North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and 33 others were granted special eligibility for the 2024 NFL Draft.
The special classification allows draft-eligible players to participate in games like the East-West Shrine Bowl, HBCU Legacy Bowl and Senior Bowl. The change is part of a soft deadline — which was Jan. 5 — altered to aid in the planning and invitation process of these games.
All other draft-eligible players have a deadline of Jan. 15 to declare for the draft or remain in school.
Maye is No. 2 in the 2024 class in Field Level Media’s rankings. Prominent underclassmen expected to enter the draft but not on the early entrant list distributed by the NFL to teams on Tuesday include USC quarterback Caleb Williams, considered a candidate for the No. 1 overall pick, and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr., the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison (Colts), caught 155 passes and 31 touchdowns in three years with the Buckeyes.
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, another All-American projected as an early pick, is also not on the early list from the league.
The list of 34 players includes Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen, Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt and running back Audric Estime, Florida State receiver Keon Coleman, LSU receiver Malik Nabers and Texas wideout Xavier Worthy.
Each of the players met the NFL’s three-season eligibility rule and renounced their eligibility with written notification to the NFL office by Jan. 5.
In addition, Clemson running back Will Shipley notified the NFL that he has fulfilled his degree requirements and also is eligible.
The players granted special eligibility for the 2024 NFL Draft:
Name/Pos./College
Ajou Ajou, WR, Garden City C.C.
Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
Joe Alt, T, Notre Dame
Kiran Amegadjie, T, Yale
Cole Bishop, DB, Utah
Austin Booker, DE, Kansas
Javon Bullard, DB, Georgia
Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
Jonah Elliss, DE, Utah
Audric Estimé, RB, Notre Dame
Blake Fisher, T, Notre Dame
Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Kalen King, DB, Penn State
Kamari Lassiter, DB, Georgia
Cam Little, K, Arkansas
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Amarius Mims, T, Georgia
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
Ennis Rakestraw, DB, Missouri
Chop Robinson, DE, Penn State
Jaden Shirden, RB, Monmouth (N.J.)
Carson Steele, RB, UCLA
Kingsley Suamataia, T, BYU
Leonard Taylor, DT Miami (Fla.)
Brian Thomas, WR, LSU
Sione Vaki, DB, Utah
Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky
Nate Wiggins, DB, Clemson
James Williams, DB, Miami (Fla.)
Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU
Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
The following underclassman has in timely fashion under NFL rules officially notified the league office that he has fulfilled his degree requirements. Consequently, he is eligible for selection:
Name/Pos./College
Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
–Field Level Media