Pair of Nittany Lions make 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot
A pair of Penn State stars could soon be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Defensive end Courtney Brown and running back Ki-Jana Carter were among 79 players nominated by the NFF College Football Hall of Fame on the 2026 ballot, which was released Monday. Both players are expected to be approved after standout careers in Happy Valley.
Brown, who played at Penn State from 1996-99, was viewed as one of the top players in college football during his senior season. He was named a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year en route to the No. 1 overall draft selection in 2000.
He finished with 33 career sacks, setting the NCAA record at the time, which still ranks best in Penn State program history. Brown's 13.5 sacks in his senior year rank fourth among Nittany Lions all time.
Carter was also a No. 1 overall pick, selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1995. He was a Nittany Lion from 1992-94, earning unanimous All-American honors as a junior when the Nittany Lions posted an undefeated season. He was named the Rose Bowl MVP to cap off his college career.
Carter's 1994 season includes the third-most rushing yards and second-most rushing touchdowns in program history, and he currently has the fourth-most career rushing touchdowns of any Nittany Lion.
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