CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The 2021 NFL season opens this week with 12 former Fighting Illini on active rosters and five more on practice squads around the league. Rookies Kedrick Green (Pittsburgh) and Nate Hobbs (Las Vegas), who were both picked in this year's NFL Draft, are expected to make their NFL debuts during Week 1.
Nick Allegretti
G | Kansas City Chiefs
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Allegretti enters his third season in the league with two Super Bowl appearances and one ring. He has played in 23 regular season games and started nine in his first two seasons and also started during Kansas City's playoff run to the Super Bowl last season.
Clayton Fejedelem
S | Miami Dolphins
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Fejedelem is a former Illini walk-on who has become a special teams star in the NFL. He is on his second year of a three-year, $8-million deal.
Kendrick Green
C | Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Green, a third-round pick out of Illinois and Peoria, Illinois, is projected to start at center in his first career NFL game this week. The rookie played guard during his career at Illinois.
Justin Hardee
CB | New York Jets
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
The former Saints special teams standout signed a three-year, $6.75-million deal with the New York Jets in the offseason. Hardee was a wide receiver for Illinois, before entering the league as a cornerback and special teamer.
Nate Hobbs
DB | Las Vegas Raiders
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Hobbs has received national praise during the preseason, including the highest PFF grade among rookie cornerbacks. He is expected to be one of Las Vegas' starting corners in his first career NFL game this week.
Ted Karras
C | New England Patriots
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
The sixth-year veteran Karras is back in New England, where he spent the first four years of his NFL career. He signed a one-year, $3-million deal with the Patriots after spending one season in Miami.
Chase McLaughlin
K | Cleveland Browns
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
McLaughlin is on his sixth team in his first three seasons in the NFL. He won the starting kicking job for Cleveland during the preseason and will suit up as a starting kicker during Week 1 for the first time in his career.
Whitney Mercilus
LB | Houston Texans
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Mercilus is in his 10th season with Houston, where has played 128 games with 100 starts. He has 324 tackles, 54.0 sacks, and 13 forced fumbles during his career.
Dawuane Smoot
DE | Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Smoot is in his fifth season in Jacksonville after signing a two-year, $10-million deal with the Jaguars in the offseason. He had his most productive season last year, totaling 24 tackles and 5.5 sacks while playing in 16 games with his first seven career starts.
Malik Turner
WR | Dallas Cowboys
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Turner is in his fourth season in the league and second in Dallas. He played in six games for the Cowboys last year and has played in 27 career games with three starts, all with the Seahawks in 2019.
Tavon Wilson
S | San Francisco 49ers
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Wilson is in his 10th season in the NFL with his fourth different team. The former second round pick signed a one-year, $1.125-million deal with San Francisco in the offseason.
Jihad Ward
DT | Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Ward is in his seventh season in the league and first season teaming up with former Illini teammate Dawuane Smoot in Jacksonville. He signed a one-year, $2.5-million deal with Jacksonville in the offseason.
PRACTICE SQUADS
Christian DiLauro
OT | Tennessee Titans (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Milo Eifler
LB | Miami Dolphins (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Matt LaCosse
TE | New England Patriots (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Hardy Nickerson
LB | Houston Texans (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Del'Shawn Phillips
LB | New York Jets (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
G | Kansas City Chiefs
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Allegretti enters his third season in the league with two Super Bowl appearances and one ring. He has played in 23 regular season games and started nine in his first two seasons and also started during Kansas City's playoff run to the Super Bowl last season.
Clayton Fejedelem
S | Miami Dolphins
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Fejedelem is a former Illini walk-on who has become a special teams star in the NFL. He is on his second year of a three-year, $8-million deal.
Kendrick Green
C | Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Green, a third-round pick out of Illinois and Peoria, Illinois, is projected to start at center in his first career NFL game this week. The rookie played guard during his career at Illinois.
Justin Hardee
CB | New York Jets
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
The former Saints special teams standout signed a three-year, $6.75-million deal with the New York Jets in the offseason. Hardee was a wide receiver for Illinois, before entering the league as a cornerback and special teamer.
Nate Hobbs
DB | Las Vegas Raiders
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Hobbs has received national praise during the preseason, including the highest PFF grade among rookie cornerbacks. He is expected to be one of Las Vegas' starting corners in his first career NFL game this week.
Ted Karras
C | New England Patriots
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
The sixth-year veteran Karras is back in New England, where he spent the first four years of his NFL career. He signed a one-year, $3-million deal with the Patriots after spending one season in Miami.
Chase McLaughlin
K | Cleveland Browns
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
McLaughlin is on his sixth team in his first three seasons in the NFL. He won the starting kicking job for Cleveland during the preseason and will suit up as a starting kicker during Week 1 for the first time in his career.
Whitney Mercilus
LB | Houston Texans
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Mercilus is in his 10th season with Houston, where has played 128 games with 100 starts. He has 324 tackles, 54.0 sacks, and 13 forced fumbles during his career.
Dawuane Smoot
DE | Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Smoot is in his fifth season in Jacksonville after signing a two-year, $10-million deal with the Jaguars in the offseason. He had his most productive season last year, totaling 24 tackles and 5.5 sacks while playing in 16 games with his first seven career starts.
Malik Turner
WR | Dallas Cowboys
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Turner is in his fourth season in the league and second in Dallas. He played in six games for the Cowboys last year and has played in 27 career games with three starts, all with the Seahawks in 2019.
Tavon Wilson
S | San Francisco 49ers
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Wilson is in his 10th season in the NFL with his fourth different team. The former second round pick signed a one-year, $1.125-million deal with San Francisco in the offseason.
Jihad Ward
DT | Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Ward is in his seventh season in the league and first season teaming up with former Illini teammate Dawuane Smoot in Jacksonville. He signed a one-year, $2.5-million deal with Jacksonville in the offseason.
PRACTICE SQUADS
Christian DiLauro
OT | Tennessee Titans (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Milo Eifler
LB | Miami Dolphins (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Matt LaCosse
TE | New England Patriots (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Hardy Nickerson
LB | Houston Texans (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
Del'Shawn Phillips
LB | New York Jets (Practice Squad)
NFL Bio | Illinois Bio
