Career Notes

• Three-time team captain
• 12 career forced fumbles are second-most in program history, behind only Illinois legend Simeon Rice (13) 
• 12 career forced fumbles are tied for the sixth-most in Big Ten history
• Finished his Illini career with 276 tackles, 28.5 TFLs, seven forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, six PBUs, and three interceptions
• Led the nation in takeaways over the span of two season with 14 from 2019-20
• Led the team in tackles in 2018 and 2020 
• Eight career double-digit tackle performances
• Led the team in tackles eight times in his career
• One of two Big Ten players since 2000 with two games of 10-plus tackles and two forced fumbles in the same season (2019), joining Chris Borland from Wisconsin who accomplished the feat in 2011 and was coached by Bret Bielema
• 2021-22 Illinois Athletics Spirit Award winner

Career Highlights

2021 Senior

• Team captain
• Illinois Athletics Spirit Award winner, which is given annually to the male and female student-athletes who best exemplify the spirit, courage, effort, and dedication of the Fighting Illini
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Announced Oct. 20 that he underwent knee surgery and missed the remainder of the season
• 32 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, one fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles in six games played
• Tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles
• Recorded a team-high 12 combined tackles including 1.0 sacks against Maryland 9/17/21
• Two forced fumbles including six combined tackles and 0.5 TFLs against Virginia 9/11/21
• Phil Steele Preseason All-American fourth team
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten first team
• Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten second team
• PFF Preseason All-Big Ten third team

2020 Senior

• All-Big Ten second team (media) 
• All-Big Ten third team (coaches) 
• Team captain
• #3 tackling grade in the nation according to PFF (90.8)
• Hansen Big Ten rankings in 2020: #5 in TFLs, #8 in forced fumbles, #10 in fumble recoveries, #10 in tackles, #12 in interceptions
• Four straight games with a forced fumble, fumble recovery or interception
• 68 tackles, 10.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions on the season
• Matched career high and lead the team with 15 tackles at Rutgers 11/14/20, along with a sack,  one interception, and one pass breakup.
• Top-graded linebacker in Power-5 the week of Nov. 13/14 by PFF (81.3)
• 14 tackles, two TFLs, forced fumble and fumble recovery against Purdue 10/31/20
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten second team
• Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten third team
• Bednarik Award watch list
• Butkus Award watch list
• Nagurski Award watch list

2019 Junior

• Played and started nine games at linebacker
• Butkus Award Semifinalist
• Team captain
• Missed the final four games with an injury
• All Big-Ten honorable mention (coaches)
• All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
• 72 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, one interception, seven forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries on the season
• Led the nation in forced fumbles (7) and forced fumbles per game (0.78)
• Ranked sixth in the nation in fumbles recovered (3)
• No. 17 graded linebacker in the nation by PFF and No. 5 in the Big Ten (79.6) 
• Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after two forced fumbles vs. No. 6 Wisconsin 10/19/19 to help Illinois win 24-23 and complete one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten History
• PFF Big Ten Team of the Week after Akron game 8/31/19
• Seven tackles, a forced fumble and an interception in season opener vs. Akron, 8/31/19
• First career interception in season opener against Akron 8/31/19

2018 Sophomore

• Started all 12 games at linebacker
• 95 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, one PBU, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one QB hurry on season
• Tied for the Illinois lead in tackles (95) and led Illinois in solo tackles (48)
• Second on the team in TFLs (8.5)
• First career forced fumble against Minnesota 11/3/18
• First career sack at Maryland 10/27/18
• First career PBU at Rutgers 10/6/18
• Illinois single-game record-tying 6.0 TFLs in the season opener against Kent State 9/1/18
• The 6.0 TFLs against Kent State 9/1/18 tied for the seventh-most in Big Ten history
• Game-high and career-high 15 tackles (10 solo) against Kent State 9/1/18
• PFF National Team of the Week and Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after 15 tackle, 6.0 TFL performance vs. Kent State.
• Won team’s Bruce Capel Award for courage

2017 Sophomore

• Did not play in 2017 after suffering season-ending injury during training camp

2016 Freshman

• Played in all 12 games, primarily on special teams, with one start at linebacker
• Eight tackles and one QB hurry on the season
• First career start vs. Minnesota
• Two tackles against Minnesota and Northwestern
• QB hurry at Northwestern

High School

• Three-star recruit by Scout
• Ranked among the top 100 O LBs nationally by Scout (No. 99)
• Ranked among the top 100 inside linebackers nationally by ESPN.com (No. 60) and 247Sports (No. 98)
• Totaled 103 tackles (75 solo) and 2.0 sacks as a senior
• Class 7A Associated Press All-State second team in 2015
• Also played basketball and ran track and field in high school
• Honor roll student (4.3 GPA)

Personal

• Born June 19, 1998
• Son of Shad and Lori Hansen
• Has two younger siblings, Lane (brother) and Jessie (sister)
• Father, Shad Hansen, played football at BYU from 1989-92 and is the school’s all-time leading tackler (408)
• Graduated with a degree in kinesiology
• Graduated with a master's degree in recreation, sport, and tourism in December 2021