2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot: Carson Palmer, Champ Bailey headline

The College Football Hall of Fame released its ballot for 2021 induction.

By the looks of it, the College Football Hall of Fame is poised to have an incredible 2021 class.

The College Football Hall of Fame released its ballot for who is up for induction this year and could be part of the 2021 class. The criteria for enshrinement is pretty simple really. A player must have been named a First-Team All-American by a well-recognized selector, a player must be at least 10 years removed from his final college game, but no more than 50 years removed as well.

For a head-coaching candidate to be up for enshrinement, he has to be at least three years removed from coaching, at least 70-years-old following his recent retirement or be over the age of 75 and still be actively coaching. The amount of unbelievable candidates on this list is jaw-dropping. Many will end up getting in, but so many will have to wait yet another year or two.

Here are some of the men up for College Football Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2021.

• • Morten Andersen, Michigan State placekicker
  • Champ Bailey: Georgia defensive back
  • Eric Bieniemy: Colorado running back
  • Michael Bishop: Kansas State quarterback
  • Brandon Burlsworth: Arkansas offensive lineman
  • Tim Couch: Kentucky quarterback
  • Jack Del Rio: USC linebacker
  • Ken Dorsey: Miami quarterback
  • Kevin Faulk: LSU running back
  • Dwight Freeney: Syracuse defensive end
  • Tony Gonzalez: California tight end
  • Dan Hampton: Arkansas defensive lineman
  • Marvin Harrison: Syracuse wide receiver
  • Steve Hutchinson: Michigan offensive lineman
  • Sebastian Janikowski: Florida State placekicker
  • Ray Lewis: Miami linebacker
  • Ed McCaffrey: Stanford wide receiver
  • Ken Norton Jr.: UCLA linebacker
  • Carson Palmer: USC quarterback
  • Antwaan Randle El: Indiana quarterback
  • Simeon Rice: Illinois linebacker
  • Ron Rivera: Cal linebacker
  • Rashaan Salaam: Colorado running back
  • C.J. Spiller: Clemson running back
  • Darren Sproles: Kansas State running back
  • Andre Tippett: Iowa defensive end
  • Troy Vincent: Wisconsin defensive back
  • Al Wilson: Tennessee linebacker
  • Steve Wisniewski: Penn State offensive lineman
  • Gary Pinkel: Toledo/Missouri head coach
  • Bob Stoops: Oklahoma head coach
  • Jahri Evans: Bloomsburg (PA) offensive lineman
  • Tony Romo: Eastern Illinois quarterback

Who could be getting into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021?

As you can see from the select list from above, there are several guys already enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Those guys include Morten Andersen, Champ Bailey, Tony Gonzalez, Dan Hampton, Marvin Harrison, Steve Hutchinson, Ray Lewis and Andre Tippett. There are also a pair of Heisman Trophy winners in Carson Palmer and the late Rashaan Salaam up for induction.

There are a handful of coaches up for induction, most notably Gary Pinkel of Toledo and Missouri fame and Bob Stoops from his dominance running the Oklahoma program. For smaller school guys, how about perennial NFL Pro Bowlers in guard Jahri Evans of Bloomsburg (PA) or America’s favorite color commentator in quarterback Tony Romo of Eastern Illinois?

If this list tells you anything is that anybody who earns enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame this year earned it. While Pinkel, Stoops, Romo and to some degree Evans feel like solid inductees this year, it’s a crapshoot over who else gets in among the massive group of former Division I superstars. If I had to pick two of that group getting in, I’d say it’s Bailey and Palmer.

Whoever is inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021 will make up a great class.

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