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2026 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot is Overflowing with Legends

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 2:16 PM ET

Voting for the Class of 2026 College Football Hall of Fame will not be easy, with numerous impressive names filling the ballot. Below are just a few that deserve to be nominated and added:

DL Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh)

The skinny: Donald was dominant at Pitt, but especially in 2013 when he won the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Award. That season he finished with 59 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and four forced fumbles, while overall he totaled 179 tackles, 66 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks and six forced fumbles as a defensive tackle.

DL Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska)

The skinny: The AP College Football Player of the Year in 2009, Suh also won the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Award after finishing that season with 85 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and 10 passes defended. Overall, he finished his Nebraska career with 215 tackles, 49.5 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, 15 passes defended and four interceptions as a defensive tackle.

QB Cam Newton (Auburn)

The skinny: The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner led Auburn to a National Championship victory during his only season with the Tigers when he passed for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns. Along with the Heisman, he also won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davey O’Brien Award after the 2010 season.

Nov 13, 2010; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Cam Newton (2) runs for a first down against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second half at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn defeated Georgia 49-31.© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

RB Mark Ingram (Alabama)

The skinny: Ingram helped lead the Tide to the 2009 National Championship while winning the Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,678 yards and 17 touchdowns. Overall, during his three seasons in Tuscaloosa he rushed for 3,324 yards and 42 touchdowns while also grabbing 60 receptions for 670 yards and four touchdowns.

There are numerous other notable names, but just a few that also stand out include RB Eric Bienemy (Colorado), WR Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State), RB Ki-Jana Carter (Penn State), WR Randall Cobb (Kentucky), TE Dallas Clark (Iowa), TE Vernon Davis (Maryland), OL D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Virginia), QB Robert Griffin III (Baylor), WR Marvin Harrison (Syracuse) RB Garrison Hearst (Georgia), QB Josh Heupel (Oklahoma), WR DeSean Jackson (Cal), K Sebastian Janikowski (Florida State), QB Ryan Leaf (Washington State), RB Marshawn Lynch (Cal), S Taylor Mays (USC), DE Simeon Rice (Illinois), LB Manti Te’o (Notre Dame), WR Peter Warrick (Florida State)

A few of the notable head coaches on the ballot include Chris Petersen (Boise State/Washington), Gary Patterson (TCU), Ralph Friedgen (Maryland) and Tommy Tuberville (Ole Miss/Auburn/Texas Tech/Cincinnati)

The announcement of the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2026 with the induction ceremony taking place on December 8^th, 2026 in Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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