College Football Hall of Fame: Players featured on 2025 ballot deserving of long-overdue induction

The National Football Foundation recently announced the vote for the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class, with 77 FBS players classified for consideration. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban were also eliminated in their first year of eligibility and are among nine coaches who will be considered by voters.

Of the players selected, only 12 will enter this year’s Hall of Fame. Voters face tough choices in a crowded ballot that includes legendary figures like Michael Vick, Sean Taylor and Aaron Donald.

Outside of the obvious standouts, there are many players who don’t get as much recognition. Some have remained on the ballot for several years despite distinguished careers filled with achievements that justify more than just a reserved spot in the annual press release.

There is an argument to be made by several “fringe” players after years of waiting their turn. Here’s a look at eight former college football stars on the ballot who deserve a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Moore is on the ballot for the fourth year in a row. Wins aren’t a statistic easily attributed to a single player, but it’s hard to ignore that Moore is the winningest quarterback in college football history. His 50-3 record as a starter with the Broncos is astonishing. He is synonymous with the heyday of the program’s Golden Age under Chris Petersen. A Heisman Trophy finalist in 2010, Moore also finished his career ranked second in NCAA history in passing touchdowns (142) and fifth in passing yards (14,667).

Antwaan Randle El, QB, Indiana

From one undervalued quarterback to another, Randle El has been patiently waiting for the vote since the moment he became eligible in 2012. That’s a shame for a player who helped redefine how we view the quarterback position. As an elite passer and rushing threat, Randle El was the first player in NCAA Division I history to pass for 40 and rush for 40 touchdowns. He also became the first player in college football history to reach 2,500 total yards in four consecutive years. It is a testament to his versatility and athleticism that he moved to wide receiver in the NFL and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2005.

Eric Weddle, DB, Utah

This is Weddle’s third consecutive year on the ballot. This time he teams up with Meyer, who went 22-2 while leading the Utes from 2003-04. Weddle was a big part of that early success, both with his leadership and his impact on the field. He started nine games at cornerback as a freshman in 2003 and didn’t look back, holding down multiple positions in Utah’s secondary until 2006. He was a two-time Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in 2006 one season later. senior in which he recorded 64 tackles, one sack, two pass deflections and seven interceptions. His 18 career interceptions are the most in MWC history and he holds the Utah record with nine forced fumbles. Weddle made a difference in every sense of the term and always delivered.

Haloti Ngata, DL, Oregon

Ngata is one of the most dominant defensive linemen in college football history. He tore his ACL as a freshman in 2003 and recovered a year later to earn second-team All-Pac-10 honors. He took it to another level in 2005, paving the way for Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors and emerging as Oregon’s first consensus All-American in 43 years. His nine tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior showcase his disruptive traits on the interior. Ngata also controlled the game in a way that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, blocking running lanes and requiring double teams to try to slow him down. This is Ngata’s third year on the ballot. It should be the last, with the consecration soon.

Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

Ball had 39 touchdowns in a single season. Thirty. Nine. This tied an FBS record held by none other than Barry Sanders. Ball also surpassed 2,229 total yards in the 2011 season, which saw him finish as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He followed this like a veteran with a miserable 22 rushing touchdowns, earning a second consecutive consensus All-American selection and the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the best running back in college football. Ball’s 77 career rushing touchdowns and 83 total touchdowns set FBS records and he also holds the NCAA record after finishing 13 consecutive games with at least two touchdowns.

Peter Warrick, WR, Florida State

Warrick was the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 1999 before a mid-season arrest for what turned into a misdemeanor resulted in a two-game suspension. Warwick still finished the year with 934 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns and was named MVP in a 2000 Sugar Bowl game that gave Florida State its second national championship in program history. This was after a 1998 season in which Warrick easily surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and caught 12 touchdown receptions. Warrick also starred as a punt returner with the Seminoles. He was a maestro with the ball in his hands who could turn an inch of space into a touchdown by dancing around defenders. And he was, without a doubt, one of the best players of the legendary Bobby Bowden era.

Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Penn State

Even on Penn State teams loaded with NFL talent and an offense that consistently ranked among the best in the country in multiple areas, Carter found a way to stand out. He burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 1993 and rushed for 1,026 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. He finished second in the 1994 Heisman Trophy voting with 1,539 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He was also co-MVP of that year’s Rose Bowl after rushing for 156 yards and three touchdowns, ending Penn State’s final undefeated season. He cut short his college career to pursue professional dreams and is still the last running back to be selected first overall in the NFL Draft.

Simeon Rice, EDGE, Illinois

Rice has a strong case for both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a testament to the nearly unstoppable force he was on a football field. Rice set an Illinois record with nine sacks as a freshman and was named Big Ten Rookie of the Year. His 44.5 career sacks are a conference record that still stands nearly three decades later, despite the modern proliferation of elite edge rushers . Rice was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, the 1994 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and a back-to-back first-team All-American from 1994-95. He was a rare defender who would have attracted Heisman consideration if not for the fact that he played on some lackluster Illinois teams.