

Jayron Hosley attempts to intercept a pass in the third quarter of the Sugar Bowl. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Hosley, who had hinted in recent weeks that Tuesday might be his final game in a Virginia Tech uniform, said he received feedback from an NFL draft advisory board recently indicating he could potentially be a late first-round draft pick or “most likely” a second-round selection.

“It’s gonna be tough walking away but I got to do what I got to do,” Hosley said. “I think I handled my business pretty well.”

The Delray Beach, Fla., native had a spectacular sophomore campaign in 2010, leading the nation with nine interceptions. His play slipped a bit this year as he battled a hamstring injury and suffered a concussion in the ACC championship game. Hosley did, however, finish with a career-high 59 tackles this season.

But his final game at Virginia Tech will be remembered for what could have been.

In the second half, Hosley appeared to have two interceptions off Michigan’s Denard Robinson. On the first one he appeared to make a diving catch, but after an official review, the play was overturned. On Michigan’s next series Hosley appeared to snag another interception but officials called him for pass interference.

It was a case of bowl game déjà vu for Hosley, who dropped what could have been a pick six on Stanford’s Andrew Luck early in the second half that could have changed the momentum in Virginia Tech’s 40-12 Orange Bowl loss to the Cardinal in 2010.

This year, Hosley disagreed with both calls.

“I believe I caught that ball. They didn’t show the replay but I believe I caught it. I guess the ref seen otherwise, “ Hosley said of his first near-interception. “The second pass, I think I was in position. I was looking back for the ball, we both were looking back for the ball. He happened to fall and I got a pick. I guess it is what it is. I’m not mad but I thought they were big plays. The refs thought otherwise.”

As for Virginia Tech running back David Wilson, who is also pondering an early leap to the NFL, he said after Tuesday’s game that he will make an announcement shortly about his decision. Wilson rushed for 82 yards on 24 carries against Michigan, and in the process eclipsed Ryan Williams’s school record 1,655-yard season back in 2009.

Wilson ends his junior season with 1,709 rushing yards, the third player in ACC history to finish a season with more than 1,700 yards.

He also had one of more memorable plays in Tuesday’s game — and it helped contribute to Virginia Tech’s woes in the red zone. The Hokies got inside the Michigan 20-yard line six times but only came away with one touchdown.

On the Hokies’ opening possession of the game they had first-and-goal at Michigan’s four-yard-line when Wilson tried to reverse fields on a running play and ended up losing 22 yards. Virginia Tech had to settle for a Justin Myer field goal as a result. When told how much yardage he lost on the play, Wilson responded, “That’s how many yards it was?”

“The play was designed to hit right outside the tackle and the linebacker filled that gap and I tried to bounce it,” he explained “I guess somebody missed a block and I tried to reverse field and make a play. It just didn’t work out and it got to a point where I had to go down so I didn’t lose more yards.”