There are a record number of underclassmen entering the 2014 NFL draft. The NFL publishes its official list of draft departures this weekend, and more than 90 players are expected to be on it. That would eclipse the previous record of 73 from last year.
But the Big 12 suffered the least attrition of any of the five major conferences, with only three players announcing they were going pro before the Jan. 15 deadline: Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk, Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro and Oklahoma State receiver Josh Stewart.
That pales in comparison to other leagues. The SEC alone has 28 players leaving early. The Pac-12 has 25. Even the ACC has 10.
As for the Big 12, there are two ways to look at this. One, there's a lot of young talent coming back in the league, including the dynamic Baylor pass-catching duo of quarterback Bryce Petty and receiver Antwan Goodley and Kansas State wideout Tyler Lockett, who was uncoverable this season, on offense. On defense, menacing Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker and Texas pass-rushing defensive end Cedric Reed are back.
The other way to look at it, though, is the overall talent of the league is down, relative to other conferences. Amaro is the only one of the early entries who has a shot of being a first-round pick. Nobody else who elected to come back would have had a shot at being first-round selections, either. By contrast, the SEC, Pac-12 and ACC are loaded with underclassmen who figure to be Day 1 picks.
In 2010, the Big 12 had a conference-record nine players selected in the first round, including five underclassmen. That was a banner draft for the conference. This draft will not be.
