CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — Eight members of the 2025 Illinois football program were honored earlier this week as College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2025 Academic All-District performers. The program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performance on the field and in the classroom.
To be eligible, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade-point average, while also competing in 90% of the team’s total games or starting at least 66% of the team’s contests.
All eight honorees move on to the ballot for CSC’s Academic All-America team, which is announced on January 27. The Fighting Illini football program has received 37 Academic All-America honors over the years, dating back to the program’s beginning in 1952.
The honorees are as follows:
- TE Tanner Arkin, Senior, Health Communication
- WR Hank Beatty, Senior, Marketing
- WR Colin Dixon, Sophomore, Marketing
- RB Kaden Feagin, Junior, Recreation, Sports & Tourism
- OL Josh Gesky, Senior, Public Health (Master’s)
- DB Tanner Heckel, Sophomore, Accountancy
- LB Kenenna Odeluga, Senior, Strategic Leadership & Management
- DB Miles Scott, Senior, Health Communication