Record 98 underclassmen declare for the NFL draft

[daemonova]

Updated: January 19, 2014, 4:33 PM ET
Associated Press


NEW YORK -- A record 98 underclassmen, including Johnny Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney, have made themselves eligible for the NFL draft in May.



Underclassmen Declaring For Draft

The NFL announced Sunday that 98 underclassmen were granted eligibility for the 2014 draft. That's the most ever, smashing last year's record.

YearEarly Entrants
201498
201373
201265
201156
201053
-- ESPN Stats & Information


The league released the list of early entrants Sunday and said the number has risen six straight seasons. The deadline for underclassmen to apply was Jan. 15.

Last year, 73 underclassmen entered the draft. The year before it was 65, and in 2011 it was 56.

Also, four players who recently graduated and still have eligibility left are joining the draft class but aren't included in the number. Most notable among those is Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Southern California defensive backDion Bailey, Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford and Alabama linebacker Adrian Hubbardare also juniors who have informed the league they have graduated.

Among the early entrants expected to be selected near the top of the draft are Manziel, the Texas A&M quarterback, Clowney, the defensive end from South Carolina, and Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins.

The draft is May 8-10 in New York.

LSU for the second straight season had the most players of any school to leave early. The Tigers had seven early entrants this season, including wide receivers Jarvis Landry andOdell Beckham Jr., after 11 LSU players left early last year.

Alabama and Southern California each had five leave early, along with California. Cal, which went 1-11, has six players listed among the early entrants, but that includes defensive end Chris McCain, who was dismissed from the team in September.

National champion Florida State lost four players early, including All-American defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who caught the winning touchdown in the BCS National Championship against Auburn. Notre Dame, Florida and South Carolina also had four early entrants.
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@daemonova
98 underclassmen in CFL declared for the NFL draft, a new record, either they can get paid or they need to move on #slaveryover







Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press

 

[godkiller]

Every one of these dudes screamed in exhalation before tossin aside the NCAA's chains and sprinting butt naked into the wild. Free at last, free at last.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Every one of these dudes screamed, "SLAVERY IS OVER! I HAVE EARNED MY FREEDOM!" before breaking the NCAA's chains and running butt naked into the wild.

 

[FaTaL]

better get it before they get hurt

 

[He Who Posts Well]

Hopefully most of them still finish out their degrees to have something to fall back on.

 

[MoneyTron]

Get that money brehs.

Dudes on college boards always talking about "I wish he'd stay one more year so he can get xxx award and lead us to xyz game"

Stop.

 

[Freedman]

Every one of these dudes screamed in exhalation before tossin aside the NCAA's chains and sprinting butt naked into the wild. Free at last, free at last.

I'm sure most people would love to be enslaved to a free college education

 

[daemonova]

I'm sure most people would love to be enslaved to a free college education

no one is knocking the education, but undergraduate degrees don't mean as much as they used to any more, colleges are not paying and they are not allowing you to make money off your talent. moreover, the NFL makes you stay three years so that they can have a free farm system, three years is not going to stop you from stealing a laptop, smoking weed, punching a classmate or fukking a white girl. either you going to learn to be mature or you're not..

 

[malbaker86]

98 underclassmen and only like 250 draft slots no? Bout to be a lot of disappointed fools on draft day

 

[Mr210]

Not newsworthy

 

[WaddupDoe!]

98 underclassmen and only like 250 draft slots no? Bout to be a lot of disappointed fools on draft day

Means some good UDFA.

 

[daemonova]

98 underclassmen and only like 250 draft slots no? Bout to be a lot of disappointed fools on draft day

and that's fine, that's the gamble all im saying is three years is enough to do something for free when you put your body at risk. so join the league or if all else fails go out for the military

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

It speaks to the level of how soft and dumbed down football has become. making the jump from college to pro's use to be the hardest when it came to the NFL. Not anymore.

 

[daemonova]

Tears await several of 98 underclassmen going pro
12:09 pm January 20, 2014, by Andy Johnston

Johnny Manziel likely will be one of the first underclassmen picked in this year's NFL Draft. (AP)

The gigantic list of college underclassmen heading to the NFL includes many of the players we expected to see on it.

There’s Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, Johnny Manziel (who ESPN guru Mel Kiper Jr. has going No. 1) and Marqise Lee, among others.

The list keeps going until it reaches a record 98 names.

Ninety-eight!

Just think, 98 college underclassmen think they’re strong or fast or smart or good enough to make it on a NFL roster. Each one has his reasons for going, but some of them won’t be drafted and won’t make teams next fall.

The list has increased each of the past six years.

When 56 underclassmen declared in 2011, it set a record.

Another record was established when 65 left early in 2012.

The mark was increased to 73 last year.

Now, it’s at 98.

That list that includes 20 wide receivers.

The reasons to leave are numerous, from wanting to support their families to disliking their coaching staff, from being academically ineligible to getting to relying on bad advice.

Some, like Clowney, Manziel and Watkins, will go fast.

Others won’t go at all. Some might sign as free agents, but many will never play in the NFL.

I understand the rush.

Most young NFL players won’t make the big money until their second pro deal. Many want to get there as fast as they can, so they leave college early.

I don’t blame that solely for the record exodus, but it does play a part.

Anyway, they all have their reasons to turn pro.

Many will be disappointed when their name isn’t called.

You can follow me on Twitter: @AJ_Writes