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

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.