2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class

ATLANTA, Georgia (Jan. 15, 2025) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class during “College Football Live” on ESPN.

2025 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
PLAYERS:

• Montee Ball, RB (2009-12) – University of Wisconsin
• Gregg Carr, LB (1981-84) – Auburn University
• Blake Elliott, WR (2000-03) – Saint John’s University (MN)
• Greg Eslinger, C (2002-05) – University of Minnesota
• Terry Hanratty, QB (1966-68) – University of Notre Dame
• Graham Harrell, QB (2005-08) – Texas Tech University
• John Henderson, DT (1999-2001) – University of Tennessee
• Michael Huff, DB (2002-05) – University of Texas
• Jim Kleinsasser, TE (1995-98) – University of North Dakota
• Alex Mack, OL (2005-08) – University of California
• Terrence Metcalf, OL (1997, 1999-2001) – University of Mississippi
• Haloti Ngata, DT (2002, 2004-05) – University of Oregon
• Steve Slaton, RB (2005-07) – West Virginia University
• Darrin Smith, LB (1989-92) – University of Miami
• Michael Strahan, DL (1989-92) – Texas Southern University
• Dennis Thurman, DB (1974-77) – University of Southern California
• Michael Vick, QB (1999-2000) – Virginia Tech
• Ryan Yarborough, WR (1990-93) – University of Wyoming

COACHES:

• Larry Blakeney – 178-113-1 (61.1%): Troy University (1991-2014)
• Larry Korver – 212-77-6 (72.9%): Northwestern College [IA] (1967-94)
• Urban Meyer – 187-32-0 (85.4%): Bowling Green State University (2001-02): University of Utah (2003-04); University of Florida (2005-10); Ohio State University (2012-18)
• Nick Saban – 292-71-1 (80.4%): University of Toledo (1990); Michigan State University (1995-99); LSU (2000-04); University of Alabama (2007-23)

The 18 First Team All-America players and four standout coaches in the 2025 Class were selected from the national ballot of 77 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 101 players and 34 coaches from the divisional ranks.

The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. First and foremost, a player must have received First Team All-America recognition by a selector recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.
2. A player becomes eligible for consideration by the NFF’s Honors Court 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
3. While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree.
4. Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years*. For example, to be eligible for the 2025 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1975 or thereafter. In addition, current professional players and/or coaches are not eligible until retirement.
5. A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years old. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
6. Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach, or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate’s collegiate institution.

• Players that do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees. Veterans Committee candidates must still meet the First Team All-America requirement.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME QUICK FACTS

• When the 2025 Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted in December, only 1,111 players and 237 coaches will have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.78 million who have played or coached the game during the past 155 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played/coached the game have earned this distinction.
• Founded in 1947, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame inducted its first class of inductees in 1951. The first class included 32 players and 22 coaches, including Illinois' Red Grange, Notre Dame's Knute Rockne, Iowa’s Duke Slater, Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, and Carlisle (PA)'s Jim Thorpe.
• 326 schools are represented with at least one College Football Hall of Famer.
• Induction for the 2025 Class will take place Dec. 9, 2025, during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas.