The NFL announced Friday the list of 103 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2019 NFL Draft and 32 players who have fulfilled their degree requirements with college football eligibility remaining.
Each player met the league's three-year eligibility rule and submitted a written application to renounce his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for applications was Jan. 14. An approved list was sent to clubs today.
That docket includes two players invited to last month's Heisman Trophy presentation. Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray took home the most prestigious award in college football, the second in a row for the Sooners. Baker Mayfield won the award last season and was selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns. Since 1990, 18 of the No. 1 overall picks have been underclassmen.
The 5-10, 195-pound Murray became the first FBS player to average at least 300 passing yards and 60 rushing yards per game for a full season. He joined Clemson's Deshaun Watson (2015) as the only FBS players to record at least 4,000 passing yards and at least 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Murray, whose Sooners went 12-2 and won the Big 12 championship before losing to Alabama in the College Football Playoff, led the nation in total yards (school-record 5,362), points responsible for (324; tied), yards per completion (16.8) and yards per pass attempt (single-season FBS record of 11.6).
The 6-3, 220-pound Haskins finished third in the Heisman voting behind Murray and the Crimson Tide's Tua Tagovailoa. After playing just 171 snaps on offense in his red-shirt freshman campaign in 2017, Haskins led the country in passing yards (4,831) and passing touchdowns (50) in 2018. While leading the Buckeyes to a 13-1 season, a Big Ten title and a win over Washington in the Rose Bowl, Haskins set 28 Ohio State records and added seven additional Big Ten Conference records, including single-season passing yards (4,831), touchdown passes (50) and total offensive yards (4,939).
Haskins' teammate Nick Bosa, an All-American defensive end, is also among the underclassmen who declared for this year's draft. He went No. 1 to the Arizona Cardinals in Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft on NFL.com. Haskins, on the other hand, was penciled in for the Giants at No. 6.
The players granted special eligibility for the 2019 NFL Draft:
» Ed Alexander, DT, LSU
» Jeff Allison, LB, Fresno State
» JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford
» Mike Bell, S, Fresno State
» Amani Bledsoe, DE, Oklahoma
» Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
» Miles Boykin, WR, Notre Dame
» A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
» Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
» Sean Bunting, CB, Central Michigan
» Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
» Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
» Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College
» Damarea Crockett, RB, Missouri
» Maxx Crosby, DE, Eastern Michigan
» Tyrel Dodson, LB, Texas A&M
» Greg Dortch, WR, Wake Forest
» Clifton Duck, CB, Appalachian State
» Jovon Durante, WR, Florida Atlantic
» David Edwards, OT, Wisconsin
» Bobby Evans, OT, Oklahoma
» Datryan Evans, TE, Friends
» Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
» Jazz Ferguson, WR, Northwestern State
» Malik Gant, DB, Marshall
» Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
» Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan
» Zach Gentry, TE, Michigan
» Kevin Givens, DT, Penn State
» Jalen Guyton, WR, North Texas
» Mecole Hardman, WR, Georgia
» Kelvin Harmon, WR, N.C. State
» N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
» Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
» Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis
» Nate Herbig, OG, Stanford
» Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State
» Trysten Hill, DT, Central Florida
» T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
» Joshuwa Holloman, RB, Eastern Michigan
» Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia
» Travis Homer, RB, Miami
» Amani Hooker, DB, Iowa
» Lil'Jordan Humphrey, WR, Texas
» Joe Jackson, DE, Miami
» Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
» Andre James, OT, UCLA
» Darryl Johnson, DE, North Carolina A&T
» Diontae Johnson, WR, Toledo
» Tyron Johnson, WR, Oklahoma State
» Michael Jordan, OG, Ohio State
» Vosean Joseph, LB, Florida
» Tre Lamar, LB, Clemson
» Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
» Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State
» Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss
» David Long, CB, Michigan
» Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame
» Alize Mack, TE, Notre Dame
» Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise State
» Connor McGovern, OL, Penn State
» D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
» Shareef Miller, DE, Penn State
» Dillon Mitchell, WR, Oregon
» David Montgomery, Rb, Iowa State
» Trayvon Mullen, DB, Clemson
» Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
» Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
» Isaac Nauta, TE, Georgia
» Chidi Okeke, OT, Tennessee State
» Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
» Jachai Polite, DE, Florida
» Ryan Pulley, CB, Arkansas
» Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
» Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia
» Tyler Roemer, OT, San Diego State
» Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State
» Jordan Scarlett, RB, Florida
» Kendall Sheffield, DB, Ohio State
» Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
» Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic
» Darius Slayton, WR, Auburn
» Irv Smith, TE, Alabama
» Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford
» Savion Smith, DB, Alabama
» Benny Snell, RB, Kentucky
» Dredrick Snelson, WR, Central Florida
» Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M
» Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
» Darwin Thompson, RB, Utah State
» John Ursua, WR, Hawaii
» Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State
» Mike Weber, RB, Ohio State
» Antoine Wesley, WR, Texas Tech
» Devin White, LB, LSU
» Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic
» Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
» James Williams, RB, Washington State
» Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
» Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State
» Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
» Trayveon Williams, RB, Texas A&M
» Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama
The following 32 players have in timely fashion under NFL rules officially notified the league office that they have fulfilled their degree requirements. Consequently, they are eligible for selection:
» Rodney Anderson, RB, Oklahoma
» Alex Barnes, RB, Kansas State
» Ryan Bates, OT, Penn State
» Venzell Boulware, OL, Miami
» Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State
» Xavier Crawford, CB, Central Michigan
» Jamel Dean, CB, Auburn
» Clelin Ferrell, DL, Clemson
» Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma
» Youhanna Ghaifan, DT, Wyoming
» Joe Giles-Harris, LB, Duke
» Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State
» Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
» Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
» Dre'Mont Jones, DL, Ohio State
» Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss
» David Long, LB, West Virginia
» Erik McCoy, OL, Texas A&M
» Jakobi Meyers, WR, N.C. State
» Anthony Nelson, DE, Iowa
» Tony Pollard, RB, Memphis
» Anthony Ratliff-Williams, WR, North Carolina
» Dax Raymond, TE, Utah State
» Quart'e Sapp, LB, Tennessee
» Cortrelle Simpson, WR, Richmond
» Sutton Smith, DE, Northern Illinois
» Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn
» William Sweet, OT, North Carolina
» Josiah Tauaefa, LB, UTSA
» Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
» Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
» Caleb Wilson, TE, UCLA
The following players inquired about their draft status and are eligible for selection without the need for special eligibility:
» Sean Adesanya, DE, Central Michigan
» Blessuan Austin, DB, Rutgers
» Jordan Brailford, DE, Oklahoma State
» Keenen Brown, TE, Texas State
» Byron Cowart, DE, Maryland
» D'Andre Ferby, DE, Western Kentucky
» P.J.Johnson, DT, Arizona
» Daniel LaCamera, K, Texas A&M
» L.J. Scott, RB, Michigan State
A look at the number of underclassmen drafted since 1990:
Year | Drafted | Top-10 Picks | Year | Drafted | Top-10 Picks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 69 | 7 | 2003 | 32 | 5 | |
2017 | 67 | 8 | 2002 | 26 | 2 | |
2016 | 70 | 8 | 2001 | 27 | 5 | |
2015 | 55 | 6 | 2000 | 20 | 4 | |
2014 | 61 | 6 | 1999 | 22 | 5 | |
2013 | 52 | 3 | 1998 | 19 | 3 | |
2012 | 44 | 8 | 1997 | 25 | 6 | |
2011 | 43 | 8 | 1996 | 16 | 4 | |
2010 | 46 | 5 | 1995 | 22 | 2 | |
2009 | 41 | 5 | 1994 | 25 | 6 | |
2008 | 39 | 4 | 1993 | 24 | 5 | |
2007 | 29 | 5 | 1992 | 21 | 5 | |
2006 | 33 | 6 | 1991 | 19 | 1 | |
2005 | 37 | 4 | 1990 | 18 | 5 | |
2004 | 35 | 5 |
The number of players granted special eligibility for the NFL Draft the past 10 years:
Year | Players Granted Special Eligibility |
---|---|
2019 | 103 |
2018 | 106 |
2017 | 95 |
2016 | 96 |
2015 | 74 |
2014 | 98 |
2013 | 73 |
2012 | 65 |
2011 | 56 |
2010 | 53 |