JH #35

Jake Hansen

Linebacker · Illinois

A six-year Illinois linebacker who carved out an NFL career as one of Houston's top special-teams contributors.

Jake Hansen turned a marathon college career at Illinois into a steady NFL role built on special-teams reliability. He has become a valued rotational linebacker and coverage-unit anchor for the Texans.

★ 276 career tackles at Illinois

★ 12 forced fumbles in college career

★ One-year, $3 million contract extension with Houston (2025)

Path to the league

Hansen played six seasons at Illinois after using the extra year of eligibility granted for the 2020 pandemic season, finishing his college career with 276 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 12 forced fumbles and three interceptions. He went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent.

Career highlights

Hansen has built his NFL career primarily around special-teams work, becoming one of the Texans' most trusted coverage-unit players while also contributing depth snaps at linebacker. His production at Illinois, particularly his knack for forcing turnovers, helped him earn a long-term look in Houston.

2025 season recap

Hansen appeared in 15 games in 2025, recording 19 tackles on defense while playing 306 special-teams snaps, including an 82 percent special-teams snap share across eight games. He earned a one-year, $3 million contract extension in November before a chest injury landed him on injured reserve late in the season, ending his year early.