Two Illini greats on College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

Two all-time Illinois greats are on the 2025 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.

Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice will hope to join the 18 former Illini in the Hall of Fame, most recently Moe Gardner in 2022.

Hardy won the 1995 Butkus Award and was a First-Team All-American with 105 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He was the No. 2 pick in the 1996 NFL Draft.

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Linebacker Simeon Rice was the very next pick in that draft after earning First-Team All-American honors twice. He also has the most sacks in Big Ten history with 44.5.

The 2025 class will be announced early next year and honored in December 2025.

Here’s a list from FightingIllini.com of all of the Illini in the College Football Hall of Fame:

• Alex Agase, G (inducted 1963)
• Bob Blackman, coach (inducted 1987)
• Al Brosky, DB (inducted 1998)
• Dick Butkus, LB (inducted 1983)
• Chuck Carney, WR (inducted 1966)
• J.C. Caroline, RB (inducted 1980)
• Pete Elliot, coach (inducted 1993)
• Moe Gardner, DT (inducted 2022)
• Jim Grabowski, RB (inducted 1995)
• Harold “Red” Grange, RB (inducted 1951)
• Edward K. Hall, coach (inducted 1951)
• Dana Howard, LB (inducted 2018)
• Bart Macomber, RB (inducted 1972)
• Bernie Shively, G (inducted 1982)
• David Williams, WR (inducted 2005)
• George W. Woodruff, coach (inducted 1963)
• Claude “Buddy” Young, RB (inducted 1968)
• Robert Zuppke, coach (inducted 1951)