Sydney Brown has been a productive player throughout his career at Illinois. Now, he’s gearing up for a jump to the NFL and revealed his plans for Illinois’ ReliaQuest Bowl appearance.

In a note on social media, Brown thanked the work of Bret Bielema, Ryan Walters and his teammates before announcing he will forego the bowl game in preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft.

“To my teammates, thank you! The brotherhood and bonds we have created through adversity are relationships that will last a lifetime,” Brown wrote via social media. “It has been an honor competing with each one of you — You have pushed me to become the best version of myself…

“After careful consideration and prayer, I have decided to forego the upcoming bowl game to start preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft. Thank you for everything Illini Nation!”

In the 2022 season, Brown finished second on the Illini with 60 tackles and led the team with 6 interceptions and 2 defensive touchdowns. For his career, Brown has 320 tackles, 10 interceptions, 16 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles and 10 TFL.

With a nose for the football, it will be interesting to see how Brown fits in at the NFL level.