College Football Underclassmen Who Should Declare for 2024 NFL Draft
As soon as the regular season ends in college football, we're on constant alert for NFL draft declarations.
Some players do not reveal their future plans immediately. Instead, they may be waiting to finish a bowl game—or, most notably, the College Football Playoff—before announcing a stay-or-go decision.
For now, the list of underclassmen entering the 2024 NFL draft is fairly short. Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen, Penn State edge-rusher Chop Robinson, Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton and Miami safeties Kamren Kinchens and James Williams are among the more notable NFL-bound names.
But there will be dozens more announcements on the way.
All of the players highlighted have, as of today, a reasonable chance of being a first- or second-round pick.
Quarterbacks
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If you've followed 2024 draft coverage at all, you're probably very familiar with Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.
Williams, a gifted dual-threat prospect, won the Heisman Trophy last season. He's held a steady place as the presumed No. 1 overall pick, even as USC trudged to a disappointing 7-5 record in 2023.
Maye hasn't attracted the same level of hype as Williams, yet North Carolina's star signal-caller has generally been mentioned as a high-end talent. Also a mobile quarterback, Maye posted back-to-back seasons with 4,000-plus offensive yards, including 400-plus rushing.
Two more QBs to know are Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and Texas' Quinn Ewers. Both are set to appear in the College Football Playoff, where a strong performance could bolster their debatable first-round outlooks.
Offensive Skill-Position Players
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As usual, be ready for a large number of underclassmen receivers to enter the draft. In this cycle, is Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. is the undisputed prize at the position.
Behind him, there's an extensive group of possible first-rounders. LSU's Malik Nabers, Florida State's Keon Coleman and Washington's Rome Odunze are well-respected prospects, while Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, LSU's Brian Thomas Jr. and Texas duo Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell are definitely in early round consideration.
For good measure, keep an eye on FSU's Johnny Wilson, Oregon's Troy Franklin and Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk, too.
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, like Harrison, is the clear top prospect for his spot on the field. Texas standout Ja'Tavion Sanders, though he might not be a first-rounder, is an obvious Day 2 option.
No running back is labeled an elite prospect, but Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Clemson's Will Shipley are versatile Day 2 talents.
Offensive Linemen
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Are you a top-rated offensive lineman? Congrats, well done! You're probably a true or fourth-year junior.
Notre Dame's Joe Alt highlights the third-year players, along with several other tackles who earned 5-star ratings as high schoolers. That group features Alabama's JC Latham, Georgia's Adarius Mims and BYU's Kingsley Suamataia.
Within the fourth-year crowd, Penn State's Olu Fashanu is the headliner. Duke tackle Graham Barton is listed as a senior, although he officially has one year of eligibility remaining. The same goes for three redshirt juniors: Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga, West Virginia center Zach Frazier and Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton.
However, given that B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranks all nine of those players as top-50 prospects heading to the pros is logical.
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Defensive Linemen
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The highest-profile departures, so far, are defensive linemen. Illinois tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, Penn State edge-rusher Chop Robinson and Miami tackle Leonard Taylor are top-20 prospects.
Nevertheless, a few more major decisions are also on the horizon.
Alabama edge Dallas Turner is a potential top-10 pick, and Ohio State edge JT Tuimoloau has first-round talent. Tuimoloau's teammate, Jack Sawyer, is a fringe Day 1 candidate, as well.
Washington's Bralen Trice is a fifth-year player, so calling him an underclassman is a bit misleading. Still, technically a junior.
Linebacker and Defensive Backs
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The return of Clemson's Barrett Carter eliminates one of the best linebackers of the class. As a result, the attention is squarely on his teammate: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., the son of a retired NFL standout.
After him, the only 'backer B/R gave a top-100 ranking is Georgia's Jamon Dumas-Johnson at 92nd—so, a borderline Day 3 pick.
The secondary is a different story.
Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, Clemson's Nate Wiggins, Georgia's Kamari Lassiter, Iowa's Cooper DeJean, Ohio State's Denzel Burke and Penn State's Kalen King should all be three-and-done cornerbacks. Wisconsin's Ricardo Hallman is a candidate, too.
At safety, USC's Calen Bullock, Georgia's Javon Bullard, Clemson's Andrew Mukuba and Michigan's Rod Moore figure to join Miami's Kamren Kinchens and James Williams as early departures.
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