CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Six Illinois players were named to the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl watch list, the committee announced today. Daniel Barker, Sydney Brown, Jake Hansen, Doug Kramer, Vederian Lowe and Brandon Peters were picked for the watch list. Illinois' six players is tied for sixth in Big Ten and tied for second in the Big Ten West division.
The Reese's Senior Bowl
The Reese's Senior Bowl is the nation's most prestigious college all-star game, as it annually serves as the first step of the NFL Draft process. The Reese's Senior Bowl had 106 total players drafted and 36 selected in the first three rounds of last year's NFL Draft. This year's game will be held February 5, 2022 and broadcast on the NFL Network. Practices will be live on ESPN and NFL Network hosts a daily recap show each evening in primetime.
Daniel Barker | Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List
- 2021 PFF Preseason All-Big Ten third team
- Played in all eight games and started five at tight end in 2020
- 19 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns on the 2020 season
- Second on the team in catches (19) last season
- Second on the team in receiving yards (268) last season
Sydney Brown | Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List
- Started six games at safety last season
- 36 tackles, 0.5 TFL, one forced fumble on the season
- First career forced fumble at Wisconsin 10/23/20
- 2020 Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten second team
- 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team
Jake Hansen | Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List
- 10 career forced fumbles are tied for third-most in program history, behind only Illinois legends Simeon Rice (13) and Whitney Mercilus (11)
- Led the nation in takeaways over the span of two season with 14 from 2019-20
- Only current FBS player with 200 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 10 forced fumbles
- One of 17 FBS players (1 of 3 Big Ten players) to accumulate at least 200 tackles, 25 TFLs and 10 forced fumbles since 2000
- One of six FBS players with at least 200 tackles, 25 TFLs, 10 forced fumbles and three interceptions since 2000
- FBS active leader with 10 forced fumbles
- 2021 Phil Steele Preseason All-American fourth team
- 2021 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten first team
- 2021 Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten second team
- 2021 PFF Preseason All-Big Ten third team
- 2020 All-Big Ten second team (media)
- 2020 All-Big Ten third team (coaches)
Doug Kramer | Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List
- 2021 PFF Preseason All-America honorable mention
- 2021 PFF Preseason All-Big Ten second team
- 2021 Rimington Award watch list
- 2021 Outland Trophy watch list
- 2021 Rotary Lombardi Award watch list
- No. 7 ranked interior offensive lineman returning to college football in 2021, according to PFF
- No. 7 NFL Draft center prospect in the nation by Mel Kiper
- 2021 Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten third team
- 2021 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team
Verderian Lowe | Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List
- 2021 Outland Trophy watch list
- 2020 All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
- 2020 All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches)
- Started all eight games at left tackle last season
- Ended the season with 34 straight starts
- 40 career starts, eight away from tying the Illinois record (Nathan Scheelhaase, QB, 2010-13; Ryan McDonald, C, 2005- 08; Tim Simpson, OL, 1988-91)
Brandon Peters | Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List
- Started five games at quarterback in 2020
- 39-of-80 passing for 429 yards and three touchdowns in 2020
- 24 carries for 136 yards and one touchdown in 2020
- Threw for 205 yards and a touchdown at Nebraska 11/21/20 in his first game back after being sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols
- 2020 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list
- 2020 Maxwell Award watch list
- 152-of-275 passing for 1,884 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2019
- Threw for a career-high 368 yards and three touchdowns against Michigan State 11/9/19 in a 25-point comeback, the biggest comeback in Illinois history, to win 37-34 on a last second touchdown pass to TE Daniel Barker
- Threw for 174 yards and two touchdowns vs. No. 6 Wisconsin 10/19/19 to help Illinois win 24-23 and complete one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten History
