Dre Brown was facing the possibility of returning for a sixth year with the Illini, but he indicated Monday that he will not return for 2020.

Brown battled multiple injuries during his time at Illinois. Those injuries limited him to just over 300 yards total heading into the 2019 season.

This year, Brown was healthy and split time in the backfield with Reggie Corbin. Brown finished second on the team with 545 yards rushing and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.

When it comes to 2020, Brown indicated that he and his wife simply felt the time was right to move on. He said he has given his all to Illinois and that he is ready for his next step.

Jeremy Werner with the Illini Inquirer shared Brown’s comments:

“Just going back and forth, there’s pros and cons,” Brown told Illini Inquirer after Illinois completed its first bowl practice on Monday. “There’s risks to both sides. I just felt like I gave everything I had to Illinois. Anything I do, I just want to give it my all. I just don’t know how maybe exhausted next year would be or whatnot. Me and my wife sat down and just laid out the pros and cons. Just ready for the next step. I’m going to focus on beating Cal and being with my teammates for this last month. Then after that, just focusing on the NFL and preparing for that.”

Brown penned a brief note to Illini Nation on Twitter Monday evening:

Hopefully, Brown is able to land with a team and carve out a role for himself at the next level. Brown was named the team’s Offensive MVP for 2019.