Junior tight end/defensive end Brandon Jones and sophomore defensive back Ron Hardge III are no longer on the Illinois football team, team sources confirmed to Illini Inquirer on Thursday.

Jones will remain at Illinois on a medical scholarship, but Hardge is no longer part of the team. Jones was a part of the Class of 2016, but he didn’t play much throughout his career. The Columbia, Mo. native started his career at defensive end, but he never cracked the rotation and moved to tight end for spring ball.

Illinois added Georgia transfer Luke Ford, and the former No. 1 prospect in the state of Illinois would’ve been a difference-maker this season, but the NCAA shut down his waiver to play right away. With Ford sitting out the entire 2019 season, there seemed to be an opening for playing time at tight end, but sophomore Daniel Barker and veterans Bobby Walker and Griffin Palmer were all getting more reps in practice than Jones.

Hardge was a 3-star get in the Class of 2018, and he picked Illinois along with high school teammate Carlos Sandy. Hardge showcased some intriguing length and seemingly caught the eye of Lovie Smith last year during training camp. Hardge finished his freshman year with six tackles in six games and looked like he could make the jump into the two-deep at cornerback this season. But with Nate Hobbs and Quan Martin firmly ahead of him on the depth chart and four-star cornerback Marquez Beason on the way, Hardge appeared in a fight for playing time.

Hardge is the eighth scholarship player who has transferred from Illinois since the end of the 2018 season. Hardge joins MJ Rivers II, Carmoni Green, Cameron Watkins, Jimmy Marchese, Adam Solomon, Zeke Martin and Andrew Trainer. Solomon headed to Illinois State to join former Illini OL Gabe Megginson, and Watkins is down at Vanderbilt teaming up with former Illini RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn. The others haven't publicly announced a commitment to any program.