Vontae says adios...and McDonald's still in the running

Hey I-L-L Nation:

To the surprise of exactly nobody, junior cornerback Vontae Davis has announced he'll seek his fame and fortune in the upcoming NFL draft. Like his brother, Vernon, a few years before, Vontae will be a first-round pick.

He'll talk about his decision a little later this afternoon and we'll discuss it a little more later. As for how it affects Illinois, sophomore Marcus "Miami" Thomas and freshman Tavon Wilson will battle for Davis' job and the Illini will be just fine there. Neither of them will be an All-American type, at least not now, but that's OK.

As for senior center Ryan McDonald, he's one of three finalists for the Bobby Bowden Award that goes to "the Division I-A football player who epitomizes the student-athlete who conducts himself as a faith model in the community, in the classroom and on the field."

Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman and Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee are the other finalists, but my humble opinion suggests that McDonald's resume is more impressive than those other two fine chaps. The winner will be revealed at the FCA breakfast on Jan. 6 in Miami.

Northwestern's Jason Wright won the inaugural Bowden Award in 2003.

Lw