The NFL officially released its list Saturday of a record 73 underclassmen who have been granted special eligibility to be selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, a further commentary on the gap between SEC football and everybody else.
On the list are 32 players hailing from SEC schools.
From LSU alone, there are 11.
From the entire Pac-12, the SEC’s nearest competitor? Nine.
Now, submitting one’s name for the Draft, and thus foregoing any remaining college eligibility, does not guarantee an NFL team will come calling on April 25-27. Many juniors have tried their luck at the Draft, only to find themselves waiting on free agent calls from teams looking through the bargain bin or filling out a practice squad.
However, the NFL provides a service for players who have completed three years in college to submit paperwork to a committee which reviews game film and other factors, sending back an approximated grade of where that player might be taken in the Draft.
LSU’s whopping list of 11 underclassmen leaving the program includes five players who were listed anywhere on the all-SEC squads in the 2012 season – as well as Tyrann Mathieu, the “Honey Badger” and cornerback/returner phenom who was dismissed from the program following the 2011 season for failing drug tests.
Florida and Tennessee each have four Draft hopefuls going out, while Georgia has three, including consensus All-American linebacker Jarvis Jones, nose tackle Kwame Geathers and linebacker Alec Ogletree.
Alabama is bidding adieu to tailback Eddie Lacy and cornerback Dee Milliner, while Auburn sends off defensive end Corey Lemonier.
The NFL’s complete list of declared underclassmen can be found here.
SEC UNDERCLASSMEN DECLARED FOR THE 2013 NFL DRAFT
ALABAMA (2)
Eddie Lacy RB
Dee Milliner DB
ARKANSAS (2)
Alvin Bailey G
Knile Davis RB
AUBURN (1)
Corey Lemonier DE
FLORIDA (4)
Matt Elam DB
Sharrif Floyd DT
Jelani Jenkins LB
Jordan Reed TE
GEORGIA (3)
Kwame Geathers NT
Jarvis Jones LB
Alec Ogletree LB
LSU (11)
Chris Faulk T
Michael Ford RB
Bennie Logan DT
Tyrann Mathieu DB
Barkevious Mingo DE
Kevin Minter LB
Sam Montgomery DE
Eric Reid DB
Tharold Simon DB
Spencer Ware RB
Brad Wing P
MISSOURI (1)
Sheldon Richardson DT
SOUTH CAROLINA (2)
Marcus Lattimore RB
Ace Sanders WR
TENNESSEE (4)
Tyler Bray QB
Justin Hunter WR
Cordarrelle Patterson WR
Darrington Sentimore DT
TEXAS A&M (2)
Luke Joeckel T
Damontre Moore DE