Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has been named among 79 nominees for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class, the National Football Foundation announced Monday.
Ryans, a standout linebacker at Alabama from 2002 to 2005, finished his collegiate career with 309 tackles, ranking fifth in Crimson Tide history. He set the program’s single-game tackles record with 25 against Arkansas in 2003. As a senior, Ryans earned the Lott Trophy, was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and was a finalist for both the Nagurski and Bednarik awards. He also received unanimous first-team All-America and All-SEC honors.
The 2026 Hall of Fame ballot features several college football legends, including quarterbacks Robert Griffin III, Josh Heupel and Cam Newton. Notable linebackers joining Ryans on the ballot include Takeo Spikes, James Laurinaitis, Ron Rivera and Manti Te’o.
Ryans is one of eight former National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes nominated this year. He received the distinction in 2005 after graduating from Alabama in just 3.5 years, earning recognition for his academic and philanthropic achievements. Since the NFF Scholar-Athlete program began in 1959, only 49 recipients have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, a group that includes Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow.
After being selected 33rd overall by the Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft, Ryans enjoyed a 10-year playing career with Houston and the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his coaching career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, rising to defensive coordinator in 2021 before being named Texans head coach in 2023.
The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class will be announced in early 2026. Inductees will be honored at the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas.