Newton, Griffin headline 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

Heisman Trophy winners Mark Ingram, Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III and former AP National Player of the Year Ndamukong Suh are on the ballot for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class.

The National Football Foundation released the ballot Monday for the class that will be announced in January. It includes 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 35 coaches from lower levels.

Ingram became Alabama's first Heisman winner in 2009 after running for 1,658 yards and 20 touchdowns. Newton in 2010 was just the third player in FBS history with 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns. Griffin in 2011 led the nation in points responsible for and ranked second in total offense.

Suh was a force for Nebraska in 2009 and became the first defensive lineman in 15 seasons to be named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He finished fourth in voting but was honored as the nation's top player by The Associated Press.

Among other players on the ballot are Iowa's Brad Banks, Colorado's Eric Bieniemy, Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant, Penn State's Ki-Jana Carter, Pittsburgh's Aaron Donald, Syracuse's Marvin Harrison, Oklahoma's Josh Heupel, Ohio State's James Laurinaitis, Washington State's Ryan Leaf, California's Marshawn Lynch, Illinois' Simeon Rice and Florida State's Peter Warrick.

Among coaches on the ballot are Larry Coker, Gary Patterson and Chris Petersen.

Coker led the Canes to consecutive national championship games and won the 2002 Rose Bowl to become the first rookie head coach to lead his team to a title since 1948. Patterson is TCU's all-time wins leader who led the Horned Frogs to six AP top 10 final rankings. Petersen is Boise State's all-time wins leader who led the Broncos to two undefeated seasons and led Washington to the 2016 College Football Playoff.

The NFF also announced an adjustment to the eligibility criteria for coaches to be considered for induction. The minimum career winning percentage required for coaching eligibility will go from .600 to .595 beginning in 2027.

The change would make Mike Leach eligible. Leach, who died in 2022, had a .596 winning percentage with a 158-107 record over 21 seasons at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State.

Leach was known for his innovative wide-open offenses and his knack for pulling upsets. He won 18 games against Top 25 opponents when his team was unranked.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football