The NFL requires college prospects to be three years removed from high school before they are eligible to enter the NFL draft. Consequently, some draft prospects forego their final year(s) of college eligibility and declare for the NFL draft as soon as possible.
This year, the NFL has granted “special eligibility” to 54 players. Additionally, four other underclassmen “have fulfilled their degree requirements with college football eligibility remaining and are also eligible for selection,” the league announced last week.
The list is headlined by the top two quarterbacks in this year’s class: Drake Maye of North Carolina and Caleb Williams of USC (LSU’s Jayden Daniels is a fifth-year senior so he did not need special eligibility).
Also on the list is Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., a junior who totaled 1,211 receiving yards and scored 14 touchdowns last fall.
Here’s a look at the full list of underclassmen and players granted special eligibility for the 2024 NFL draft.
| Name | Pos | College | |
| 1 | Ajou, Ajou | WR | Garden City CC |
| 2 | Allen, Braelon | RB | Wisconsin |
| 3 | Alt, Joe | T | Notre Dame |
| 4 | Amegadjie, Kiran | T | Yale |
| 5 | Arnold, Terrion* | DB | Alabama |
| 6 | Bishop, Cole | DB | Utah |
| 7 | Booker, Austin | DE | Kansas |
| 8 | Bowers, Brock* | TE | Georgia |
| 9 | Brooks, Jonathon* | RB | Texas |
| 10 | Bruce, Arland* | WR | Oklahoma State |
| 11 | Bullard, Javon | DB | Georgia |
| 12 | Bullock, Calen* | DB | Southern California |
| 13 | Coleman, Keon | WR | Florida State |
| 14 | Colson, Junior* | LB | Michigan |
| 15 | DeJean, Cooper* | DB | Iowa |
| 16 | Elliss, Jonah | DE | Utah |
| 17 | Estimè, Audric | RB | Notre Dame |
| 18 | Fisher, Blake | T | Notre Dame |
| 19 | Franklin, Troy | WR | Oregon |
| 20 | Hall, Michael* | DT | Ohio State |
| 21 | Harrison, Marvin* | WR | Ohio State |
| 22 | Hicks, Jaden* | DB | Washington State |
| 23 | Irving, Bucky | RB | Oregon |
| 24 | King, Kalen | DB | Penn State |
| 25 | Lassiter, Kamari | DB | Georgia |
| 26 | Latham, J.C.* | T | Alabama |
| 27 | Little, Cam | K | Arkansas |
| 28 | Maye, Drake | QB | North Carolina |
| 29 | McCarthy, J.J.* | QB | Michigan |
| 30 | Mims, Amarius | T | Georgia |
| 31 | Mitchell, Adonai* | WR | Texas |
| 32 | Nabers, Malik | WR | LSU |
| 33 | Polk, Ja’Lynn* | WR | Washington |
| 34 | Powers-Johnson, Jackson | C | Oregon |
| 35 | Rakestraw, Ennis | DB | Missouri |
| 36 | Robinson, Chop | DE | Penn State |
| 37 | Rosengarten, Roger* | T | Washington |
| 38 | Sanders, Ja’Tavion* | TE | Texas |
| 39 | Shirden, Jaden | RB | Monmouth (N.J.) |
| 40 | Smith, Maason* | DT | LSU |
| 41 | Steele, Carson | RB | UCLA |
| 42 | Suamataia, Kingsley | T | BYU |
| 43 | Taylor, Leonard | DT | Miami (Fla.) |
| 44 | Thomas, Brian | WR | LSU |
| 45 | Trotter, Jeremiah* | LB | Clemson |
| 46 | Turner, Dallas* | LB | Alabama |
| 47 | Vaki, Sione | DB | Utah |
| 48 | Wallace, Trevin | LB | Kentucky |
| 49 | Wiggins, Nate | DB | Clemson |
| 50 | Williams, Caleb* | QB | Southern California |
| 51 | Williams, James | DB | Miami (Fla.) |
| 52 | Wingo, Mekhi | DT | LSU |
| 53 | Worthy, Xavier | WR | Texas |
| 54 | Wright, Jaylen | RB | Tennessee |
The following four players fulfilled their degree requirements with college football eligibility remaining and are also eligible for selection.
| Name | Pos | College | |
| 1 | Kinchens, Kamren* | DB | Miami (Fla.) |
| 2 | McKinstry, Kool-Aid* | DB | Alabama |
| 3 | Murphy, Byron* | DT | Texas |
| 4 | Shipley, Will | RB | Clemson |
The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.
