The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2012 NFL draft has come and gone, and a record number of non-seniors have put their names into the prospect pool.
65 underclassmen are officially eligible for the NFL draft, which shatters the previous record of 56, set just a year ago.
Quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Stanford and Robert Griffin III of Baylor headline the list, and are widely expected to hear their names called early in the first round. Griffin III was named the Heisman Trophy winner after his spectacular junior season, and Luck finished second in the voting for college football's most prestigious honor for the second straight year.
Washington junior RB Chris Polk does not crack the official list of underclassmen who are hopeful to hear their name called in April, because his eligibility indicates that he is a senior, and he was invited to the Senior Bowl. Although Polk was listed as a junior and played only three seasons at Washington, he did not apply for a medical redshirt in 2008 as a freshman, and thus his football eligibility has expired.