Blame it on the still skittish economy, the uncertainty that seems to acquaint college football these days, or, most likely the increasing allure of the professional sportsworld.

Whatever the reason, the NFL will have more early entrants available for its upcoming draft than ever before this year.

A record 65 players have decided to forgo their remaining eligibility to enter the draft. That’s up from a total of 56 last year, 53 in 2010 and 46 in 2009.

It’s doubtful the NFL doesn’t consider this progress, but the highly successful league and its commissioner, Roger Goodell, haven’t exactly condemned the practice. Striking while the iron is hot is the American way, and NFL draft analysts and evaluators tend to rate promise over production when in doubt.

Take last year for example. Several seniors who finished off terrific careers – including the Big Ten defensive line trio of Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan, Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn, and Ohio State’s Cameron Heyward – all ended up being selected in the first round. So did veteran quarterbacks Jack Locker and Christian Ponder.

However, Ponder, a Florida State product, ended up going 12th to Minnesota and a couple picks after early entrant Blaine Gabbert of Missouri, who was selected 10th overall by Jacksonville. Locker, out of Washington, was the eighth pick, going to Tennessee, but some projections going into the season had him in the top spot that Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton seized after leading Auburn to the national championship.

Newton not only headlined the draft as he did the regular season and the postseason, he also was one of 14 underclassmen who were selected in the first round. That includes Aldon Smith of Missouri, who was gobbled up with the seventh overall pick by San Francisco. A defensive end, Smith was just a redshirt sophomore.

In fact, 11 of the first 14 picks of the draft were for players who could have returned to college this past season, the exceptions being the aforementioned quarterbacks Locker and Ponder and Texas A&M outside linebacker Von Miller, who went second to Denver.

Even with those figures many experts questioned why some college stars would stay put and risk injury. However, the decision seemed to work out well for, among others, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who added to their resumes in the Fiesta Bowl and may go 1-2 in this year’s draft.

Also leaving a year of eligibility behind is Baylor QB Robert Griffin III, who is fresh off an amazing junior season that netted him several records and the 2011 Heisman. He also is projected to go in the top five.

Luck was the runner-up to Newton and Griffin in the Heisman voting the last two seasons, but he’s sitting on a very big payday if he is taken first overall by the suddenly hapless Indianapolis Colts as is expected by virtually every draft prognosticator.

Three other quarterbacks – Arizona State’s gigantic Brock Osweiler, Oregon’s dynamic Darron Thomas and Auburn’s efficient Barrett Trotter – also left school early and applied for the NFL draft.

Alabama coach Nick Saban is still clutching the crystal football after the Crimson Tide won the BCS National Championship Game with a 21-0 decision over SEC rival LSU, but three of his star players are departing a year early – linebacker Dont’a Hightower, defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick and running back Trent Richardson.

The Big Ten is losing seven players to early departures for NFL riches, including Michigan State defensive lineman Jerel Worthy, Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus and Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff, who all could be first-day picks.

For the second consecutive year, no Ohio State players left early for the draft. Even though several of the team’s top juniors – defensive ends John Simon and Nate Williams, tight end Jake Stoneburner, fullback Zach Boren, corner Travis Howard and safety Orhian Johnson, to name a few – project as potential pros, none of them tempted fate this time.

Certainly none of those players would have figured to go in the first round but considering the team is coming off a 6-7 season, is now dealing with turnover with the coaching staff and also is facing a postseason ban after this season, it’s noteworthy that the seniors-to-be all decided to return.

Simon could benefit the most with a big senior year. He recorded 53 tackles in 2011 including teams highs in tackles-for-loss (16) and QB sacks (seven).

Williams was lost early in the season to an injury but has applied for a medical redshirt and will return as a senior to serve as the other bookend to Simon.

Stoneburner missed the Gator Bowl vs. Florida but still ended up tying wideouts Devin Smith and Philly Brown for the team lead in receptions during the season with 14. He also led all receivers with seven touchdown catches, three of them coming in the season-opening win over Akron.

OSU’s departing seniors who are hopeful of being drafted include running back Boom Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey, linebacker Andrew Sweat, and offensive linemen Mike Adams, Mike Brewster and J.B. Shugarts.

The 2012 NFL draft is April 26-28.

The following is an alphabetical list of the 65 players with NCAA eligibility remaining who were granted special eligibility for the 2012 NFL draft:

Alvester Alexander, RB, Wyoming
Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
Edwin Baker, RB, Michigan State
Mike Ball, RB, Nevada
Jamison Berryhill, RB, Texas
Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Michael Brockers, DT, Louisiana State
Bryce Brown, RB, Kansas State
Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
Orson Charles, TE, Georgia
Morris Claiborne, DB, Louisiana State
Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Tiree Eure, TE, Minnesota
Marcus Forston, DT, Miami
Stephon Gilmore, DB, South Carolina
Chris Givens, WR, Wake Forest
Dorian Graham, WR, Syracuse
Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Jewel Hampton, RB, Southern Illinois
Cliff Harris, DB, Oregon
Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State
Max Holloway, DE, Boston College
Jayron Hosley, DB, Virginia Tech
Janzen Jackson, DB, McNeese State
LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
Aldarius Johnson, WR, Miami
Damaris Johnson, WR, Tulsa
Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
Matt Kalil, T, Southern California
Dre Kirkpatrick, DB, Alabama
Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Ronnell Lewis, DE, Oklahoma
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Terrell Manning, LB, North Carolina State
Jonathan Martin, T, Stanford
Bobby Massie, T, Mississippi
Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State
Eric Page, WR, Toledo
Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina
Nick Perry, DE, Southern California
Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
Ken Plue, G, Purdue
Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
Rueben Randle, WR, Louisiana State
Riley Reiff, T, Iowa
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Josh Robinson, DB, Central Florida
Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
Darrell Scott, RB, South Florida
Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami
Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon
Johnny Thomas, DB, Oklahoma State
Phillip Thomas, DB, Syracuse
Barrett Trotter, QB, Auburn
Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami
Brandon Washington, T, Miami
David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State


The following is a listing of the first round of last year’s draft:
1     Carolina – Cam Newton, QB, Auburn*
2     Denver – Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M
3     Buffalo – Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama*
4     Cincinnati – A.J. Green, WR, Georgia*
5     Arizona – Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU*
6     Atlanta (trade) – Julio Jones, WR, Alabama*
7     San Francisco – Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri@
8     Tennessee – Jake Locker, QB, Washington
9     Dallas – Tyron Smith, OT, USC*
10     Jacksonville (trade) – Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri*
11     Houston – J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin*
12     Minnesota – Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
13     Detroit – Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn*
14     St. Louis – Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina*
15     Miami – Mike Pouncey, C, Florida
16     Washington (trade) – Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
17     New England – Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
18     San Diego – Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois*
19     N.Y. Giants – Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
20     Tampa Bay – Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
21     Cleveland (trade) – Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
22     Indianapolis – Anthony Castonzo, OT, BC
23     Philadelphia – Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor
24     New Orleans – Cameron Jordan, DE, California
25     Seattle – James Carpenter, OG, Alabama
26     Kansas City (trade) – Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pitt
27     Baltimore – Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
28     New Orleans (trade) – Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama*
29     Chicago – Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
30     N.Y. Jets – Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, Temple*
31     Pittsburgh – Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
32     Green Bay – Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

* -- indicates left after his junior season
@ -- indicates left after his sophomore season