The College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 ballot included two players from Alabama -- running back Mark Ingram and offensive tackle Chris Samuels.
Neither was selected for enshrinement, so when the Class of 2026 ballot is released on Monday, they could be back for another chance at joining the 22 Alabama players already in the College Football Hall of Fame.
But 39 other Crimson Tide players also are eligible to appear on the Class of 2026 ballot -- and that doesn’t include 49 Crimson Tide alumni who meet the first standard for consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame but aren’t in the current eligibility window.
That’s 90 players from Alabama with the possibility of becoming Hall of Famers.
To be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame today, a player must have been a first-team All-American selection by one of the organizations that the NCAA uses to compile its annual consensus All-American team. Currently, those organizations are the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of American, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation. But the selectors used by the NCAA have varied over the years.
Players aren’t considered for the College Football Hall of Fame until 10 full seasons after their final college campaign. They also aren’t considered while they are active pro players. Alabama has 26 players who meet the All-American standard but aren’t eligible yet because their final season with the Tide came in 2015 or later and/or they’re still playing professionally.
Players also aren’t considered if their college careers ended more than 50 years ago, so any player who completed his time with the Tide before 1976 isn’t eligible for the 2025 ballot. Alabama has 23 players who meet the All-American standard but are outside the 50-year window, with defensive end Leroy Cook, Alabama’s first two-time consensus All-American, joining that list this year.
Those players still can be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame, but their qualifications are examined by the Football Bowl Subdivision Honors Review Committee, bypassing the ballot.
Alabama has 14 players who were unanimous All-Americans and two players who were two-time consensus All-Americans eligible for the 2026 ballot.
A unanimous All-American is a player who was a first-team selection for all the organizations used by the NCAA to compile the consensus All-American team for that season.
A consensus All-American usually is a player who was a first-team selection for at least half of the organizations used by the NCAA to compile the consensus All-American team. It’s also possible to become a consensus All-American without reaching the halfway mark.
For consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame, players don’t have to be consensus All-Americans – just first-teamers for a qualifying selector.
Former Alabama players eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame whose careers ended more than 50 years ago include (presented alphabetically with their All-American qualifying standards):
Offensive tackle Buddy Brown: Consensus in 1973
Defensive end Leroy Cook: Consensus in 1974 and unanimous in 1975
Center Cary Cox: Non-consensus in 1939
Center Paul Crane: Consensus in 1965
Center Joe Domnanovich: Consensus in 1942
Tackle Cecil Dowdy: Unanimous in 1966
Guard Wayne Freeman: Non-consensus in 1964
Linebacker Mike Hall: Non-consensus in 1968
Fullback Tony Holm: Non-consensus in 1929
End Dennis Homan: Consensus in 1967
Defensive back Bobby Johns: Non-consensus in 1966 and consensus in 1967
Defensive tackle Dan Kearley: Non-consensus in 1964
Fullback Joe Kilgrow: Non-consensus in 1937
Center Jim Krapf: Non-consensus in 1972
Tackle Bill Lee: Consensus in 1934
Linebacker John Mitchell: Non-consensus in 1972
Guard Leroy Monsky: Consensus in 1937
End Ray Perkins: Consensus in 1966
