Skokie, Ill. ? Rashard Mendenhall will skip his senior year at Illinois and enter the NFL Draft after rushing for a school-record 1,681 yards while leading the Illini to the Rose Bowl.

After five straight losing seasons, Illinois went 9-4 and upset No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus late in the season on the way to its first Rose Bowl appearance in 24 years. Although the season ended with a 49-17 loss to Southern California, Mendenhall went out in style. He broke off a 79-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and turned a screen pass into a 55-yard gain a few minutes later.