Alabama running back Mark Ingram and Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh were involved in a spirited race for the Heisman Trophy in 2009—and now, they’ll fittingly enter the College Football Hall of Fame together.
Ingram and Suh are among 18 players and four coaches set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Atlanta in December, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday afternoon. The inductees represent a wide gamut of schools, from powers like the Crimson Tide and Ohio State down to small schools like Carson-Newman and Johns Hopkins.
Here’s a look at the distinguished class in table form.
College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026
| PLAYER OR COACH | POSITION | TEAM | YEARS | ACCOLADES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Azumah | Running back | New Hampshire | 1995 to ‘98 | Walter Payton Award (best FCS offensive player) (1998) |
| Ki-Jana Carter | Running back | Penn State | 1992 to ‘94 | All-American and Heisman runner-up (1994) |
| Bruce Collie | Guard and tackle | Texas-Arlington | 1981 to ‘84 | All-American (1984) |
| George Cumby | Running back and linebacker | Oklahoma | 1975 to ‘76, 1978 to ‘79 | All-American (1979) |
| Aaron Donald | Defensive lineman | Pittsburgh | 2010 to ‘13 | ACC Defensive Player of the Year, All-American, Bednarik and Nagurski Award (2013) |
| Marvin Harrison | Wide receiver | Syracuse | 1992 to ‘95 | Big East receiving champion (1995) |
| Garrison Hearst | Running back | Georgia | 1990 to ‘92 | All-American, SEC Player of the Year and third in Heisman voting (1992) |
| Chris Hudson | Defensive back | Colorado | 1991 to ‘94 | All-American (1994) |
| Mark Ingram | Running back | Alabama | 2008 to ‘10 | All-American, Heisman Trophy and SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2009) |
| Olin Kreutz | Offensive lineman | Washington | 1995 to ‘97 | All-American (1997) |
| James Laurinaitis | Linebacker | Ohio State | 2005 to ‘08 | All-American (2006 to ‘08), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (’07 to ‘08), Nagurski Award (’06) |
| Jordan Lynch | Quarterback | Northern Illinois | 2010 to ‘13 | Seventh in Heisman voting (2012), third in Heisman voting (‘13), MAC Offensive Player of the Year (‘12, ’13), MAC Player of the Year (‘12, ’13) |
| Jim Margraff | Coach | Johns Hopkins | 1990 to 2018 | Centennial Conference champion (2002 to ‘05, ‘08 to ‘18) |
| Herman Moore | Wide receiver | Virginia | 1988 to ‘90 | All-American and sixth in Heisman voting (1990) |
| Terence Newman | Defensive back | Kansas State | 1999 to 2002 | All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2002) |
| Bob Novogratz | Offensive lineman | Army | 1957 to ‘58 | All-American (1958) |
| Gary Patterson | Coach | TCU | 2000 to ‘21 | Two-time AP Coach of the Year (2009, ‘14), four-time conference Coach of the Year (2002, ‘05, ’09, ’14) |
| Chris Petersen | Coach | Boise State, Washington | 2006 to ‘19 | Two-time Bear Bryant Coach of the Year (2006 and ‘09), two-time conference Coach of the Year (‘08, ’09) |
| Ken Sparks | Coach | Carson-Newman | 1980 to 2016 | Five-time NAIA Division I champion (1983, ‘84, ’86, ‘88, ‘89) |
| Ndamukong Suh | Defensive lineman | Nebraska | 2005 to ‘09 | All-American, Bednarik Award, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, fourth in Heisman voting, and Nagurski Award (2009) |
| Peter Warrick | Wide receiver | Florida State | 1995 to ‘99 | All-American (1998 to ‘99) and sixth in Heisman voting (‘99) |
| Eric Weddle | Defensive back | Utah | 2003 to ‘06 | All-American (2006) and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year (‘05, ‘06) |
In addition to their college success, many of these players thrived in the NFL. Harrison, for instance, is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Donald is almost certainly headed to Canton as well.
“We are thrilled to announce the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class,” NFF chair and ex-Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning said in a statement. “Each of these legends ranks among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to adding their incredible accomplishments to those permanently enshrined in the NFF Hall of Fame.”
The College Football Hall of Fame dates back to 1951, and has been located since in Atlanta since 2014.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Donald, Mark Ingram, Ndamukong Suh Headline College Football Hall of Fame Class.
