CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Six Illinois football players have accepted invitations to senior all-star games – five to the East West Shrine Game and one to the Reese's Senior Bowl – to be played in late January. The games, and workouts leading up to them, are used as a scouting tool for NFL teams and other professional football leagues.
Reese's Senior Bowl | Website
Mobile, Ala. // Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Jan. 30, 2016 // 1:30 p.m. CT // NFL Network
Jihad Ward accepted an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl in November. Last year's Reese's Senior Bowl featured 76 players who were drafted, including five first-round picks.
DL Jihad Ward » The 6-6, 295-pound defensive lineman totaled 53 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, two PBUs, two QB hurries one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2015 to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. In two seasons at Illinois, the juniori college transfer totaled 104 tackles, 12.0 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, three PBUs, three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries while seeing snaps at both defensive end and defensive tackle.
East West Shrine Game | Website
St. Petersburg, Fla. // Tropicana Field
Jan. 23, 2016 // 3 p.m. CT // NFL Network
Illinois will send five of its seniors to the 91st edition of the East West Shrine Game. Last year's game included more than 90 players that received NFL training camp invites after being either drafted or signed as free agents.
WR Geronimo Allison » The 6-4 wide out was the Illini's No. 1 target in 2015, leading the team with 65 receptions and 882 receiving yards, while also scoring three touchdowns. In two seasons at Illinois, Allison totaled 106 catches for 1,480 yards and eight touchdowns.
DB V'Angelo Bentley » One of the more versatile players in the nation, Bentley was a three-year starter at cornerback, a four-year star in the return game and saw some time as a running back in 2015. He's the career kick return yardage record holder at Illinois (1,860 yards) and is only player in program history with a kick return, punt return, interception return and fumble return for a touchdown in his career. During his four years, he totaled 133 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, one sack, two interceptions, 15 PBUs, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
FS Clayton Fejedelem » Fejedelem walked-on at Illinois after transferring from NAIA St. Xavier University. He became a star for the Fighting Illini, leading the Big Ten in tackles with 140 in 2015, the most by a Fighting Illini since 2006, while also adding 4.5 TFLs, nine PBUs, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one touchdown on a blocked punt return to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors.
RB Josh Ferguson » Ferguson finished his career listed highly in Illinois' record book for career all-purpose yards (2nd, 4,474), career rushing yards (6th, 2,586), career receptions (3rd, 168) and career touchdowns (7th, 26). In 2015, he earned third-team All-Big Ten honors by averaging 110 scrimmage yards per game in nine games (708 rushing, 280 passing) and scoring five touchdowns.
OL Ted Karras » Karras was an anchor on the Illinois offensive line for the last four years, making 43 career starts. In 2015, he played 88.6% of snaps for the Illini's offensive line that allowed just 1.67 sacks per game.
