Mark Ingram, the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy, and Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald, two of the most feared defensive linemen of their era, highlight the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class announced Wednesday.
TCU’s Gary Patterson and Chris Peterson of Boise State and Washington are among four coaches who will be inducted at the National Football Foundation’s awards dinner in Las Vegas in December.
The class includes six unanimous first-team All-Americans, four multi-year first-team All-Americans and eight major award winners.
Ingram won the Heisman in 2009 while leading Alabama to a 14–0 record and a national championship. He led the SEC in rushing with an Alabama-record 1,658 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. He finished his Alabama career as the school’s career rushing leader. He then played 12 seasons in the NFL.
Nebraska’s Suh turned in one of the most impressive seasons by a defensive lineman in 2009, winning the Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski and Outland trophies and being named national player of the year by the Associated Press. He was the first defensive lineman to be a Heisman finalist in 15 years. Last August he was named to the all-time AP All-America first team. Suh recorded 12 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in 2009 and played 13 NFL seasons.
Pittsburgh’s Donald, like Suh, won major defensive awards in his last college season. He led the nation with 28.5 tackles for loss in 2013, and he remains Pitt’s leader in career and single-season tackles for loss. He played all 10 of his NFL seasons with Los Angeles Rams and teamed up with Suh on their defensive line in 2018.
Offensive players joining Ingram in the Hall include Florida State’s Peter Warrick and Syracuse’s Marvin Harrison.
Warrick starred for an FSU team in the late 1990s that was never ranked lower than No. 3 during his career. He was a two-time first-team All-America receiver as the Seminoles compiled a 45–4 record, won a national championship and played for another title. He finished as the ACC’s career leader in receiving yards and second in touchdown receptions. He played six NFL seasons.
Harrison excelled as a kick returner and wide receiver and set several school records. He set a Big East record with a 94-yard punt return touchdown against Minnesota in 1995 and ranks among the league’s career leaders in 100-yard receiving games (13) and receiving TDs (20). He played 13 NFL seasons with the indianapolis colts and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Other players entering the Hall are New Hampshire’s Jerry Azumah, Penn State’s Ki-Jana Carter, Texas-Arlington’s Bruce Colley, Oklahoma’s George Cumbie, Georgia’s Garrison Hurst, Colorado’s Chris Hudson, Washington’s Olin Kratz, Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis, Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch, Virginia’s Herman Moore, terence newman of Kansas State, Army’s Bob Novogratz and Utah’s Eric Weddle.
In addition to Patterson and Peterson, coaches who will be inducted include Jim Margraff of Johns Hopkins and Ken Sparks of Carson-Newman.
