Img 2094 Scaled E1748988333961 Auburn, Demeco Ryans, Dennis Franchione, Hall Of Fame, Mark Ingram, Ncaa, Takeo Spikes, Tommy Tuberville, University Of Alabama — Mark Ingram memorabilia at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (Pat Byington / The Bama Buzz)

Heisman Trophy winners from both Auburn and the University of Alabama, along with an additional player and coach from each school, made the list to be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame.

Mark Ingram, a University of Alabama running back from 2008-10 and Heisman winner in 2009, and Cam Newton, Heisman Trophy winner during his one season as Auburn quarterback in 2010, are both in contention to forever etch their names in college football history.

They are joined on the 2026 ballot by:

Takeo Spikes (Auburn linebacker, 1995-97)
Tommy Tuberville (Auburn head coach, 1998-2008)
Dennis Franchione (University of Alabama head coach, 2001-02)
DeMeco Ryans (University of Alabama linebacker, 2002-05)

College Football Hall of Fame

Img 5259 Auburn, Demeco Ryans, Dennis Franchione, Hall Of Fame, Mark Ingram, Ncaa, Takeo Spikes, Tommy Tuberville, University Of Alabama — Cam Newton, Mark Ingram headline College Football Hall of Fame ballot 1

Img 5270 Auburn, Demeco Ryans, Dennis Franchione, Hall Of Fame, Mark Ingram, Ncaa, Takeo Spikes, Tommy Tuberville, University Of Alabama — Cam Newton, Mark Ingram headline College Football Hall of Fame ballot 1

The National Football Foundation released the names of 179 players and 44 coaches to be considered for the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

More than 12,000 NFF members will now vote on the 223 nominees and submit their rankings to the NFF Honors Board.

Results will be released in January 2026, with an official induction ceremony December 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. Inductees will also be honored at their respective schools during the 2026 college football season.

Mark Ingram

In 2009, Mark Ingram became the first University of Alabama player to win a Heisman Trophy.

He did so in his sophomore season in Tuscaloosa after rushing for 1,658 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was then Offensive MVP as Alabama beat Texas to the national championship.

Ingram declared for the NFL draft following his junior season and joined the New Orleans Saints as a first-round pick. He went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL with the Saints, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, earning Pro Bowl recognition on three occasions. At the time of his retirement, he was the Saints’ all-time lead rusher.

Ingram was named to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.

Cam Newton

5D1461F0 6A4A 44Ff B4D7 F0D03Ef9E67A 1 Auburn, Demeco Ryans, Dennis Franchione, Hall Of Fame, Mark Ingram, Ncaa, Takeo Spikes, Tommy Tuberville, University Of Alabama — “The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newton” by Chris Pusateri Photography is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Cam Newton joined Auburn in 2010 ahead of his senior year following a stellar college career with the University of Florida (2007-08) and Blinn College (2009). In his one year at the school, he lead the Tigers to a national championship while becoming just the third player in FBS history to post at least 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in a single season.

In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy, Newton was also the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and championship game Offensive MVP after getting six touchdowns as Auburn defeated South Carolina 56-17.

Newton was the first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, joining the Carolina Panthers. He spent 11 years in the NFL, 10 of them with the Panthers and one with the New England Revolution. In 2015, he earned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Season awards as the Panthers made it to the Superbowl.

Additional Alabama connections

9Fda697B F0F6 48F0 8624 A55Dc099D61D Auburn, Demeco Ryans, Dennis Franchione, Hall Of Fame, Mark Ingram, Ncaa, Takeo Spikes, Tommy Tuberville, University Of Alabama — “DeMeco Ryans” by The Brit_2 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In addition to Ingram and Newton, both Auburn and the University of Alabama have one other former player and one former coach on the ballot.

Takeo Spikes played linebacker for Auburn from 1995-97. A two-year Auburn Defensive MVP, he led the Tigers to the 1997 SEC title game as a First Team All-American.

Now a US State Senator for Alabama, Tommy Tuberville previously coached Auburn for a decade, starting in 1998. He earned the national Coach of the Year award in 2004 after leading the Tigers to a national championship with a perfect 13-0 record.

Though Dennis Franchione did not coach the University of Alabama long, he worked wonders in his two years at the helm in 2001 and 2002. After taking over a team that went 3-8 the previous season, he lead the Crimson Tide to a 10-win season in 2002 before departing for Texas A&M.

DeMeco Ryans played linebacker at the Unievrsity of Alabama from 2002 to 2005. In 2005, he earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous First Team All-American. He holds the Alabama single-game record for tackles, tallying 25 against Arkansas in 2003, and was also a national scholar-athlete.

Have fond football memories of any of these players or coaches? Tell us all about it by tagging @thebamabuzz on socials.