Mark Ingram, DeMeco Ryans among players on 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

Two former Alabama football players and former head coach Dennis Franchione are on the 2026 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced. Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram and linebacker DeMeco Ryans were among the 79 FBS players to make the cut, while Franchione was one of nine coaches.

Mark Ingram, Alabama – Running Back: 2009 unanimous First Team All-American and the Tide’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner…Named Offensive MVP of the 2010 BCS National Championship after posting 116 rush yards and two TDs…2009 SEC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference in rushing (1,658) and total TDs (20) in 2009.

DeMeco Ryans, Alabama – Linebacker: 2005 unanimous First Team All-American and winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy…2005 NFF National Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the Butkus and Nagurski awards…2005 SEC Defensive Player of the Year holds the Alabama single-game record for tackles (25 vs. Arkansas, 2003) and ranks fifth in Tide history with 309 career tackles.

Dennis Franchione – Southwestern [KS] (1981-82), Pittsburg State (1985-89), Texas State (1990-91), New Mexico (1992-97), TCU (1998-2000), Alabama (2001-02), Texas A&M (2003-07), Texas State (2011-15): Two-time NAIA National Coach of the Year before moving into Division I, twice coaching at Texas State and eventually leading the Bobcats’ transition to the FBS…Known for revitalizing struggling programs, led New Mexico to its first bowl in 36 years and TCU to its first postseason win since 1957…Took over a 3-8 Alabama team and led the Tide to a 10-win season in just two years, later guiding Texas A&M to consecutive victories over archrival Texas (2006-07) and a berth in the 2005 Cotton Bowl.

The announcement of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2026, with specific details to be announced in the future.

Five former Alabama coaches are in the College Football Hall of Fame – Paul “Bear” Bryant, Nick Saban (2025 class), Gene Stallings, Frank Thomas and Wallace Wade. The Alabama players who were voted to the Hall of Fame include Cornelius Bennett, Johnny Mack Brown, John Cain, Sylvester Croom, Harry Gilmer, John Hannah, Millard Howell, Pooley Hubert, Don Hutson, Lee Roy Jordan, E.J. Junior, Antonio Langham, Woodrow Lowe, Marty Lyons, Vaughn Mancha, Johnny Musso, Billy Neighbors, Ozzie Newsome, Fred Sington, Riley Smith and Derrick Thomas.

The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:

• First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.
• A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation’s Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
• 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 the candidate earned a college degree.
• Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2023 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1973 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
• A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. 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.
• Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate’s collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.

To see the full list of player candidates for the College Football Hall of Fame, CLICK HERE.

Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!

Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $11.99! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting, and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!