Per ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid, the number of early departures from the college ranks has substantially decreased in recent years and that total continues to dwindle. In the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, only 54 underclassmen players made declarations — less than half of the total (106) from 2018. Among the most notable early-entries, most came at the quarterback position, including USC's Caleb Williams, UNC's Drake Maye and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy. Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. is another, despite reports of enhanced NIL opportunities with the Buckeyes.
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
Recent Miami transfer commit Cameron Ward, who previously announced earlier this month he was entering the draft, chose another year in college with the Hurricanes