NFL announces 69 college football underclassmen granted special eligibility for the 2023 draft

samdg_33

Dallas Cowboys NFL Draft — Jeff Speer | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With the process for the 2023 NFL Draft starting to get underway, some players labeled as underclassmen were still waiting to get the official okay from the league to get things going. Now, per Tom Peliserro of the NFL Network, the NFL has given the green light to several prospects.

Pelisserro tweeted out the list that includes 69 names overall from schools across the country. It features several big-time names expected to be taken near the top of the draft, including Alabama’s duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Bryce Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, and Georgia’s Jalen Carter.

Granted Special Eligibility

RB Israel Abanikanda – Pittsburgh Panthers
RB Devon Achane – Texas A&M Aggies
WR Jordan Addison – USC Trojans
DE MJ Anderson – Iowa State Cyclones
DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah – Kansas State Wildcats
DB Alex Austin – Oregon State Beavers
DB Deonte Banks – Maryland Terrapins
RB Tank Bigsby – Auburn Tigers
WR Kayshon Boutte – LSU Tigers
G Anthony Bradford – LSU Tigers
DB Brian Branch – Alabama Crimson Tide
DT Bryan Bresee – Clemson Tigers
DT Jalen Carter – Georgia Bulldogs
DT Gervon Dexter – Florida Gators
WR Josh Downs – North Carolina Tar Heels
RB Zach Evans – Ole Miss Rebels
DB Emmanuel Forbes – Mississippi State Bulldogs
RB Jahmyr Gibbs – Alabama Crimson Tide
DB Christian Gonzalez – Oregon Ducks
T Anton Harrison – Oklahoma Sooners
LB Nick Herbig – Wisconsin Badgers
DB Brandon Hill – Pittsburgh Panthers
WR Jalin Hyatt – Tennessee Volunteers
WR Rakim Jarrett – Maryland Terrapins
DB Antonio Johnson – Texas A&M Aggies
WR Quentin Johnson – TCU Horned Frogs
T Broderick Jones – Georgia Bulldogs
DB Jaylon Jones – Texas A&M Aggies
DB Brandon Joseph – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
DT Calijah Kancey – Pittsburgh Panthers
TE Tucker Kraft – South Dakota State Jackrabbits
TE Michael Mayer – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
RB DeWayne McBride – UAB Blazers
QB Tanner McKee – Stanford Cardinals
RB Kendre Miller – TCU Horned Frogs
WR Marvin Mims – Oklahoma Sooners
DB Cameron Mitchell – Northwestern Wildcats
RB Keaton Mitchell – East Carolina Pirates
DE Myles Murphy – Clemson Tigers
RB Lew Nichols – Central Michigan Chippewas
DE BJ Ojulari – LSU Tigers
DT J-Min Pelly – Calgary (Canada)
DB Clark Phillips – Utah Utes
DB Joey Porter – Penn State Nittany Lions
QB Anthony Richardson – Florida Gators
DB Eli Ricks – Alabama Crimson Tide
DB Kelee Ringo – Georgia Bulldogs
RB Bijan Robinson – Texas Longhorns
DT Jaquelin Roy – LSU Tigers
LB Drew Sanders – Arkansas Razorbacks
WR Tyler Scott – Cincinnati Bearcats
LB Noah Sewell – Oregon Ducks
T Peter Skoronski – Northwestern Wildcats
DB Cam Smith – South Carolina Gamecocks
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Ohio State Buckeyes
TE Brenton Strange – Penn State Nittany Lions
QB CJ Stroud – Ohio State Buckeyes
C Joseph Tippmann – Wisconsin Badgers
DB Rashad Torrence – Florida Gators
RB Sean Tucker – Syracuse Orange
DE Tuli Tuipulotu – USC Trojans
DB Carrington Valentine – Kentucky Wildcats
DE Lukas Van Ness – Iowa Hawkeyes
RB Deuce Vaughn – Kansas State Wildcats
TE Darnell Washington – Georgia Bulldogs
WR Parker Washington – Penn State Nittany Lions
DB Garrett Williams – Syracuse Orange
DE Colby Wooden – Auburn Tigers
C Luke Wypler – Ohio State Buckeyes

Granted Special Eligibility & Fulfilled Degree Requirements

LB Will Anderson – Alabama Crimson Tide
WR Demario Douglas – Liberty Flames
DE Isaiah Foskey – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
DB Ronnie Hickman – Ohio State Buckeyes
RB Evan Hull – Northwestern Wildcats
T Paris Johnson – Ohio State Buckeyes
T Warren McClendon – Georgia Bulldogs
DE Mike Morris – Michigan Wolverines
LB Trenton Simpson – Clemson Tigers
DT Mazi Smith – Michigan Wolverines
RB Tyjae Spears – Tulane Green Wave
DB DJ Turner – Michigan Wolverines
QB Bryce Young – Alabama Crimson Tide

Inquired but Won’t Need Special Eligibility

QB Hank Bachmeier – Boise State Broncos
TE Jahleel Billingsley – Texas Longhorns
TE Luke Musgrave – Oregon State Beavers
WR Ainias Smith – Texas A&M Aggies

Per the NFL’s rules, only players who have completed four years of eligibility at a school may officially declare for the draft. However, the league may grant this special eligibility to any underclassmen who have been removed from high school for three years.

This is a big step for several of these prospects as they finally start this journey toward their professional aspirations. From here, the race is on from now until the start of the first round come April 27th in Kansas City.