April 22--Illinois defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson will be joined in Champaign by his son, also named Hardy Nickerson, who announced Thursday he is transferring from California for his final college season.
"After much thought and numerous discussions with my parents, I have decided to graduate from Cal and pursue a postgraduate degree at the University of Illinois in the fall," the younger Nickerson, a linebacker, said in a statement released by Cal.
"A most unique opportunity presented itself when my father joined the Illinois football staff. ... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play my final year of college football for my father and head coach Lovie Smith, and it is an opportunity that I simply cannot pass up."
Nickerson played in 35 games with 27 starts the last three seasons after redshirting as a true freshman, recording 246 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, two sacks and an interception. As a junior he had a career-high and team-best 112 tackles.
As a graduate student, he will be eligible to play immediately for the Illini.
The elder Nickerson, a five-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Buccaneers who also played at Cal, was hired at Illinois in March shortly after Smith took the head coaching job. He had coached under Smith with the Bears in 2007 and with the Bucs the last two seasons before taking a job with the 49ers in January.
