Ingram, Ryans, Tuberville among college HOF names for 2026
Former Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram is part of the 2026 ballot for the NFF College Football Hall of Fame class. (Unv. Alabama Athletic Dept.)
By TIM GAYLE
IRVING, Texas -- The National Football Foundation announced on Monday the names on the 2026 ballot under consideration for induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, including 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks.
Included on that ballot are former University of Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans and running back Mark Ingram and former Auburn University linebacker Takeo Spikes and quarterback Cam Newton.
“For more than 65 years, the NFF College Football Hall of Fame has stood as the sport’s ultimate archive, honoring those whose impact on the game still echoes today,” said NFF president Steve Hatchell. “This year’s ballot carries forward that responsibility, spotlighting individuals who not only excelled on the field but also helped define what college football means to so many.”
The ballot was emailed on Monday to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current NFF Hall of Famers. The announcement of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame class will be made in early 2026. The class will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF annual awards dinner at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026.
Ryans, currently the head coach of the Houston Texans, was a unanimous All-American in 2005 and winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy. He was a NFF National Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the Butkus and Nagurski awards. The 2005 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year holds the Alabama single-game record for tackles (25 vs. Arkansas, 2003) and ranks fifth in Tide history with 309 career tackles.
Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner and a unanimous All-American, was the offensive most valuable player in the 2010 BCS National Championship and was the 2009 SEC Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in rushing (1,658 yards) and total touchdowns (20).
Spikes, an All-American in 1997, led Auburn to a berth in the 1997 Southeastern Conference Championship Game and was the most valuable player in the 1998 Peach Bowl. A two-year Auburn defensive most valuable player, he ranks in the school's all-time top 10 with 331 career tackles.
Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner and a consensus All-American, led the Tigers to a BCS National Championship. He collected Davey O'Brien, Manning, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards in 2010 after becoming just the third player in FBS annals to post at least 20 passing and 20 rushing TDs in a single season. The 2010 Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year posted six TDs in the 2010 SEC Championship Game, earning offensive MVP honors en route to the conference title.
Others included on the ballot include Florida defensive lineman Alex Brown, Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant, Kentucky multi-purpose athlete Randall Cobb, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Florida athlete Percy Harvin, Georgia tailback Garrison Hearst, Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel, Florida State kicker Sebastian Janikowski, Cal tailback Marshawn Lynch, Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El, Cal linebacker Ron Rivera, Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
Among the coaches on the ballot are former Alabama coach Dennis Franchione and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville.
Franchione, who also coached at Southwestern (Kansas), Pittsburg State, Texas State, New Mexico, Texas Christian and Texas A&M, was known for turning around programs, something he did at Alabama in 2001 and 2002 in the wake of an NCAA investigation and the firing of Mike DuBose.
Tuberville, who also coached at Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Cincinnati, was named the national coach of the year in 2004 after leading the Tigers to an undefeated season, one of four division crowns for the Tigers under his watch. He ranks 10th in Southeastern Conference history with 64 regular-season wins. He coached at Auburn from 1999 to 2008.