Aug. 3, 2026, 10:39 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
In order to prevent college football players from entering the NFL draft too early and possibly going undrafted, the NFL College Advisory Committee (CAC)<\/a> is there.<\/p>\n The CAC provides official, objective pre-draft evaluations to underclassmen considering the option to declare early for the draft.<\/p>\n High level NFL personnel evaluators (even General Managers) are involved in creating these assessments, so, as one might imagine, there is a high demand for this service.<\/p>\n In order to keep from “overloading the system,” or “flooding the zone” (to use a more current catch-phrase) a cap is in place. Each college program is typically capped at five underclassmen submission requests per year.<\/p>\n Naturally, special exceptions can sometimes be made, but the idea is to limit the overall number, so that the evaluations we do get are more accurate.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n At Big Ten Media Days, Illinois<\/a> head coach Bret Bielema listed three of his players who are candidates for this draft grade assessment process. With Illinois enjoying one of their best NFL player producing periods in program history<\/a>, working with these protocols is an ever increasing part of Bielema’s job.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I do think we got some up-and-comers in this whole transfer portal, right? Now you’re getting guys that you think you know are good players, but you don’t know until you see them,” Bielema said to reporters at the Hilton Chicago this past week.<\/p>\n “But a guy like Jaheim Clarke,\u00a0I actually reached out to AJ Edds (the Big Ten’s Vice President, Football Administration) at the Big 10<\/a> office to call the NFL, because (with) the NFL you can only turn in five undergrad guys for grade assessment, but like I’m going to have probably five guys that would be fourth year players that under the rule as it’s written now, you can’t turn in their grades.”<\/p>\n Bielema mentioned Clarke again, as well as two more players, as he elaborated further on this topic:\u00a0<\/p>\n “Like Jaheim Clarke, Mac Resetich, Kaden Feagin<\/a>, we’ve got a number of guys that I think could be draft eligible, but I still think for them to come back and play one more year could be a benefit to them.<\/p>\n “So a little bit of a wait and see on that one.”<\/p>\n Clarke, DB Matthew Bailey<\/a> and quarterback Katin Houser were the three players that Bielema selected to attend Big Ten Media Days with him and represent the University of Illinois. Clarke particularly stands out, as he’s struck up a friendship<\/a> with former Illini and current Detroit Lions All-Pro Kerby Joseph.\u00a0<\/p>\n Seeing what Joseph has been able to accomplish, at the next level, is especially motivating for Clarke.<\/p>\n