Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, Mike Leach Headline 2027 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

The National Football Foundation announced Monday the full list of 80 players and nine coaches on the ballot for potential induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2027.

Among players, some of the most notable names include Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Ohio State wide receiver Cris Carter, California tight end Tony Gonzalez, California running back Marshawn Lynch, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf.

With regard to coaches, former Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach is on the ballot for the first time thanks to the NFF changing the minimum win percentage needed for Hall of Fame consideration from .600 to .595, per Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic.

The ballot includes two Heisman Trophy winners in Newton and Griffin, plus five members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Carter, Gonzalez, LSU guard Alan Faneca, USC guard Bruce Matthews and Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour.

Other offensive players on the ballot who had notable NFL careers include Michigan State offensive tackle Flozell Adams, West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin, Iowa tight end Dallas Clark, Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb, Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey, Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Tennessee wide receiver Willie Gault, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Virginia tight end Heath Miller, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher, Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung, Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle-El, and Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

The notable inclusions on defense and special teams are Florida defensive end Kevin Carter, Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil, Texas defensive tackle Casey Hampton, Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk, Florida State kicker Sebastian Janikowski, Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, UCLA linebacker Ken Norton Jr., LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, Illinois linebacker Simeon Rice, California linebacker Ron Rivera, Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans, Arizona State linebacker Terrell Suggs, Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib, Miami linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

Newton is one of only eight players in the history of football to win both a Heisman Trophy and NFL MVP Award.

In 2010, Newton led Auburn to a perfect 14-0 record and a national championship, and he threw for 2,854 yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also rushing for 1,473 yards and 20 scores.

He was later named NFL MVP in 2015 after leading the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 mark.

Similar to Newton, RG3 took college football by storm in 2011 with his dual-threat ability, throwing for 4,293 yards, 37 touchdowns and six picks, and rushing for 699 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to the Heisman.

Over his 21 seasons as a head coach at the FBS level, Leach went 158-107, which was good for a winning percentage of .596.

Running the Air Raid offense, which he helped create, Leach enjoyed a pair of 11-2 seasons during his career, leading Texas Tech to that mark in 2008 and Washington State in 2018.

Although he never came particularly close to a national championship and only occasionally contended for conference titles, Leach was often celebrated for his innovative ideas, wit and intelligence.

Leach died in December 2022 at the age of 61 after suffering a heart attack.