This past Monday marked the official deadline for college football players to declare their intentions to participate in the 2021 NFL Draft, with the process this year being a bit different. Due to the ramifications of COVID-19, the NCAA granted all fall sports athletes an additional year of eligibility, which means that seniors now have the option of returning to school for the 2021 season. So while this year’s record-breaking 185 declarations sounds like a massive increase form the 115 who declared last year, it’s because seniors are now included in the process.
The quarterback declarations, although largely predictable, are nonetheless notable. The top three consensus-as-it-stands-now of Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson all chose to come out, joined by second-tier prospects like Alabama’s Mac Jones and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. One player who may regret not utilizing his final year of eligibility would be Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger. In need of more development as a passer, the senior could have benefitted by staying put at Austin and making it work with new coach Steve Sarkisian.
Toping the list in terms of raw numbers at the position is, of course, wide receiver with 32 players coming out. This class promises to be just as stacked as last year’s at both the top of the draft, and in the later rounds. Some names there include Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman and Purdue’s Rondale Moore, two underclassman with decent chances to go on the Draft’s second-day.
Some of the more out-of-the-blue declarations naturally come from the red-shirt juniors, which this year includes a diverse group. Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari will flirt with the first round, so his decision makes a lot of sense. Then there’s my personal draft crush, Notre Dame tight end Tommy Tremble. He’s obviously young, but there’s reason to think his blocking ability could lead to a quick transition to the pros.
Here is the full list:
- Paulson Adebo, DB, Stanford
- Jack Anderson, G, Texas Tech
- Calvin Ashley, T, Florida A&M
- Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville
- Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame
- Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
- Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
- Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri
- Larry Borom, T, Missouri
- Bobby Brown, DT, Texas A&M
- Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina
- Shakur Brown, DB, Michigan State
- Tyson Campbell, DB, Georgia
- Jackson Carman, T, Clemson
- Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Louisiana State
- Brady Christensen, T, Brigham Young
- Andre Cisco, DB, Syracuse
- Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
- Samuel Cosmi, T, Texas
- Aashari Crosswell, DB, Arizona State
- Drew Dalman, C, Stanford
- Christian Darrisaw, T, Virginia Tech
- Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky
- Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State
- Brendan DeVera, LB, ASA JC
- Brennan Eagles, WR, Texas
- Adrian Ealy, T, Oklahoma
- Caleb Farley, DB, Virginia Tech
- Simi Fehoko, WR, Stanford
- Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
- Paris Ford, DB, Pittsburgh
- Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
- Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis
- Kendrick Green, G, Illinois
- Olaijah Griffin, DB, Southern California
- Darren Hall, DB, San Diego State
- Javian Hawkins, RB, Louisville
- Trey Hill , C, Georgia
- Anthony Hines, LB, Texas A&M
- Darius Hodge, LB, Marshall
- Jevon Holland, DB, Oregon
- Jaycee Horn, DB, South Carolina
- Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
- Wyatt Hubert, DE, Kansas State
- James Hudson, T, Cincinnati
- Talanoa Hufanga, DB, Southern California
- Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
- Jermar Jefferson, RB, Oregon State
- Jamar Johnson, DB, Indiana
- Ernest Jones, LB, South Carolina
- Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
- Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
- Kelvin Joseph, DB, Kentucky
- Joshua Kaindoh, DE, Florida State
- Brenden Knox, RB, Marshall
- Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
- Hunter Long, TE, Boston College
- Terrace Marshall, WR, Louisiana State
- Jalen Mayfield, T, Michigan
- Isaiah McDuffie, LB, Boston College
- Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
- Isaiah McKoy, WR, Kent State
- Alim McNeill, DT, North Carolina State
- Evan McPherson, K, Florida
- Ifeatu Melifonwu, DB, Syracuse
- Davis Mills, QB, Stanford
- Dax Milne, WR, Brigham Young
- Trevon Moehrig, DB, TCU
- Elijah Moore, WR, Mississippi
- Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
- Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
- Israel Mukuamu, DB, South Carolina
- Marcus Murphy, DB, Mississippi State
- Josh Myers, C, Ohio State
- Greg Newsome, DB, Northwestern
- Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa
- Tre Norwood, DB, Oklahoma
- Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia
- Joseph Ossai, DE, Texas
- Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State
- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
- Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
- Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo
- Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma
- Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami
- Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
- Blake Proehl, WR, East Carolina
- Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami
- Chris Rumph, DE, Duke
- Asante Samuel, DB, Florida State
- Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn
- Stevie Scott, RB, Indiana
- Penei Sewell, T, Oregon
- Tyler Shelvin, NT, Louisiana State
- William Sherman, T, Colorado
- Jamien Sherwood, DB, Auburn
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Southern California
- Benjamin St-Juste, DB, Minnesota
- Caden Sterns, DB, Texas
- Eric Stokes, DB, Georgia
- Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest
- Patrick Surtain, DB, Alabama
- Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State
- Bryce Thompson, DB, Tennessee
- Tommy Togiai, DT, Ohio State
- Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame
- Joe Tryon, LB, Washington
- Jay Tufele, DT, Southern California
- Marlon Tuipulotu, NT, Southern California
- Christian Tutt, DB, Auburn
- Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, Southern California
- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
- Shaun Wade, DB, Ohio State
- Ar’Darius Washington, DB, TCU
- Connor Wedington, WR, Stanford
- Pro Wells, TE, TCU
- Rachad Wildgoose, DB, Wisconsin
- Adam Williams, P, Memphis
- Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina
- Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech
- Pooka Williams, RB, Kansas
- Seth Williams, WR, Auburn
- Trill Williams, DB, Syracuse
- Marco Wilson, DB, Florida
- Zach Wilson, QB, Brigham Young
- Nahshon Wright, DB, Oregon State