USC Trojans still hold record for most No. 1 NFL draft picks

The USC Trojans have produced many Pro Football Hall of Famers, Heisman Trophy winners, and inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame. After another NFL draft, the Trojans still hold their record for the most players to be selected as No. 1 picks in the NFL draft.

Here is the list of Trojans that went No. 1 overall and how they fared:

1968- Tackle Ron Yary

Ron Yary was as accomplished as it gets for an offensive lineman in college. However, Yary started off as a defensive lineman. He was voted the Pac-8 defensive lineman of the year and All-West Coast as a defensive tackle. His last 2 seasons at USC, he dominated as a tackle, being named an All-American both years. He was the first USC Trojan to win the Outland trophy, and in his senior year, he won a national championship. He was then selected by the Minnesota Vikings in 1968 as the number 1 overall. He had a Hall of Fame NFL career. He was a 7x pro bowler and a 6x all-pro. Just like in college, he finished his NFL career with a Super Bowl title. Yary is not only in the NFL Hall of Fame but also the College Football Hall of Fame and the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

1969- Running back O.J. Simpson

Before there was Reggie Bush, there was O.J. Simpson, who set the college football world on fire. Simpson at USC was a 2 time all-american, and he won the Heisman in 1968 with the highest margin of victory during that era. He was also a Maxwell winner, during that season. He then was drafted #1 overall to the Buffalo Bills. He won MVP in 1973 and got the Bert Bell award. In his NFL tenure, he was a 4× NFL Rushing Leader in  1972, 1973, 1975, and 1976. Was named to the NFL all-decade team for the 1970s, and was named to the NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams. Once his career was wrapped up, he ended up in the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1977- Running back Ricky Bell

Ricky Bell was another early high-touted running back to come out of USC. Bell in his junior season ran for 1,875 yards rushing in his junior season which propelled him to be the #1 overall pick in 1977. He ended his collegiate career as a national champion, winning one in 1974, and being a 2× unanimous All-American. Bell was taken over Tony Dorsett, which did cause some uproar, but his playing in Tampa Bay with his head coach in college in Tampa Bay definitely played a part too. Bell only finished his NFL tenure with 1 1k rush yards in his 6 seasons. Bell was still named to the College Football Hall of Fame.

1996- Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson

In his two years at USC, he posted back-to-back 1k receiving seasons, and he dominated in two bowl games for USC. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. He was the consensus best receiver in the country during his time,, and the New York Jets took him with the #1 overall pick in 1996. He received a tough reputation in the NFL, but his production made him a very necessary piece to teams trying to win. He was named to the. He has a Super Bowl ring under his belt as well with the infamous Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002.

2003- Quarterback Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer left quite the impression during his time at USC. Carson Palmer finished with his number retired at USC. He won the Heisman trophy award in 2002. He led the Trojans to an Orange Bowl 38-17 victory over Iowa. Palmer was named Orange Bowl MVP. He left USC with a ton of other accolades, propelling him to be the number 1 overall pick by the Bengals. Carson Palmer was Joe Burrow before Joe Burrow. Palmer was a very talented quarterback, but his team was never able to put him in a position to win a championship and get him a serviceable offensive line. Palmer still had a season in 2005 where he led the NFL in passing touchdowns and was the completion percentage leader. He ended his NFL career as a 3x Pro Bowler.

2024- Quarterback Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams was the USC Trojans' most recent success story. Caleb had the college football world in a chokehold, and there was no doubt who was the best quarterback in the country during his time. Lincoln Riley saw his first success with Caleb in 2022, when the Trojans went 11-3 and had a 7-win turnaround. Caleb holds school records for single-season passing yards with 4,537, touchdowns with 42, and total offense yards with 4,919. Caleb Williams won the Heisman, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Player of the Year all in 2022. His 2022 season left no doubt that he should be the #1 pick in 2024, in a stacked quarterback class. His rookie season was a step down from the expectations. Now in better circumstances, Caleb has shown consistent flashes of being the generational quarterback he was meant to be. Caleb, in his first season, led the Bears to an NFC North title and a playoff win vs historic rival the Green Bay Packers. The sky is the limit for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: From OJ Simpson to Caleb Williams, USC still has most No. 1 NFL picks