TCU OL Alan Ali declares for 2023 NFL Draft

TCU offensive lineman Alan Ali has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, he announced via Twitter Wednesday. Ali just wrapped up his first season with the Horned Frogs after transferring from SMU.

Ali was a key piece of the TCU offensive line this season protecting Max Duggan and helped the Horned Frogs to the national championship game in Sonny Dykes’ first season at the helm.

“Since I was 8 years old, I’ve always wanted to be a Horned Frog,” Ali wrote. “Being able to live out my childhood dream this past season at TCU has been the best experience of my life. Thank you to the best fan base in college football for the constant support all year. I wanted to come to this university to help build something special. After 13 wins and a Fiesta Bowl championship, I think we accomplished that goal.”

Thank you TCU for the best season of my career! pic.twitter.com/iHVEKYhH4K

— Alan Ali (@Alan_Ali76) January 11, 2023

Out of high school, Ali was a three-star recruit and the No. 480 recruit in the nation from the 2017 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.