Irving, TX (CHAMBANA TODAY) – Two former Illinois football standouts, linebacker Kevin Hardy and defensive end Simeon Rice, have been named to the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the National Football Foundation announced Monday.

Hardy, the 1995 Butkus Award winner and consensus All-American, recorded 105 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and three interceptions during his Illini career. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and team captain, and he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rice, a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten honoree, holds Illinois and Big Ten records with 44.5 career sacks and 69 tackles for loss. He also set the Illini single-season sack record with 16 and was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

Illinois currently has 18 members in the College Football Hall of Fame, including Dana Howard (2018) and Moe Gardner (2022). Legends such as Red Grange and Dick Butkus are also among the Illini inductees. The 2027 class will be announced early next year, with induction ceremonies to follow at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.