Michael Huff placed on 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

Former Longhorn defensive back Michael Huff is on the ballot to be part of the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame announced Monday.

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Huff, an Irving (Texas) Nimitz product, won the Texas football program’s first Jim Thorpe Award in 2005. He was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, a unanimous All-American, and part of the Longhorns’ 2005 national championship team. He was named the defensive MVP of Texas’ 2006 Rose Bowl win over USC thanks to his 12 tackles, fumble recovery, and pivotal stuff of Lendale White that set up Texas’ final game-winning drive. He also was a member of the Longhorn track program for one season.

Huff, also a member of the Texas Hall of Honor, recorded 318 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, 44 pass breakups, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his UT career. After earning his bachelor’s degree in youth and community studies, he was selected with the seventh overall pick by Oakland in the 2006 NFL draft. Huff earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2010 during his eight-year career.

He currently is an assistant director of player development with the Longhorn football program.

Twenty-five Longhorns have been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, including Derrick Johnson, Kenneth Sims, Vince Young, Bob McKay, Ricky Williams, Jerry Gray, Doug English, Steve McMichael, and Roosevelt Leaks. UT coaches in the hall include Darrell Royal, Mack Brown, and Dana X. Bible.

The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10, 2024, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2024 season.

Per the National Football Foundation, 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 2024 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1974 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 candidate’s collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.

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Notable names on the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

Monte Ball, RB, Wisconsin

Eric Bieniemy, RB, Colorado

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Penn State

Russell Carter, DB, SMU

Dallas Clark, TE, Iowa

Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky

Kenneth Davis, RB, TCU

Jarett Dillard, WR, Rice

Ken Dorsey, QB, Miami

Warrick Dunn, RB, Florida State

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pitt

Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech

Josh Heupel, QB, Oklahoma

Steve Hutchinson, OL, Michigan

James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State

Ryan Leaf, QB, Washington State

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon

Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss

Julius Peppers, DE, North Carolina

Antwaan Randle El, QB, Indiana

Ron Rivera, LB, Cal

Richard Seymour, DT, Georgia

Alex Smith, QB, Utah

Takeo Spikes, LB, Auburn

Terrell Suggs, DE, Arizona State

Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech

Peter Warrick, WR, Florida State

Armanti Edwards, QB, Appalachian State

Fred Jackson, RB, Coe (Iowa)

Claude Mathis, RB, Texas State

Randy Moss, WR, Marshall

Danny Woodhead, RB, Chadron State (Neb.)

Coaches

Larry Coker: Miami, UTSA

Mark Dantonio: Cincinnati, Michigan State

Frank Solich: Nebraska, Ohio

Tommy Tuberville: Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, Cincinnati

Steve Mohr: Trinity (Texas)