Good in the Game presented by the National Football Foundation brings you articles about players being inducted into this years College Football Hall of Fame

This year’s NFF College Hall of Fame class includes:

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced last week the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class during "College Football Live" on ESPN2.

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 natoinal ballot of 77 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 101 players and 34 coaches from the divisional ranks.
"We are thrilled to announce the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class," said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Mississippi. "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 Hall of Fame."
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.

2025 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS NOTES


PLAYERS:

  • 4 unanimous First Team All-Americans (Eslinger, Huff, Slaton, Thurman)

  • 7 consensus First Team All-Americans (Ball—2, Carr, Hanratty, Henderson—2, Metcalf, Ngata, Thurman)

  • 8 multi-year First Team All-Americans (Ball, Elliott, Eslinger, Henderson, Kleinsasser, Smith, Thurman, Yarborough)

  • 8 winners of college football major awards (Ball—Doak Walker, Elliott—Gagliardi Trophy, Eslinger—Outland and Rimington, Harrell—Unitas, Henderson—Outland, Huff—Thorpe, Mack—Campbell, Strahan—I-AA Defensive Player of the Year and Black College Defensive Player of the Year)

  • 5 members of national championship teams (Elliott, Hanratty, Huff, Smith—2, Thurman)

  • 7 conference players of the year (Ball, Elliott—2, Henderson, Ngata, Smith, Strahan—2, Vick)

  • 11 members of conference championship teams (Ball—3, Carr, Elliott—3, Harrell, Huff, Kleinsasser, Mack, Slaton—2, Smith—2, Thurman—2, Vick)

  • 8 players who still hold school records (Ball, Elliott, Harrell, Huff, Slaton, Strahan, Vick, Yarborough)

  • 9 played for College Football Hall of Fame coaches (Carr—Pat Dye, Elliott—John Gagliardi, Hanratty—Ara Parseghian, Henderson—Phillip Fulmer, Huff—Mack Brown, Ngata—Mike Bellotti, Smith—Dennis Erickson, Thurman—John McKay and John Robinson, Vick—Frank Beamer)

  • 5 NFF National Scholar-Athletes (Carr, Eslinger, Harrell, Mack, Smith), including 1 Campbell Trophy recipient (Mack)

  • 6 first-round NFL draft picks (Ball, Henderson, Huff, Mack, Ngata, Vick), including 1 first-overall selection (Vick)

  • 11 offensive players (Ball, Elliott, Eslinger, Hanratty, Harrell, Kleinsasser, Mack, Metcalf, Slaton, Vick, Yarborough)

  • 7 defensive players (Carr, Henderson, Huff, Ngata, Smith, Strahan, Thurman)

  • 6 decades represented: 1960s—Hanratty; 1970s—Thurman; 1980s—Carr; 1990s—Kleinsasser, Smith, Strahan, Vick, Yarborough; 2000s—Elliott, Eslinger, Harrell, Henderson, Huff, Mack, Metcalf, Ngata, Slaton; 2010s—Ball

  • 2 schools with their first-ever Hall of Fame player (Saint John's [MN]—Elliott, Texas Southern—Strahan)


COACHES:

  • 12 national championships (Korver—2, Meyer—3 [Florida-2, Ohio State-1], Saban—7 [Alabama-6, LSU-1])

  • 28 conference championships (Blakeney—8, Korver—1, Meyer—7, Saban—12)

  • 2 coaches with the most wins in school history (Blakeney—Troy, Korver—Northwestern College [IA])

  • 63 bowl/postseason appearances (Blakeney—5 bowls and 7 playoff appearances, Korver—11 playoff appearances, Meyer—15 bowls, Saban—25 bowls)

  • 156 First Team All-Americans coached (Blakeney—14, Korver—32, Meyer—44, Saban—66)

  • 12 conference coach of the year honors (Blakeney—4, Meyer—3, Saban—5)

  • 2 schools with their first-ever Hall of Fame coach or player inductee (Northwestern College [IA]—Korver, Troy—Blakeney)