Only 55 underclassmen are in the 2025 NFL Draft prospect pool, but that number could grow next week.
Pro prospects for Notre Dame and Ohio State are allowed to declare for the draft following the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday.
The total of 55 does not include players who are underclassmen in terms of eligibility but completed graduation requirements. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, viewed as a top-40 draft pick by Field Level Media, and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon are included in the draft class as graduates and not considered underclassmen. A total of 15 prospects meet the description.
Colorado’s Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and a projected top-five pick in the draft, Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks and Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham are marquee prospects and headline underclassmen granted early eligibility confirmed by the NFL on Thursday.
Ohio State and Notre Dame players must inform the NFL of their decision to enter the draft by Jan. 24.
The total of 70 non-senior prospects is up from 60 in 2024, but down significantly from recent years.
A record 106 underclassmen entered the 2018 draft pool and there were 99 in 2019.
But there was a significant reduction because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The NCAA responded to shortened or forfeited seasons by granting all fall sports athletes an additional year of eligibility. Even players who were seniors in terms of eligibility did not expend their window to play college sports and had the option of returning to school to play the 2021 season.
In 2022, a total of 100 early entrees were announced at the deadline, which was Jan. 17. There were 73 underclassmen admitted by the NFL with 27 who fulfilled graduation requirements. In 2023, of 82 total prospects approved by the league; 69 players fell into the “special eligibility” or underclassmen category and 13 more were admitted as early graduates.
The complete list provided by the NFL: LeQuint Allen, RB, Syracuse Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas Stone Blanton, LB, Mississippi State Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas Luther Burden, WR, Missouri Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama Will Campbell, OT, LSU Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State Josh Conerly, OT, Oregon Nick Emmanwori, DB, South Carolina Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas Dylan Fairchild, OG, Georgia Harold Fannin, TE, Bowling Green D.J. Giddens, RB, Kansas State Matthew Golden, WR, Texas Mason Graham, DT, Michigan Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon Travis Hunter, DB, Colorado Jordan James, RB, Oregon Shemar James, LB, Florida Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa Will Johnson, DB, Michigan Emery Jones, OT, LSU Kobe King, LB, Penn State Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan Damien Martinez, RB, Miami Marcus Mbow, OG, Purdue Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona Armand Membou, OT, Missouri Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi Jacob Parrish, DB, Kansas State Chris Paul, LB, Mississippi James Pearce, DE, Tennessee Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M Mason Taylor, TE, LSU Azareye’h Thomas, DB, Florida State Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia Cameron Williams, OT, Texas Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia Jared Wilson, C, Georgia Kevin Winston Jr., DB, Penn State
The following underclassmen officially notified the league office that they have fulfilled their degree requirements. Consequently, they are eligible for selection: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State Thomas Fidone, TE, Nebraska Oronde Gadsden, TE, Syracuse Ollie Gordon, RB, Oklahoma State Mike Green, DE, Marshall Maxwell Hairston, DB, Kentucky Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Georgia Drew Kendall, C, Boston College Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State Tristan Michaud, WR, South Dakota Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina Malik Verdon, DB, Iowa State
–Field Level Media
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