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Jan 7, 2010; Pasadena, CA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback (12) Colt McCoy during the 2010 BCS national championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl. Alabama defeated Texas 37-21. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Legend Snubbed on College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Zach Dimmitt | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The National Football Foundation announced the ballot for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class on Monday, which included 79 players and nine coaches from the FBS level.

Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy, one of the best passers in college football history, was surprisingly not included.

According to the NFF's Hall of Fame eligibility rules, a player must have received First-Team All-American honors by a recognized NCAA selector at some point in their career. A player becomes eligible for induction 10 full seasons after his final year at the college level. Additionally, a player's last year of intercollegiate football must have been played within the last 50 years.

McCoy meets the criteria to be included on the voting ballot, and yet, he was left off. When evaluating McCoy's collegiate career, it's hard to argue against him being a College Football Hall of Famer.

Here are some of McCoy's most notable career accolades at Texas, which includes the required First-Team All-American selection.

- Unanimous All-American (2009)
- 2x Heisman Finalist (2008, '09)
- 2009 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
- No. 12 jersey retired by Texas
- First-team All-Big 12 (2009)
- Quarterback of the Year (2009)
- Maxwell Award (2009)
- Davey O'Brien Award (2009)
- Manning Award (2009)
- University of Texas Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024

McCoy also finished the 2008 season with a 76.7 completion percentage, which at the time marked the single-season record for quarterback. That number has since been passed up Oregon's Bo Nix (2023) and Alabama's Mac Jones (2020).

Regardless, McCoy is still third on the all-time list for career passing completition percentage (70.3).

McCoy finished his Texas career having started all 53 games he appeared in while posting a 45-8 record. He completed 1,157 of 1,645 passes for 13,253 yards, 112 touchdowns and 45 interceptions along with 447 carries for 1,589 yards and 20 more scores.

Though it's further down on his list of career accolades, McCoy also found success against the rival Oklahoma Sooners.

In his four seasons as a starter at Texas, McCoy went 3-1 against Oklahoma, with all wins coming while the Sooners were ranked no lower than No. 20. This included a 45-35 victory over No. 1 Oklahoma where McCoy went 28 of 35 passing for 277 yards and a touchdown.

During his career against the Sooners, McCoy went 79 of 118 passing for 836 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.

McCoy was a third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2010 NFL Draft. He also spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Washington, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.

He announced his retirement from professional football in Aug. 2024 and has since started a career in sports media as an on-air analyst for NBC.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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