Brandon Flowers' college football career is over, according to his father Willie. An All-American cornerback for Virginia Tech in his sophomore and junior seasons, Flowers will forego his senior year and declare for April's NFL Draft.

"Me and Brandon and his mom, we sat down [Saturday] to look at everything," Willie Flowers said. "We prayed about it and asked the Lord to lead us in the right direction. And we just kind of felt like it was time."

Brandon Flowers was third on the team in tackles this season with 86 and tied for the team lead with five interceptions. In the past two seasons, Flowers has amassed 137 tackles, 15.5 for loss, eight interceptions and 27 passes broken up.

He submitted his paperwork to the NFL advisory committee in December and learned the day after Christmas that he was projected as a second-round pick if he left school early.

The Flowers family, though, believes Brandon has a real chance to be selected in the first round -- a difference of millions of dollars.

"We think they gave him a second-round grade because they don't know how fast he really is," Willie Flowers said. "We're going to get him working out and ready for the combine. And when he does great there, like I know he will, I think he'll move up."

Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator Bud Foster has coached several NFL defensive backs in his 21 seasons with the Hokies and said during last week's Orange Bowl preparations that Flowers was ready for the pros.

Flowers' departure is a big blow for a Hokies defense that loses six other starters from this season to graduation.

They'll now have to replace three of four starting defensive linemen, two of three starting linebackers and two of four defensive backs.