NEW YORK (AP) -A record 73 underclassmen, including six first-team All-Americans, have been approved for the NFL draft.
That number is eight more than last year.
The six All-Americans were safety Matt Elam of Florida, tight end Zach Ertz of Stanford, tackle Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M, defensive end Bjoern Werner of Florida State, linebacker Jarvis Jones of Georgia and cornerback Dee Milliner of national champion Alabama.
Only Elam is not projected as a high first-round pick, but all six easily could go in the opening round on April 25.
Several scouts and NFL personnel directors believe Joeckel, Werner, Jones and Milliner could go in the top 10.
NFL draft consultant Gil Brandt, the former general manager of the Cowboys, has Joeckel and Werner as his top two prospects.
Also approved was former LSU cornerback-kick returner Tyrann Mathieu, a 2011 All-American. Mathieu, a one-time Heisman Trophy finalist, was dismissed from the team in August after reportedly failing a drug test.
Louisiana State lost a whopping 11 players, including Mathieu. Next were Florida State, Tennessee and Florida, each with four. Michigan State, Stanford, Georgia and Oklahoma each lost three players.
Alabama saw Milliner and running back Eddie Lacy enter the draft.
In all, 38 schools lost players early.
Also leaving school and projected to go high in the draft: LSU DEs Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery; Texas A&M DE Damontre Moore; Georgia LB Alec Ogletree; California WR Keenan Allen; Florida State CB Xavier Rhodes; Ohio State DT Johnathan Hankins; and LSU linebacker Kevin Minter.
Other All-Americans entering early were second-teamers Moore, Hankins, Minter, WR Stedman Bailey of West Virginia, safeties Tony Jefferson of Oklahoma and Eric Reid of LSU. Third-teamers were Montgomery, RBs Giovani Bernard of North Carolina and Stefphon Jefferson of Nevada, WR DeAndre Hopkins of Clemson, and DT Sharif Floyd of Florida.
Only one quarterback, Tyler Bray of Tennessee, applied early for the NFL.
In the last 10 years, the number of early entrants has risen from 43 to 73.
A player must have been eligible to play in college for three years before he can enter the draft. He must petition the NFL in writing and renounce his college eligibility.
Each of the 73 players has met the league's three-year eligibility rule and each has submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for receiving applications was January 15.
The NFL Draft will kick off in primetime for the fourth consecutive year. The first round will be held on Thursday, April 25. The second and third rounds are set for Friday, April 26. Rounds four through seven will be held on Saturday, April 27.
The players granted special eligibility for the NFL Draft the past 10 years:
Year
Players Granted Special Eligibility
* *
Year
Players Granted Special Eligibility
2013
73
2008
53
2012
65
2007
40
2011
56
2006
52
2010
53
2005
51
2009
46
2004
43
The players granted special eligibility for the 2013 NFL Draft:
Number
Player
Pos.
College
1
Allen, Keenan
WR
California
2
Amerson, David
DB
North Carolina State
3
Bailey, Alvin
G
Arkansas
4
Bailey, Stedman
WR
West Virginia
5
Bakhtiari, David
T
Colorado
6
Beckford, Dwayne
LB
Purdue
7
Bell, Le'Veon
RB
Michigan State
8
Bernard, Giovani
RB
North Carolina
9
Bray, Tyler
QB
Tennessee
10
Brown, Terrence
DB
Stanford
11
Carter, Duron
WR
Ohio State
12
Davis, Knile
RB
Arkansas
13
Edwards, Mike
DB
Hawaii
14
Elam, Matt
DB
Florida
15
Ertz, Zach
TE
Stanford
16
Escobar, Gavin
TE
San Diego State
17
Faulk, Chris
T
Louisiana State
18
Floyd, Sharrif
DT
Florida
19
Ford, Michael
RB
Louisiana State
20
Frederick, Travis
C
Wisconsin
21
Geathers, Kwame
NT
Georgia
22
Gholston, William
DE
Michigan State
23
Hankins, Johnathan
DT
Ohio State
24
Harley, Jajuan
DB
Middle Tennessee
25
Hopkins, DeAndre
WR
Clemson
26
Hunter, Justin
WR
Tennessee
27
Jamison, Jawan
RB
Rutgers
28
Jefferson, Stefphon
RB
Nevada
29
Jefferson, Tony
DB
Oklahoma
30
Jenkins, Jelani
LB
Florida
31
Joeckel, Luke
T
Texas A&M
32
Jones, Jarvis
LB
Georgia
33
Jose, Jose
DT
Central Florida
34
Kruger, Joe
DE
Utah
35
Lacy, Eddie
RB
Alabama
36
Lattimore, Marcus
RB
South Carolina
37
Lemonier, Corey
DE
Auburn
38
Logan, Bennie
DT
Louisiana State
39
Maponga, Stansly
DE
Texas Christian
40
Mathieu, Tyrann
DB
Louisiana State
41
Milliner, Dee
DB
Alabama
42
Mingo, Barkevious
DE
Louisiana State
43
Minter, Kevin
LB
Louisiana State
44
Montgomery, Sam
DE
Louisiana State
45
Moore, Brandon
DT
Texas
46
Moore, Damontre
DE
Texas A&M
47
Ogletree, Alec
LB
Georgia
48
Patterson, Cordarrelle
WR
Tennessee
49
Randle, Bradley
RB
Nevada-Las Vegas
50
Randle, Joseph
RB
Oklahoma State
51
Reed, Jordan
TE
Florida
52
Reid, Eric
DB
Louisiana State
53
Reid, Greg
DB
Florida State
54
Rhodes, Xavier
DB
Florida State
55
Richardson, Sheldon
DT
Missouri
56
Robey, Nickell
DB
Southern California
57
Ryan, Logan
DB
Rutgers
58
Sanders, Ace
WR
South Carolina
59
Sentimore, Darrington
DT
Tennessee
60
Simon, Tharold
DB
Louisiana State
61
Sims, Dion
TE
Michigan State
62
Spence, Akeem
DT
Illinois
63
Stills, Kenny
WR
Oklahoma
64
Toilolo, Levine
TE
Stanford
65
Ware, Spencer
RB
Louisiana State
66
Watson, Menelik
T
Florida State
67
Werner, Bjoern
DE
Florida State
68
Williams, Steve
DB
California
69
Wilson, Marquess
WR
Washington State
70
Wing, Brad
P
Louisiana State
71
Wood, Cierre
RB
Notre Dame
72
Woods, Robert
WR
Southern California
73
Wort, Tom
LB
Oklahoma
