After a disappointing junior campaign, Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn has decided that his time in the collegiate game has come to an end, choosing to forgo his senior season with the Illini and head to the pro game next fall.

At the beginning of the season, Benn was projected as a top 20 pick by many analysts, but quickly fell down most draft boards thanks in large part to his team’s poor play this year. Illinois finished the season with a 3-9 record.

“Today, I am announcing that I will forgo my senior season and enter the NFL Draft. It’s a great milestone, a great thing to do, and I feel I’m ready to do it. Being a student here at the University has been everything I thought it could be. I want to thank Coach Zook for that…I especially want to thank my Mom for being here, and pushing me to be the best that I could be.”

– Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn

Benn certainly has the physical skill set to be a solid receiver at the next level, and could push his draft stock back into the day one discussion with a good showing at the scouting combine next spring.