2020 NFL Draft: Full list of 115 players approved as early entrants

Each year, a large group of players leave college football early for the NFL Draft, forfeiting a year or two of remaining college eligibility to turn professional. This year, the total number of players leaving early for the draft is at 115, with 99 of them being granted “special eligibility.”

Typically, a player becomes eligible for the NFL Draft if he has either graduated college or if his college football eligibility has expired. However, the league also grants special draft eligibility to players who formally apply for the Draft if they are at least three years removed from their high school graduation. The latter players are typically referred to as underclassmen, a group that has seen numbers in the 90s or above for each of the past five seasons.

This year, 99 players requested and received special eligibility for the 2020 NFL Draft, a number that is down a bit from last year’s 103 and the record of 106 in 2018. In addition, 16 players have declared for the draft after graduating but while still having college football eligibility remaining, bringing the total number of early entrants in this year’s draft up to 115.

Fans of the Wisconsin Badgers will note that this year’s draft class has three underclassmen Badgers: running back Jonathan Taylor, offensive lineman Tyler Biadasz, and wide receiver Quintez Cephus. The college program with the largest number of early entrants is LSU, however, as they have eight underclassmen and one graduated player declaring early in 2020.

The full list of early entrants who have been ruled eligible for the 2020 NFL Draft despite having college eligibility remaining is below: