The LSU-Florida rivalry is always heated on the field.
That will carry over into Super Bowl 56, where six players from each school will be playing in the matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams.
LSU, which had the most players in Super Bowl 55 with six, has five players in this year’s game. That includes quarterback Joe Burrow and rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who picked up where they left off after leading the Tigers to the national championship in 2019. Tyler Shelvin was on that team too and also plays for Cincinnati.
The Rams picked up former LSU receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this season, and veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth was on the BCS national championship team underNick Saban in 2003.
Florida also is well-represented. Kicker Evan McPherson has emerged as a postseason star, and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and tackle Fred Johnson play for the Bengals. Receivers Van Jefferson and Brandon Powell play for Los Angeles.
Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Washington all have four players in Super Bowl 56. Alabama, Purdue and Texas A&M Have three. Here's a breakdown of the Bengals and Rams’' rosters by college.
Super Bowl 56 players by college
| COLLEGE | BENGALS | RAMS | TOTAL |
| Florida | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| LSU | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Clemson | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Georgia | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Ohio State | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Washington | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Alabama | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Purdue | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Texas A&M | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Cincinnati | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Colorado | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| FAU | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Florida State | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Iowa | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Maryland | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| N.C. State | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Penn State | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Pitt | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Stanford | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TCU | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Utah | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Wake Forest | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Auburn | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Azusas Pacific | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Baylor | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Boise State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Boston College | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Brown | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Concordia College St. Paul | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| East Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Eastern Washington | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Iowa State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kansas | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Missouri | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nevada | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Oklahoma State | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ole Miss | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Oregon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Oregon State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rutgers | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| South Florida | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Southern Miss | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tennessee-Chattanooga | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tulane | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| UAB | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Utah State | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Virginia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Western Kentucky | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Super Bowl players by conference
| CONF | CIN | LAR | TOTAL |
| SEC | 12 | 13 | 25 |
| Big Ten | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| ACC | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| Big 12 | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Pac-12 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| American | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| C-USA | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| FCS | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| MWC | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Division II | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Ivy | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Bengals roster by college
The Cincinnati Bengals roster can be seen here.
The Bengals have four Ohio State players on their roster, and that includes defensive starters Sam Hubbard, Eli Apple and Vonn Bell. Tackle Isaiah Prince also played for the Buckeyes. Of course, Burrow’s college career began at Ohio State before he transferred to LSU.
We mentioned the Florida and LSU players on the Bengals’ roster, but they also have three Clemson players. That includes receiver Tee Higgins, tackle Jackson Carman and defensive tackle D.J. Reader.
Cincinnati has 12 players from the SEC and 11 players from the Big Ten on its roster. Only 10 of the Bengals’ 53 players are from outside the Power 5 conferences.
Rams roster by college
The Los Angeles Rams roster can be seen here.
Georgia and Washington have the most players on the Rams’ roster. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Sony Michel and linebacker Leonard Floyd all played for the Bulldogs. Washington safety Taylor Rapp, defensive lineman Greg Gaines and offensive lineman Coleman Shelton also are on the roster.
The Rams have 13 SEC players on their roster, and five different SES schools have multiple players on the team. Alabama and Texas A&M have two apiece. A’Shawn Robinson and Terrell Lewis represent the Crimson Tide. Von Miller and Bobby Brown III represent Texas A&M.
Los Angeles also has nine players from the Big Ten on its roster. The Rams, however, also have three FCS players, two Division II players and Brown defensive lineman Michael Hoecht from the Ivy League.
Super Bowl roster oddities
— Aside from LSU and Florida, Oklahoma is the only other school with multiple players on both teams. Running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine play for the Bengals. Bobby Evans and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo represent the Rams.
—Delaware, a FCS school, has a player on each roster. Bengals defensive tackle Zach Kerr and Rams inside linebacker Troy Reeder both played for the Blue Hens.
—Super Bowl 56 is in Los Angeles, but neither USC nor UCLA has a player in this year’s matchup.