Former Texas quarterback Vince Young, who led the Longhorns to the 2005 national title and finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up, highlights the first-time players on the 2019 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, which was announced on Monday by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Former USC quarterback Carson Palmer (who won the Heisman Trophy in 2002), Syracuse wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden are among other players making their first appearance in the FBS Hall ballot.
The late Rashaan Salaam, who won the Heisman in 1994 for Colorado, and 2001 Heisman winner Eric Crouch on Nebraska are back on the Hall of Fame ballot, along with SMU running back Eric Dickerson, Miami linebacker Ray Lewis and Notre Dame receiver Raghib Ismail.
Former Miami coach Dennis Erickson headlines the six FBS coaches who are also nominated for induction. Erickson was the only Miami coach to lead the Canes to two national titles (1989 and 1991), and has the highest win percentage (87.5) in school history.
The list of nominees includes 76 players and six coaches from the FBS and 100 players and 32 coaches from the divisional ranks. The announcement of the 2019 class will be made Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California, the site of the College Football Playoff National Championship, which will be played later that day at Levi's Stadium.
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.26 million people have played college football and only 997 players have been inducted," National Football Foundation president and CEO Steve Hatchell said. "The Hall's requirement of being a first-team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and those actually elected to the class will be part of a momentous year as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football in 2019."
The 2019 class will be inducted during the 62nd annual National Football Foundation awards dinner on Dec. 10, 2019, at the New York Hilton Midtown. The inductees will be enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta later in the month and honored on the field during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. They will also be honored at their respective schools during the 2019 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.