Three Florida football legends land on 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot
Three former Florida football greats are among the nominees for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class.
The National Football Foundation announced on Monday that defensive linemen Alex Brown and Brad Culpepper, along with wide receiver Percy Harvin, are part of a star-studded ballot that includes 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, along with 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks.
Ballots are distributed to more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers. Voting closes July 1, with the 2026 class to be officially announced early next year.
Brown, a dominant pass rusher from 1998 to 2001, was a consensus All-American and two-time first-team All-SEC selection. He ranks second all-time in career sacks for Florida and played a critical role in the Gators' 2000 SEC Championship run.
Brown later enjoyed a successful NFL career with the Chicago Bears.
Culpepper anchored the Gators' defensive line in the early 1990s and earned consensus All-America honors in 1991. Known for his strength and intelligence, Culpepper was also a finalist for the Outland Trophy and the recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. He played nine seasons in the NFL and remains involved in advocacy for athletes post-retirement.
Harvin, one of the most electrifying players in college football during his time, was a key figure in Florida's national championships in 2006 and 2008. The versatile receiver and return man scored 32 total touchdowns in just three seasons, earning All-American honors before being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft.
With this trio under consideration, Florida continues to assert its historic legacy within the sport.
The Gators boast multiple inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame, including Steve Spurrier, Emmitt Smith and Tim Tebow. Urban Meyer was the latest Gator to be inducted as part of the 2025 class.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
14 minutes ago
- USA Today
7 Indianapolis Colts selected in 7-round mock draft of active NFL players
There were seven Colts selected in a 7-round mock draft of active NFL players. Let's take a look at who was picked. Chad Reuter of put together a very unique mock draft. Rather than selecting the top college prospects for each NFL team, he did a seven-round mock where he picked the top NFL players. His ultimate goal for each team and with each selection was to "win now." So, how many Indianapolis Colts players ended up being taken in Reuter's mock draft, and where did they end up going? Let's take a look. 3.68: RB Jonathan Taylor (Las Vegas Raiders) With quarterbacks, wide receivers, and edge rushers dominating the top of the draft, Taylor--the first Colts' selection--was pushed down to Round 3. Taylor finished fourth in rushing yards last season and was 11th in yards per rush, according to PFF. 4.104: QB Anthony Richardson (Houston) Richardson is battling Daniel Jones for the Colts' starting job this summer. However, as Reuter wrote, Richardson's potential and ability to impact the game through the air and on the ground makes him a high upside selection in this mock. 4.109: LG Quenton Nelson (Denver) Nelson ranked 15th among all guards in pass-blocking efficiency, and he was fourth in run-blocking grade last season, per PFF. He was again a Pro Bowler and named a second-team All-Pro. 4.128: DT DeForest Buckner (New York Giants) Among all defensive tackles in 2024, Buckner ranked seventh in PFF's pass rush win rate, 12th in pass rush productivity, and ninth in run-stop rate. Buckner's impact goes beyond the stat sheet as well, with the impact his presence has on his teammates around him. 6.170: LT Bernhard Raimann (Green Bay) Out of 83 eligible tackles last season, Raimann ranked 24th in pass-blocking efficiency. In the run game, Raimann ranked 12th in PFF's run-blocking grade. 6.174: LB Zaire Franklin (Denver) Franklin led the NFL in tackles last season. He also made his first Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro. I think Franklin is one player who can really benefit from playing in Lou Anarumo's defensive scheme. 7.204: TE Tyler Warren (Dallas) Warren brings a do-it-all skill set to the NFL level. He can impact the game as a pass-catcher, particularly over the middle, while also being versatile, able to line up across the formation, and a capable blocker. That adds a lot of flexibility to an offense.
