Jackson Free Press

A http://www.nfl.com/combine/participants">list of the full 330 participants for the underwear olympics, also known as the 2017 NFL Combine, is official. The http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/2/15/14625550/nfl-combine-players-invites-list-2017">Southeastern Conference is sending the most players of any FBS conference with 66 players receiving an invite.

The ACC is second with 60 players receiving an invite. Third is the Big Ten with 51, and the Pac 12 is fourth with 46. Power Five conference the Big 12 will send just 19 players, and Group of Five conference the American Athletic Conference will send 18.

Right now, the Big 12, which didn’t want to expand, is the weakest Power Five conference and in danger of becoming the next Big East in the power group. Conference USA, Mountain West and Mid-American Conference will send 11 players each. The Sun Belt and FBS independent schools are sending five players each.

The http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/nfl-combine-2017-participants-list-invites-most-by-school-college-michigan-ohio-state-alabama-clemson/x90sbpixwgnb13pt729uefsw3">University of Michigan leads all schools with 14 players heading to the combine. Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama are tied for second with 10 players each. LSU and Alabama are sending more players than the Big 12 conference as a whole

Texas A&M University, Clemson University and the University of Miami, Florida are third, with nine players heading to the event. The University of http://www.nfl.com/combine/participants">Mississippi is sending four players, and http://www.nfl.com/combine/participants">Mississippi State University is sending two.

The Rebels who are heading to the combine are wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo, defensive end Fadol Brown, tight end Evan Engram and defensive tackle D.J. Jones. MSU players are wide receiver Fred Ross and offensive tackle Justin Senior.

Receiving an invite to the combine is extremely helpful for players who hope to be drafted. Still, it doesn’t mean a player will be drafted. One hundred and seventeen players who participated in last year’s combine went undrafted.

While six players from two Mississippi universities are heading to the combine, several players didn’t get an invite. Some big names got left off the list.

Two quarterbacks ended up getting snubbed for the combine: Rebels quarterback http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000785972/article/chad-kelly-among-notable-prospects-not-invited-to-2017-combine">Chad Kelly and the University of Southern Mississippi quarterback Nick Mullens.

Kelly injured his ACL and wouldn’t be able to workout, but teams could have interviewed him. He has some legal baggage from his past that might have been a factor him not going to the event.

Mullens didn’t have the same success his senior season that he did as a junior. A new coach and injuries kept him from being his best this season, but he didn’t have a terrible year.

Wide receiver http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000785972/article/chad-kelly-among-notable-prospects-not-invited-to-2017-combine">Damore’ea Stringfellow won’t be joining his UM teammates at the Combine. He plead guilty to an assault charge in 2014 while he was a member of the University of Washington, which will keep him from going this year.

USM offensive lineman Cameron Tom ended his career as one of the best lineman in Conference USA but got snubbed. In fact, no draft-eligible players from the Golden Eagles got an invite to the combine.

MSU defensive end http://sports.usatoday.com/2016/12/24/jefferson-wont-play-in-bowl-but-wanted-to-be-with-msu/">A.J. Jefferson won’t be at the combine either. He sat out the bowl game after having shoulder surgery after the Egg Bowl but still played in 11 games with the injury.

One of the biggest snubs might be Jackson State University linebacker http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/nfl-draft-heres-who-shined-at-east-west-shrine-game-nflpa-collegiate-bowl/">Javancy Jones. After an outstanding week on the field and in interviews, Jones still couldn’t get an invite.

Rebels safety Tony Conner was part of the major recruiting class from 2013 and won’t join Engram at the combine. Injuries and struggles on the field might have kept him from getting an invitation.

These players NFL dreams aren’t dead because they aren’t going to the Combine. They still have a chance to blow scouts away at their school’s Pro Day. There is also this tidbit: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2017-nfl-combine-invitations-ole-miss-qb-chad-kelly-among-biggest-snubs-surprises/">38 players who didn’t attend the combine were drafted last year, and http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/nfl-combine-2017-invites-snubs-participants-not-invited-players/173mc48vquvce1wyxoovrnsoz0">15 percent of the players drafted each year don’t receive an invite.