Brotherhood is often preached in the NFL, but is it always practiced? The best teams would certainly say so. In recent years, however, the mantra has become more literal, with championship squads like the Philadelphia Eagles not only collecting talent but prioritizing talent with proven chemistry: Think Vic Fangio’s recent title-winning defense, which featured a small army of former Georgia Bulldogs, who’d already shown they could win together by capturing a national championship in the college ranks.
It got us thinking: Which other teams are powered by college-turned-NFL teammates? Which mash-ups of longtime pals currently set the standard at the professional level? And where do those Georgia-bred Eagles rank among them? Is it a coincidence Philadelphia’s been to two of the last three Super Bowls, considering how many of their players fall into this category?
Below are 10 of the best 2025 NFL groupings that include former NCAA teammates still working together. Some of these teammates came into the NFL together, practically never leaving each other’s side. Others are freshly reunited after spending NFL seasons apart. All of them, however, have enough juice as a unit to warrant serious attention this coming season:
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Cody Benjamin
College: Ohio State
This season will mark the first time Fields and Wilson play catch as an NFL contingent, but they have two years of experience thanks to a 2019-2020 partnership for the Buckeyes. Both were also fresh on the Ohio State scene when they made their starting debuts — Fields as a Georgia transfer and Wilson as a true freshman. Wilson found himself on the receiving end of five of Fields’ career-high 41 touchdown passes in 2019, three years before he was drafted by the New York Jets.
College: Ohio State
McLaurin is currently at odds with Washington brass over prolonged contract negotiations, but if history is any indication, he’ll be locked up before long. He and Lattimore were first reunited midway through 2024, when the former New Orleans Saints cornerback arrived via trade. Prior to that, the two practiced against each other from 2014-2016 at Ohio State. McLaurin stayed in school two years after Lattimore left, but both wasted no time becoming top-end NFL playmakers.
College: Georgia
Say hello to half the Eagles defense! Carter may be the one bona fide stud of the group, which fully overlapped with the Bulldogs in 2020, but the relentless Smith could be the next to break out off the edge of the Birds’ title-winning front. Dean is coming off an injury but has been a vocal anchor for the linebacker corps. And Ojulari, the newest addition of the Georgia bunch, could be a sneaky sack artist after a mercurial start with the rival New York Giants, afforded a one-year, prove-it deal in free agency.
College: Alabama
This is a prime testament to Brad Holmes’ roster construction in Detroit, where the Lions boast some of the best young talent in the game. These three former Crimson Tide stars overlapped in 2022, just after fellow Lions weapon Jameson Williams also left Alabama, and currently serve as confident cornerstones of an NFC heavyweight. Gibbs may already be one of the most dynamic ball carriers in football, and both Arnold and Branch still have room to grow as headliners of the Lions secondary.
College: Alabama
Another Crimson Tide bunch that demonstrates the recruiting power of the Saban era, this trio is newly reunited thanks to Fitzpatrick’s recent trade back from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tagovailoa and Waddle have enjoyed four seasons of direct NFL partnership, with the latter logging three straight 1,000-yard receiving campaigns from 2021-2023. The key to their continued success centers primarily on whether they can stay on the field, as injuries have routinely dinged both.
College: Alabama
Both standouts got to Green Bay at the same time, joining the Packers as prized free agents prior to 2024. Well before that, they were cornerstones of Nick Saban’s Alabama powerhouse from 2017-2018, helping propel the Crimson Tide to a combined 27-2 record during that span. Now they might be two of the Packers’ best playmakers, finally freed from more tumultuous opening stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, respectively.
College: Alabama
Humphrey is a Ravens lifer, entering Year 9 as a mainstay of Baltimore’s defense, while Henry only joined the fun in 2024, proving he’s still got superhuman legs with a 1,900-yard debut in purple. They previously spent two Alabama seasons together from 2014-2015, just before “King Henry” landed with the Tennessee Titans. The only concern you might have with them is they’re no longer spring chickens.
College: Louisville
Jackson alone could warrant a top spot in this list, given his increased efficiency as a quarterback to go along with unmatched electricity as an off-script big-play machine. Now he’s got his old college buddy on the other side of the field, with Alexander inking a one-year deal in Baltimore following a splashy, if injury-riddled, seven-year run with the Packers. Before they were drafted 14 picks apart and became NFL icons, Jackson and Alexander represented the Cardinals from 2015-2017.
College: Alabama
Hurts finished his college career at Oklahoma, but he spent 2017-2018 alongside Smith in Tuscaloosa, helping bring the wideout up to Alabama speed when he was a true freshman. Since then, the two have been to two Super Bowls and claimed one Lombardi Trophy, bringing a rugged fortitude to the Eagles’ all-star offense. Not included here is fellow Alabama product Landon Dickerson, a meaty leader for Philadelphia’s vaunted O-line, who just missed playing with Hurts in college.
College: LSU
Is it any wonder that Burrow and Chase are currently the NFL’s most prolific quarterback-receiver duo? Fresh off a 2024 campaign in which they separately led the league in touchdown passes (43) and receiving yards (1,708), the two previously headlined LSU’s 2019 national title. That one year of ridiculous college production, in which Burrow lofted 60 (!) scores, has seamlessly translated to the pro stage, where No. 9 routinely airs it out to let Chase work his own magic. Even when the Bengals aren’t stacking wins, they’re must-see TV thanks to their dynamic duo.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
July 11, 2025 | 9:30 am
