NFL Draft

NFL Announces List of Underclassmen Granted Eligibility for 2024 Draft

After years of watching the list grow, this year's edition is much shorter.

Luke Easterling

NFL Announces List of Underclassmen Granted Eligibility for 2024 Draft
NFL Announces List of Underclassmen Granted Eligibility for 2024 Draft /

The NFL has announced the list of underclassmen who have been granted eligibility for 2024 NFL Draft, and it's a good bit shorter than usual.

In recent years, the league has granted over 100 players special eligibility for the draft in each class, but this year's group is comprised of just 54 prospects who left remaining eligibility at the college level on the table to make the early leap to the pros.

Some of the biggest names in this year's class are on the list, including top quarterbacks like USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye, as well as elite receivers like Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU's Malik Nabers:

Some have speculated that the growth of NIL benefits for student-athletes at the college level contributed to the much lower number of prospects looking to make the jump to the NFL this time around, and it's hard to argue with that angle.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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