Illinois Football: Two Illini defensive stalwarts declare for the 2023 NFL Draft

Two Illinois football superstars will not see the field in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Just minutes before the Illini basketball team was set to take the floor at State Farm Center, Devon Witherspoon and Sydney Brown, two of the catalysts of the Illini football defense, announced their decisions to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft.

The news means that neither Brown nor Witherspoon will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Mississippi State on January 2. At press time, the odds favor Illinois by one point.

Brown posted a heartfelt message to Twitter, thanking the players, coaches, and fans alike for five years with the program.

Witherspoon, the 12th Consensus All-American from the Illini since 1950 and 21st in program history, echoed similar feelings. Witherspoon was originally a recruit with no stars to his name just three seasons ago.

How did these two Illinois football superstars go out on top?

In their last game in the Orange and Blue, Witherspoon and Brown turned Ryan Field into a suburban Illini home game, as a 41-3 victory against Northwestern saw the defense create six turnovers.

Among those six turnovers, Brown was able to take two of the turnovers into the end zone for scores. Witherspoon also joined the turnover party with a 57-yard interception that opened the floodgates early.

Both men have left their mark on the program and look toward future success on Sundays.