Underclassmen Draft Intentions

College underclassmen don't have to announce their intentions for the 2017 NFL Draft until January 16. That's when they have to file declaration papers with the league. Some underclassmen have already made their intentions known.

James Conner, RB, Pitt
D'Onta Freeman, RB, Texas
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
Wayne Gallman, RB, Clemson
Jermaine Grace, LB, Miami
Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Nazair Jones, DT, North Carolina
DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
Jerome Lane, WR, Akron
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
Artavis Scott, WR, Clemson
Damore'ea Stringfellow, WR, Mississippi
Eddie Vanderdoes, DL, UCLA
Charles Walker, DL, Oklahoma
DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

A few things:

The 2017 running back draft class is going to be ridiculous. Conner, Freeman, Fournette, Gallman, and McCaffrey could be joined by fellow underclassmen Dalvin Cook, Royce Freeman, Nick Chubb, and others. If an NFL team is looking for a game-changing, chain-moving back this spring they will have a bunch to choose from.

Clemson is losing a lot of offensive firepower. Their quarterback, top back, and top receivers in DeShaun Watson, Wayne Gallman, Mike Williams, and Artavis Scott. The Tigers should be fine. Under Dabo Swinney they just reload the talent every year.

I see some of Minnesota Vikings great Chuck Foreman in the running of Gallman.

Damore'ea Stringfellow is quite a name.

The following underclassmen are intending to return to school.

Mason Cole, C, Michigan
Marquis Haynes, DE, Mississippi
Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Josey Jewell, LB, Iowa
Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Mike McGlinchey, T, Notre Dame
Jordan Thomas, CB, Oklahoma
Armani Watts, S, Texas A&M

Josey Jewell sounds like a Marvel super hero.

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There will be many more players declaring for the draft between now and that January 16 deadline. There were 96 last year. 30 of those football hopefuls went undrafted.