2015 College Football Hall of Fame Class Revealed

The College Football Hall of Fame announced its class of 2015 on Friday, which means 15 players and two coaches are now set to be enshrined among the sport's elite.

This year's class is headlined by a number of big names, including former University of Texas running back and Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. He is joined by current Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder, former Nebraska All-American linebacker Trev Alberts and a host of others.

Among the other notable inductees are Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth, Yale running back and longtime NFL coach Dick Jauron, former Texas Tech and Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas and former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel.

Here is a full list of inductees, courtesy of Paul Myerberg of USA Today:

No.	Inductee	Position	School
1	Ricky Williams	RB	Texas
2	Bill Snyder	Coach	Kansas State
3	Trev Alberts	LB	Nebraska
4	Brian Bosworth	LB	Oklahoma
5	Bob Breunig	LB	Arizona State
6	Sean Brewer	DL	Millsaps (Mississippi)
7	Ruben Brown	OT	Pittsburgh
8	Wes Chandler	WR	Florida
9	Thom Gatewood	WR	Notre Dame
10	Dick Jauron	RB	Yale
11	Clinton Jones	RB	Michigan State
12	Lincoln Kennedy	OT	Washington
13	Rob Lytle	RB	Michigan
14	Michael Payton	QB	Marshall
15	Art Still	DE	Kentucky
16	Zach Thomas	LB	Texas Tech
17	Jim Tressel	Coach	Ohio State, Youngstown State

These players and coaches will forever be immortalized at the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Here is a closer look at some of the most recognizable names set to be inducted, along with a rundown of what they have accomplished in the realm of college football.

Featured Inductees

Ricky Williams

It can be argued that Ricky Williams didn't live up to the immense expectations placed on his shoulders in the NFL, but there is no question he is among the greatest college running backs of all time.

When Williams left Texas after the 1998 season, he held the all-time record for career rushing yards in major college football. He accrued over 2,300 total yards and racked up 28 total touchdowns as a senior, which resulted in him winning the 1998 Heisman Trophy.

He was also a two-time winner of the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back and ultimately selected No. 5 overall in the 1999 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.

Upon news of his impending Hall of Fame induction being made public, Williams was congratulated by Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Brown:

It comes as no surprise that the 37-year-old retiree will take his rightful spot among college football's best, but it's somewhat puzzling it took this long.

According to Dennis de la Pena of KTBC-TV, the former "Texas Tornado" was first eligible for induction three years ago:

It is better late than never, though, as Williams is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Many remember Williams for his somewhat disappointing NFL career, and Williams admitted on NFL AM that playing professionally may not have been his best move, per NFL.com's Conor Orr:

"

Because of the career I had at Texas, I had so many doors open to me to finish up school and pretty much go anywhere in the world and do whatever I wanted to do. I had that open to me, and I decided to play football because that seemed like the next logical choice. But some people are built for the NFL and some people aren't, and I don't think I was a person who was really built for success in the NFL.

"

Regardless of what happened in the big leagues, Williams is a true college football legend. Few players have been more dominant, and there will certainly never be another Ricky Williams.

Bill Snyder

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After 23 seasons as head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats, 75-year-old Bill Snyder is finally set to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Snyder first took the reins in Manhattan, Kansas, back in 1989. The struggling Wildcats went just 1-10 during his first season, but they have steadily progressed into one of the nation's best programs during Snyder's tenure.

As pointed out by Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com, Snyder is responsible for a truly amazing turnaround:

He has a career record of 187-94-1 at Kansas State, orchestrating 16 winning seasons. The Wildcats won 11 games every year from 1997 through 2000, and they had six 11-win seasons in seven years from 1997 through 2003.

Snyder has also brought Kansas State to 16 bowl games and won two Big 12 championships over the course of his illustrious career.

It seems as though nobody has a single negative thing to say about Snyder. That includes Bob Dutton of The News Tribune (Tacoma), who paid him the ultimate compliment:

Also, former University of Washington quarterback and current ESPN analyst Brock Huard has a great deal of admiration for Snyder:

There is no question Snyder has built something very impressive at Kansas State over the years, and he isn't done yet.

He continues to chase that elusive national championship, and while it remains to be seen if he will capture it, he is a deserving Hall of Famer regardless.

Trev Alberts

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Trev Alberts has worn many hats within the sport of football over the years, but his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame has everything to do with his standout career as a linebacker at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Alberts is recognized as one of the greatest defensive players in Cornhuskers history, building up an impressive resume from 1990 through 1993. He was an All-American selection and won both the Dick Butkus and Jack Lambert Awards as the nation's best linebacker during his 15-sack senior year.

That resulted in a No. 5 overall selection in the 1994 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, and while Alberts was out of the league by 1996, he still stands as a college football legend.

Former Nebraska teammate Kenny Wilhite is among those who congratulated Alberts on the tremendous honor:

Like Williams, Alberts' induction comes a bit later than expected. As pointed out by CBS sports anchor Adam Krueger in Lincoln, Nebraska, Alberts was snubbed last year:

The 44-year-old athletic director at the University of Nebraska Omaha doesn't have to wait any longer to be immortalized in the annals of college football history.

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