Peyton Manning will headline the 2017 College Hall of Fame ballot with Steve Spurrier joining him as the two biggest locks for next year’s class. The complete list of entries will not be revealed until January but we took the time to break down the most likely names to be in that group. Here is a look at the names you can expect to be on the list for the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame class.
Peyton Manning
The future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback will get his due from the College Football Hall of Fame first as Manning is now eligible following his retirement from pro football. It didn’t take long for Manning to become the program’s all-time leading passer and he finished his career with a ridiculous 39-6 record overall during his time with the Vols. Manning threw for 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns compared to just 33 interceptions at Tennessee. He led the nation in passing completions in 1996 as well as attempts and completion percentage. He never won the Heisman, but finished close in his three years with a sixth in 1995, an eighth in 1996 and a second-place result in 1997. And remember the awards that he took home. In 1997, he was a consensus All-American, won the Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Maxwell Award and was the SEC Player of the Year. He’s a sure-fire bet to make the College Football Hall of Fame.
This will begin a long farewell tour with this event as he transitions to life after being an NFL quarterback with his road eventually leading towards a stop at Canton.
Steve Spurrier
Spurrier would join Bobby Dodd, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Bowden Wyatt on the unique list of players that made it to the College Football Hall of Fame as both players and coaches. People of this generation will remember him as a coach and his job in that regard was quite impressive. He finished his college career 228-89-2, which is a tremendous win percentage. He went 11-10 in bowls, which is pretty good too. Overall, he collected eight SEC East Division titles, six SEC titles – including three in a row – an ACC title and a National Championship. He was the ACC Coach of the year in 1988 and 1989, and he was SEC Coach of the Year seven times (1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2005 and 2010).
Spurrier absolutely deserves to be a part of the 2017 class and it is only fitting that he rolls in with Manning.
Marshall Faulk
Faulk is expected to join Manning and Spurrier in the 2017 class based on his impressive accomplishments at San Diego State. The former All-Pro running back racked up 4,589 yards and 57 touchdowns over three seasons with the Aztecs with an additional 82 catches for 973 yards and five more scores. Faulk finished ninth, second and fourth in Heisman voting in his three seasons as San Diego State and will get his due as a member of the 2017 class for the College Football Hall of Fame.
Larry Kehres
If there is one more name to include on the list of candidates that are more than likely to make it into this year’s class than it is Kehres. He turned Division III Mount Union in to an absolute powerhouse as the Raiders posted 21 undefeated regular seasons with 11 national championships and five other championship game appearances. He also has 23 OAC championships. As far as awards go, he has nine AFCA Division III Coach of the Year honors and six OAC Coach of the Year awards. Kehres finished his career with a 332-24-3 all-time coaching record, which is the highest winning percentage in college football history. This should be the year when his incredible numbers are finally recognized.
Ray Lewis
Dat Nguyen and Eric Crouch will definitely be among the list of contenders to make the 2017 class, but the more likely fit here is Lewis. The Super Bowl champion and All-Pro NFL linebacker made a name for himself at Miami where he recorded 394 career tackles and earned a pair of All-American honors. Lewis will forever be remembered for his hard-hitting tackles and unique ability to motivate his teammates with his leadership. Now it’s his turn to join the College Football Hall of Fame as one of the better bets to have his name on next year’s list.
