The National Football League announced the names of 74 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2015 NFL Draft and 10 players who have graduated with college football eligibility remaining and are also eligible for selection in the April 30-May 2 draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Each of the 74 players granted special eligibility has met the league's three-year eligibility rule and each has submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for receiving applications was Jan. 15.
There were a record 98 early entrants in the 2014 draft; there were 73 in the 2013 draft, 65 in 2012, 56 in 2011, 53 in 2010, 46 in 2009, 53 in 2008, 40 in 2007 and 52 in 2006. The number of underclassmen had increased six years in a row. The number of underclassmen requesting input from the NFL Draft Advisory Board fell from 214 for the 2014 draft to 149 this time around.
Last year, four of the first six picks and six of the top 10 were underclassmen, led by overall No. 1 selection Jadeveon Clowney. In addition, 16 of the 32 first-round selections were underclassmen. Each overall No. 1 pick from 2009-12 was an underclassman, as well.
In NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah's first mock draft of the year, each of the projected top three picks is an underclassmen, as well as eight of the top 10. In addition, 11 of his top 14 prospects and 16 of his top 20 overall are underclassmen.
Florida State had the most underclassmen declare, with five. Florida and USC were second with four each.
The players granted special eligibility for the 2015 NFL Draft:
» Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
» Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State
» Kwon Alexander, LB, LSU
» Javorius Allen, RB, USC
» Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
» Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
» Alex Carter, DB, Stanford
» B.J. Catalon, RB, TCU
» Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
» Jalen Collins, DB, LSU
» Landon Collins, DB, Alabama
» Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
» Xavier Cooper, DT, Washington State
» Christian Covington, DT, Rice
» DaVaris Daniels, WR, Notre Dame
» Ronald Darby, DB, Florida State
» Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina
» Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland
» Lorenzo Doss, DB, Tulane
» Mario Edwards, DE, Florida State
» Durell Eskridge, DB, Syracuse
» George Farmer, WR, USC
» Max Flores, LB, Northern Colorado
» Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
» Dante Fowler, DE, Florida
» Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
» Jacoby Glenn, DB, Central Florida
» Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
» Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
» Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
» Deontay Greenberry, WR, Houston
» Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
» Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
» Chris Hackett, DB, TCU
» Eli Harold, DE, Virginia
» Chris Harper, WR, California
» Braylon Heard, RB, Kentucky
» Gerod Holliman, DB, Louisville
» D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
» Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
» David Irving, DT, Iowa State
» Jesse James, TE, Penn State
» Duke Johnson, RB, Miami
» Matt Jones, RB, Florida
» Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers
» Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA
» Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
» Patrick Miller, OT, Auburn
» Tyler Moore, G, Florida
» Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DT, Southern Mississippi
» Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
» Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
» Marcus Peters, DB, Washington
» Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
» Darius Philon, DT, Arkansas
» Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson
» Jaquel Pitts, WR, Trinity International
» Jeremiah Poutasi, OT, Utah
» Darien Rankin, LB, North Carolina
» Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
» Josh Robinson, RB, Mississippi State
» James Sample, DB, Louisville
» Jean Sifrin, TE, Massachusetts
» Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
» Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
» Max Valles, LB, Virginia
» Easton Wahlstrom, LS, Arizona State
» Trae Waynes, DB, Michigan State
» Leonard Williams, DE, USC
» Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
» P.J. Williams, DB, Florida State
» Trey Williams, RB, Texas A&M
» Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
» T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama
The following 10 players have in timely fashion under NFL rules officially notified the league office that they have graduated. Consequently, they are eligible for selection in the 2015 NFL Draft:
» Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State
» Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
» Zach D'Orazio, WR, Akron
» Charles Gaines, DB, Louisville
» Dee Hart, RB, Colorado State
» Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
» Nigel King, WR, Kansas
» Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
» Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
» Tacoi Sumler, WR, Appalachian State
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