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
14 Cowboys named to ESPN's 'Best draft pick' per-slot list, 5x SB starter ineligible
The Dallas Cowboys weren't an original NFL franchise, coming into exsistence for the first time for the 1960 season. Over the last 65 years, they've assembled a bit of lore, winning five Super Bowl championships across their first 35 seasons, since carrying the moniker of America's Team into billions of dollars of valuation despite not winning anything much beyond a ton of regular season games. The stars that have come through of the organization have mainly evolved from drafting, though a handful have made their way through trade or free agency, becoming less common over the last decade than it had been previously. But there have been plenty of stars overall, so much so that when ESPN's Ben Solak went about listing the best player drafted at every slot through NFL history, the Cowboys landed an impressive 14 of the 262 players. One name is conspicuously absent, however. Solak's cutoff occurred in 1967 (first year of combined AFL/NFL draft), so he named Rob Burnett, Cleveland Browns DE with one single Pro-Bowl appearance and a Second-Team All-Pro designation as the best No. 129 pick ever, unable to name Roger Staubach (1964) to the list. Staubach was named to six Pro Bowls and finished Top-5 in MVP voting three different times, as well as leading the Cowboys to five Super Bowl trips and two victories. With 32 franchises, the average team should see around eight entries on the list, so Dallas took their fair share of slots. Of the names on the list, there were a couple who were drafted by Dallas but made their name elsewhere, and a few more who made their way to donning the star after starting somewhere else. The first name on the list, Deion Sanders, is of that ilk. It's a loaded fifth pick (Junior Seau, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jalen Ramsey and Ja'Marr Chase), but Sanders gets the nod for his unique place as a two-way player (not to mention his two rings -- one of which came in his Defensive Player of the Year season -- and his six first-team All-Pro appearances). Does he also get a bump for providing excellent return on a sixth-round draft pick in the MLB draft? Who's to say? Sanders joined Dallas after five years in Atlanta and one in San Francisco, earning a ring with Dallas in 1995, then existing as their best player for the next half decade. The leader for career rushing yards by almost 2,000 yards takes the top spot here. Just how incredible are Smith's 18,355 rushing yards? Derrick Henry -- who is 19th in career rushing yardage but ninth with 84 rushing yards per game over his career -- would need to maintain his career average over another five seasons to catch Smith. Smith is as symbolic a Cowboy as there is, spending the majority of his career with the Cowboys before ending in Arizona. An odd one here, as Wisniewski was drafted by the Cowboys but was then almost immediately traded to the Raiders, with whom he made eight All-Pro teams over a 13-year career. The Wiz started 215 of a possible 217 games in his career with the Raiders as well -- ridiculous availability. Congrats to the Cowboys (I guess?) for drafting him! With respect to Hill, pick No. 62 is easily the worst pick we've run into so far. Hill is a three-time Pro Bowler with one ring; his best season had 1,113 yards. His strongest competition is Brian O'Neill, the current right tackle for the Vikings, and Jimmy Garoppolo. It's starting to get bleak! A weirdly tough group at pick No. 69, where Witten goes against Hall of Famer Russ Grimm and a few strong active players, including Cooper Kupp. Assuming Witten -- who becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame in this upcoming cycle -- makes the Hall in one or two ballots, I think he has a better résumé than Grimm (though three Super Bowl championships and four first-team All-Pros is pretty good stuff). Witten just has a level of era-defining play with those 2000s Cowboys that puts him a hair above. 71. DeMarco Murray, RB (2011) Pick No. 71 isn't a strong group, so I'll let Murray's legendary 2014 season carry him to the top: 392 carries, 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns, with another 57 catches for 416 yards to boot. The 449 touches remains the sixth highest-volume season in NFL history, and given the way backs are managed these days, it will likely stay that way for a while. A five-time first-team All-Pro, Owens is only better known for his great touchdown celebrations than his production (153 touchdown receptions, No. 3 all-time). Owens only ever got to play in one Super Bowl, delivering one of the gutsiest performances of modern NFL history in the loss -- but the personal accolades are more than enough. Only Tom Brady has more individual Super Bowl rings than Haley, who has five (a lot of players have four). Two came with the team that drafted him (49ers), and three came with the team he joined in free agency (Cowboys). For his efforts on multiple championship teams, Haley is enshrined in the Hall and enshrined here as the best-ever 96th overall pick. Eight players as the best at their slot among the Top 100 picks is an insane rate, but the Cowboys aren't done there. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Walter Clayton Jr.'s Surprise NBA Draft Destination Revealed
Walter Clayton Jr.'s Surprise NBA Draft Destination Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Walter Clayton Jr. only wore orange and blue for two seasons, but the mark he made will live on in Gainesville and broader SEC hoops lore forever. Advertisement After arriving from Iona University to man an off-ball role for Todd Golden's Forida Gators as a junior, Clayton elevated his game to rare heights taking over point guard duties for his final college season. All he got for his troubles? Legend status as the face of the Gators' third-ever men's basketball national championship squad. In averaging over 18 points per game with a penchant for long-range daggers in the biggest clutch moments, Clayton not only earned All-SEC First Team honors, but also became the very first player in program history to be named a consensus First Team All-American. His thrilling exploits welcomed the occasional Stephen Curry comparison -- and helped him soar from relative obscurity among NBA scouts right into first-round draft pick potential. On Wednesday night at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn, New York, the dream came true. So, with the pick now officially in, who drafted Walter Clayton Jr. anyway?!? Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. holds up the trophy after winning the 2025 NCAA championship in San Antonio, Donnan-Imagn Images Moments ago, despite all signs reportedly pointing in the direction of the Miami Heat, Commissioner Adam Silver delivered a curveball: With the No. 18 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards selected the Gators' all-timer... Advertisement ...Only to turn right around and deal him to the Washington Wizards. Walter Clayton Jr. College Stats 2024-25 PPG : 18.3 RPG : 3.7 APG : 4.2 SPG : 1.2 BPG: 0.5 FG %: 44.8 3P %: 38.6 FT %: 87.5 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player SEC Tournament MVP First Team All-American First Team All-SEC In the draft night deal, the Wizards reportedly received, per insider Jake Fischer, picks No. 21 and 43 along with two future second-rounders. The late momentum broke plainly in Miami's direction, with Clayton reportedly canceling his remaining scheduled workouts after a final visit with the Heat during draft week. The Lake Wales, Florida native's journey has been nothing short of remarkable, and stands as a testament to how yeoman's work, opportunistic grit, and undeniable swagger come together on the hardwood. Advertisement Welcome to Salt Lake City, Walter Clayton Jr.! This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
