The NFL Draft has become an industry unto itself.
Each year the hoopla around the event grows, and the 2012 edition is shaping up to be the biggest yet. So it comes to no surprise that the invitation list to Radio City Music Hall included a record-high 26 prospects this year for the April 26th event, the league announced on Thursday night.
BCS national champion Alabama leads the pack with five attendees, followed by LSU with three while Baylor, South Carolina, Southern California and Stanford will each send a pair to the Big Apple.
Here is a complete list of the top prospects who are attending:
- Mark Barron, S, Alabama
- Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
- Michael Brockers, DT, Louisiana State
- Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State
- Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
- Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
- Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
- Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
- Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
- Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia
- Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
- Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
- Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
- Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
- Matt Kalil, OT, Southern California
- Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
- Shea McClellin, LB, Boise State
- Nick Perry, DE, Southern California
- Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
- Rueben Randle, WR, Louisiana State
- Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
- Devon Still, DT, Penn State
- Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
- Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
- Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
The first round of the draft begins Thursday, April 26 at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds 2-3 will take place on Friday at 7 p.m. ET while rounds 4-7 conclude on Saturday, starting at noon ET.
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*Since 1984, Miami has led the nation with 46 first-round draft picks (10 more than second-place Ohio State) and 93 players drafted in the first three rounds (17 more than second-place Florida State and USC).
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