Arizona opens the NFL season with a mere eight ex-Wildcats on NFL rosters; the number might actually be seven if Chicago running back Ka’Deem Carey is not among the Bears active roster for Sunday’s opener.
Did you realize that even a mid-level Mountain West Conference team like Utah State has eight players on NFL opening day rosters?
USC has 33. Cal 26. The leader is LSU with 38.
This can be traced to the hiring of John Mackovic in 2001; even though Mike Stoops produced Rob Gronkowski and Nick Foles, the UA hasn’t been able to re-
establish its ability to recruit potential NFL players of the 1980s and 1990s.