Golden, Griffin, Victor among NFL early entrants

(STATS) - When healthy in recent seasons, Towson's Darius Victor was one of the top running backs in the FCS.

Victor hopes for better health at the NFL level than the way he ended his career at Towson. He's seeking an opportunity as one of three FCS players - joined by McNeese defensive tackle Isaiah Golden and Texas Southern wide receiver Derrick Griffin - among the 95 players whom the NFL announced Friday as early entry candidates for the April 27-29 draft in Philadelphia.

Southern Illinois defensive end Khari Waithe-Alexander also was one of eight players who entered the draft after informing the NFL they had completed their degrees despite having remaining eligibility.

The 5-foot-8, 215-pound Victor was included for early entry because the NCAA granted him a medical redshirt for his senior season after he was limited to four games by an ankle injury. He played through ankle and back injuries in 2015 while surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the second consecutive season.

Victor, the 2013 CAA Football rookie of the year for Towson's national runner-up squad, finished his career with 3,309 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns. Fully recovered, he has been training at the Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore.

Golden and Griffin met the NFL's three-year eligibility rule before renouncing their remaining eligibility. Golden, a 6-2, 325-pound redshirt junior, was a two-year starter at McNeese after transferring from Texas A&M in 2015. The 6-7, 240-pound Griffin starred for Texas Southern in 2015 as a redshirt freshman, but was dismissed from the team last September for breaking team rules.

Waithe-Alexander, a 6-2, 262-pound redshirt junior, was a two-year starter at Southern Illinois, collecting nine sacks in that time.

The NFL's deadline to apply for early entry was Jan. 16. The 95 gaining special eligibility was one below last year's total and three blow the record 98 in 2014.