’s a trend. From All-Pros like Dexter Lawrence to quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson, from game-breaking wideouts like Higgins and Hopkins to new-generation defenders like Wiggins and Trotter Jr., the Tigers’ fingerprints are everywhere.
As the 2025 NFL season begins, no ACC program has more reason to puff its chest out than Clemson. The Tigers aren’t just competing on Saturdays — they’re shaping Sundays.