2024 NFL Draft early declarations dwindled thanks to NIL, extended eligibility
Ezra Jorgensen | Jan 22, 2024
The best players in college football are staying longer as a result of enhanced NIL ramifications and extended eligibility following the blanket redshirt year caused by the pandemic following the 2024 NFL Draft’s early declaration deadline last week.
Outside of the obvious first-round selections, most of the players on the fence this cycle are returning to school including Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Texas signal caller Quinn Ewers and more than a half-dozen Ohio State starters, among others.
As documented by Reid, the raw number of early NFL Draft declarations is telling:
- 2018: 106
- 2019: 103
- 2020: 99
- 2021: 98
- 2022: 73
- 2023: 69
- 2024: 54
