Houston coach Willie Fritz recently submitted a nomination letter on behalf of former Cougars quarterback Case Keenum to get him on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Despite being the NCAA’s all-time leading passer with 19,217 yards over five seasons with the Cougars from 2007-11, Keenum is not eligible since he was never awarded All-American status by one of the five outlets recognized by college football’s governing body — The Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation and The Sporting News.
To be eligible for college football’s most prestigious honor, players must be recognized by the NCAA. Keenum meets the other two requirements: 10 years post-retirement and within 50 years of his last collegiate game.
“Case Keenum is one of the most decorated, respected and accomplished players in the history of college football. I think it would be inappropriate for this sport’s leader in so many categories to be left out of the Hall of Fame,” Fritz wrote in a letter obtained by The Houston Chronicle to the College Football Hall of Fame’s selection committee. “He is absolutely deserving of this honor.”
The 2026 class includes former Alabama Heisman winner Mark Ingram, Pittsburgh standout Aaron Donald and Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh. Fifteen other players were elected to the Hall of Fame this cycle, along with four coaches.
Keenum’s impressive seasons came during the peak years of former Heisman winners Sam Bradford (2008, Oklahoma) and Robert Griffin III (2011, Baylor), both of whom earned first-team All-American honors.
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College Football Hall of Fame’s biggest snubs
Ironically, one of the biggest snubs other than Keenum does fit the requirements after Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was a first-team All-American in 2009 for the Longhorns under Mack Brown. McCoy is technically the player keeping Keenum from being eligible since he got the nod over Keenum that season among various organizations.
Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore missed out on being elected for the fifth consecutive year this spring despite a 50-3 career record with the Broncos. Miami’s Clinton Portis, who helped the Hurricanes win a national championship as a junior, set a program record as a freshman All-American in 1999 with five 100-yard games and finished his career with 2,523 yards rushing and 21 scores.
These are just a few of the greats not yet members of the hall.
1. Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
Newton’s 2010 season is one of the most dominant single-year runs in college football history. His 2026 nomination and the lack of an election are glaring mistakes for a quarterback who should’ve been recognized immediately. Newton didn’t just win games; he bent them to his will, carrying Auburn through comeback after comeback while serving as the engine of a national championship team.
The numbers tell part of the story — over 4,000 total yards and 50 touchdowns –, but they don’t fully capture the weekly inevitability he imposed on defenses that knew what was coming and still couldn’t stop it. What makes this first-ballot snub more puzzling is the combination of individual hardware and team success. A Heisman Trophy winner, a national champion and the most impactful player in the sport in 2010 should be a lock by any historical standard.
Yet Newton’s absence feels more like inertia than oversight, a byproduct of eligibility timing and perception rather than production. Greatness that is obvious doesn’t fade with time — it only becomes harder to explain away.
Newton will get in, but should’ve been a 2026 first-ballot selectee.
2. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
Manziel’s eligibility began in 2023, but thus far, the selection committee has whiffed. A consensus All-American in 2012 during his Heisman season, Manziel was also the Davey O’Brien and Manning Award winner that fall. Manziel threw for 7,820 yards and 63 touchdowns to go along with 2,169 yards rushing and 30 scores over his two-year career as the Aggies’ starter.
At his best in 2012, there wasn’t a player in America who tilted viewers in his direction like Johnny Football. Texas A&M didn’t just debut in the SEC and survive; it detonated expectations behind a redshirt freshman who played the game as if structure were optional.
Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, and he did it in a conference that still prided itself on defensive identity. The Auburn upset, the Alabama dismantling — those weren’t just signature wins, they were cultural flashpoints. Defenses had the playbook. They just didn’t have an answer to stop the dual-threat star.
Texas A&M’s offensive scheme during that era under Kevin Sumlin catered to Manziel’s strengths. No surprise that Keenum produced similar statistics through the air as Sumlin’s QB1 previously at Houston.
The argument against him is never about production. It’s about timeline, discipline and what happened after his College Station greatness. Strip away the headlines and the pro-career what-ifs, and you’re left with this: two unforgettable seasons that changed the way the quarterback position was played in the modern era.
3. Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU
Mathieu’s omission isn’t just surprising — it borders on inexplicable when stacked against what he actually did on Saturdays in Baton Rouge. The “Honey Badger” wasn’t a system player or a complementary piece; he was a defensive force of nature who altered game plans the moment opponents saw his alignment and a special teams maven.
In 2011, he didn’t just flash brilliance — he defined it, finishing as a Heisman Trophy finalist as a defensive back, return specialist and chaos agent wrapped into one. What separates Mathieu from typical Hall of Fame candidates is impact per snap. He didn’t need volume to dominate. He needed leverage, instinct and a single mistake from an offense. Turnovers weren’t random; they were engineered. Field position flipped on command. Momentum rarely survived four quarters against LSU when he was roaming free at safety.
The off-field setbacks are often folded into the conversation, but the Hall of Fame is not a character referendum — it’s a measure of college production and legacy. And Mathieu’s legacy is unmistakable: he was the most disruptive defender in the country at his peak in centerfield.
4. Terrell Suggs, EDGE, Arizona State
A unanimous All-American in 2002 at Arizona State, Suggs is still hoping for the call. He set NCAA records with 24 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss that season and was inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame in 2022.
Off the edge, he played with a level of violence and burst that turned pass protection into a guessing game every snap. Offensive coordinators didn’t scheme around him so much as they tried to survive him. Think Jadeveon Clowney and Chase Young in terms of overall impact before those two ever played a collegiate snap.
The numbers still hold up under any era-adjusted lens. Single-season sack records don’t come easy in any conference, and Suggs set the bar in the former Pac-10 with a relentlessness that forced offenses into instant panic. But stats alone don’t capture the weekly distortion he created. Double teams weren’t optional. Slide protection was mandatory. And even then, it rarely mattered. He went on to have a dynamic NFL career as one of the Sun Devils’ all-time best.
5. Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan
Wolverines fans still must be wondering why Edwards’ name isn’t etched in the history books, considering his 39 career touchdowns in Ann Arbor. He was the primary stress test for every secondary in the Big Ten, especially during his 2004 breakout when he turned contested catches into routine conversions and basic routes into explosive gains.
Edwards’ 2004 season remains the defining reference point: a 1,330-yard campaign in an offense that leaned on him heavily, with touchdown production that consistently swung momentum in Michigan’s favor. What separates Edwards from typical Hall of Fame receivers is how clearly game plans bent toward him. He wasn’t just targeted — he was accounted for from the opening script onward. Edwards impacted the game like many of the recent first-round wideout selections out of Ohio State and Alabama, but did it during an era that didn’t spam targets in or around the line of scrimmage.
