Players from Texas high schools made up 36 of the 257 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, surpassing any other state by 10 picks.
As reported by High School Football America, this marks the first occasion since 2022 that Texas has dominated in high school draft picks.
Cam Ward from West Columbia High became the 15th Texan to be drafted first overall, according to MaxPreps. Notably, four of the last five to achieve this honor were also quarterbacks: Matthew Stafford (Dallas Highland Park, 2009), Andrew Luck (Houston Stratford, 2012), Baker Mayfield (Austin Lake Travis, 2018), and Kyler Murray (Allen, 2019).
Schools such as Southlake Carroll, Texarkana Pleasant Grove, and Spring Klein Cain each had two players chosen. This is the first draft in which Carroll saw two Dragons selected.
One of Carroll’s draft selections, R.J. Mickens, has a family connection in the NFL: his father, Ray, was a defensive back.
Notably, Shedeur Sanders is also a product of strong bloodlines, as his father Deion is the head coach at Colorado and an NFL Hall of Famer.
The No. 1 pick Cam Ward is also related to NFL talent, with cousins DB Quandre Diggs and Quentin Jammer.
Per Pro Football Reference, Matthew Golden and Jaydon Blue from Spring Klein Cain are the inaugural players from their school to join the NFL. Additionally, teammates Landon Jackson and Nick Martin also made history as the first from Pleasant Grove.
Several other players have also achieved this milestone.
Jalen Milroe (Katy Tompkins), Alfred Collins (Bastrop Cedar Creek), Caleb Rogers (Mansfield Lake Ridge), Elijah Arroyo (Frisco Tyler Loop (Lucas Lovejoy)), and Korie Black (Waco Connally) each made history as the first picks from their respective schools.
Shemar Turner now positions himself as the 9th DeSoto player to reach the NFL, bringing their total to 24, which ties them for fourth place with John Tyler High from Tyler.
Galveston leads the pack with 27 players currently in the NFL, closely followed by Longview and Dallas South Oak Cliff, each contributing 25.
Texas High School Football Players Picked in 2025 NFL Draft
(1) OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Humble Summer Creek — Saints
(1) CB Jahdae Barron, Pflugerville Connally — Broncos
(1) WR Matthew Golden, Spring Klein Cain — Packers
(1) G Donovan Jackson, Bellaire Episcopal — Vikings
(1) RB Ashton Jeanty, Frisco Lone Star — Raiders
(1) QB Cam Ward, West Columbia — Titans
(2) DT Alfred Collins, Bastrop Cedar Creek —49ers
(2) TE Elijah Arroyo, Frisco Independence —Seahawks
(2) DE Nic Scourton, Bryan — Panthers
(2) DL Shemar Turner, DeSoto — Bears
(2) S Andrew Mukuba, Austin Lyndon B. Johnson— Eagles
(3) DT Vernon Broughton, Cypress Ridge — Saints
(3) DE Landon Jackson, Texarkana Pleasant Grove — Bills
(3) LB Nick Martin, Texarkana Pleasant Grove — 49ers
(3) DE Princely Umanmielen, Manor — Panthers
(3) WR Savion Williams, Marshall — Packers
(3) QB Jalen Milroe, Katy Tompkins — Seahawks
(3) OL Caleb Rogers, Mansfield Lake Ridge — Raiders
(3) CB Upton Stout III, Galena Park North Shore — 49ers
(4) S Craig Woodson, South Grand Prairie — Patriots
(4) S Billy Bowman Jr., Denton Billy Ryan — Falcons
(5) QB Shedeur Sanders, Cedar Hill Trinity Christian — Browns
(5) RB Jaydon Blue, Spring Klein — Cowboys
(6) RB Ollie Gordon II, Euless Trinity — Dolphins
(6) K Tyler Loop, Lucas Lovejoy — Ravens
(6) OL Chase Lundt, Arlington Martin — Bills
(6) OT Cameron Williams, Duncanville — Eagles
(6) OL Hayden Conner, Katy James E Taylor — Cardinals
(6) S R.J. Mickens, Southlake Carroll — Chargers
(7) OT Marcus Bryant, Round Rock Cedar Ridge — Patriots
(7) RB Damien Martinez, Lewisville — Seahawks
(7) S Kitan Crawford, John Tyler — Cardinals
(7) QB Quinn Ewers, Southlake Carroll — Dolphins
(7) TE Caleb Lohner, Flower Mound — Broncos
(7) CB Korie Black, Waco Connally — Giants
(7) DB Kobee Minor, Cornith Lake Dallas — Patriots
