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Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetKentucky.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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Highest Average Cap Hit of NFL Players By College: How Does Louisville Stack Up?
With a two-time MVP and a host of quality players among recent alumni, itās safe to say that few college football programs have punched above their weight class quite like the Louisville Cardinals have of late. Thatās because the Cardinals lay claim to Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, who is the reigning AP MVP after throwing for 36 touchdowns and putting up a career-high 25 AV across 16 games, as those invested in Kentucky sports betting know all too well.
Jackson and his $32.4 million salary cap hit in 2024-25 were enough to push the Cardinals into the top 10 when it came to CFB programs with the highest average NFL cap hit in the 32-team league.
Utilizing OverTheCap.com, we found the colleges that have produced the highest average cap hit of their NFL talent that are currently active in the NFL. Only colleges with 10 or more players in the NFL were included.
Stick with BetKentucky ahead of the NFL season for the Colts playoff chances and more.
Highest Average Cap Hit of NFL Players By College
Rank | College | Average Cap Hit* | # of Players In NFL |
1 | Texas A&M | $8,104,040 | 16 |
2 | Mississippi State | $7,656,353 | 24 |
3 | California | $6,455,477 | 16 |
4 | Clemson | $5,524,722 | 43 |
5 | Alabama | $5,424,370 | 76 |
6 | Oklahoma | $5,298,131 | 47 |
7 | Wyoming | $5,042,613 | 13 |
8 | Boston College | $4,573,934 | 18 |
9 | Ohio State | $4,512,404 | 66 |
10 | Louisville | $4,453,522 | 19 |
Where Louisville Ranks CFB-Wide
Across the FBS, Louisvilleās average salary cap hit of $4,453,522 across 19 players on NFL rosters ranked 10th nationally, directly behind Ohio Stateās average hit of $4,512,404 and Boston Collegeās number of $4,573,934. The 19 former Cardsā on NFL rosters ranked ahead of four different programs in the top 10, including Boston College (18 players), Texas A&M and Cal-Berkeley (16 players each) and Wyoming (13 players).
The programs with more players on NFL rosters ahead of Louisville were Alabama (76 players), Ohio State (66 players), Oklahoma (47 players), Clemson (43 players) and Mississippi State (24 players).
Still, thanks in large part to Jacksonās top-tier contract and the presence of NFL veterans like Bengals defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and Packers defensive back Jaire Alexander, the Cardinals found a way onto the NFLās top 10 when it came to the CFB programs with the highest average salary cap hit in the league.
Unsurprisingly, Jackson has been the most successful former Louisville player in the NFL of late, with his 93 AV total beating out free agent wideout DeVante Parker (42 AV in 119 games) and Rankinsā career AV total of 35 in 109 pro games.
Before you dive into Jackson's MVP futures ahead of the NFL season, check out all the best Kentucky sportsbook promos here.
USA Today photo by Geoff Burke.
Top Louisville NFL Players (by AV)
1. Lamar Jackson (Ravens QB): 93 AV in 86 games
2. DeVante Parker (FA WR): 42 AV in 119 games
3. Sheldon Rankins (Bengals DT): 35 AV in 109 games
4. Jaire Alexander (Packers CB): 34 AV in 71 games
5. Jonathan Greenard (Vikings DL): 17 AV in 45 games
6. Geron Jackson (Titans OT): 13 AV in 58 games
7. Mekhi Becton (Eagles OL): 10 AV in 31 games
8. Tutu Atwell (Rams WR): 8 AV in 37 games
9. YaYa Diaby (Buccaneers OLB): 5 AV in 17 games
10. Russ Yeat (Rams DB): 4 AV in 32 games
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