Junior cornerback Vontae Davis announced today that he plans to enter the 2009 NFL draft. He is ranked as the No. 8 draft prospect by Scouts Inc. for ESPN.

“It has been a goal of mine for a long time to have the opportunity to play in the NFL,” Davis said in a statement released by the school. “I thank Coach Zook and all my teammates at Illinois who have helped me get to this place. Because I was able to get on the field early at Illinois and because Coach Zook believed in me so much, I think I am ready for the new challenge that professional football brings. I have had great support from everyone - starting with my family and Coach Jeffries at Dunbar - who have helped me come to this very important decision. I know there is a lot of work ahead of me, but I am very excited about the journey I am about to begin.”

Davis was a three-year starter for the Illini, making an immediate impact on the team as a true-freshman. He earned unanimous Freshman All-America honors and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. As a sophomore, Davis broke onto the national scene with 76 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and four interceptions. He also had eight passes broken, which ranked sixth in the Big Ten. His career game came in the Rose Bowl, when he posted 13 solo tackles against USC. For his season, Davis was named first-team All-Big Ten.

Last season, he entered his junior year as a 2008 Playboy All-American and touted by many preseason publications as the one of the Big Ten’s and nation’s best cornerbacks. He finished the year second on the team in tackles with 78 and seven tackles for loss. He recorded two interceptions and another eight PBUs, and ranked third in the Big Ten in forced fumbles with three. Davis once again was a first-team All-Big Ten pick and for the second straight year was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back. He also earned third-team All-America honors from Rivals.com and fourth-team from Phil Steele Magazine.