Sports Illustrated Debates 10-Player Hall of Fame Ballot From 200-Plus 2027 Nominees
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · Jun 4
Sports Illustrated Debates 10-Player Hall of Fame Ballot From 200-Plus 2027 Nominees
3 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Jun 4
Summary
More than 200 players and coaches landed on the National Football Foundation’s 2027 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, prompting Sports Illustrated writers to build hypothetical 10-player FBS ballots.
Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III and Kellen Moore emerged as the clearest player picks across the panel, with Manti Te’o, Terrell Suggs, Melvin Gordon and Patrick Peterson also drawing repeated support.
Mike Leach was the near-unanimous coaching choice after the eligibility winning-percentage threshold was lowered, while writers also pushed names such as Larry Coker, Ralph Friedgen and Jackie Sherrill.
The debate underscored how crowded the class is: writers said trimming to 10 meant leaving out dozens of viable candidates, from Colt McCoy and Ken Dorsey to Percy Harvin, Tavon Austin and Aqib Talib.
The Hall of Fame class will be inducted in December 2027, with this year’s ballot spanning 33 consensus All-Americans, Heisman winners and national champions.