University of Tennessee Athletics
Heupel, Gault, Grant on 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot
June 01, 2026 | Football
IRVING, Texas -- Former Oklahoma national champion quarterback and Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel as well as VFL greats Willie Gault and Deon Grant appear on the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced Monday.
Heupel, who enters his sixth season with the Volunteers, is on the ballot for a seventh straight year. A 2000 consensus first-team All-American, he led the Sooners to the 2000 national championship with a win in the Orange Bowl. In two seasons, Heupel rewrote the Oklahoma record books and was the 2000 Heisman Trophy runner-up before going onto a successful coaching career.
A 1982 first-team All-American, Gault led Tennessee to three bowl berths and set six conference punt and kickoff return records. He tied the NCAA record for most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season with three in 1980. He totaled 82 catches for 1,482 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns during his career. Gault averaged an incredible 16.4 yards each time he touched the football.
Grant, a 1999 consensus first-team All-America safety, is on the ballot for the second consecutive year. Grant starred on the Vols' stellar defense from 1997-99, a period that saw UT post a 33-5 record, a 1998 national championship and claim SEC titles in 1997 and 1998.
Grant's 1999 season was highlighted by an NCAA-best nine interceptions, a mark that ranks second in UT single-season history. He was tabbed the Associated Press SEC Defensive Player of the Year that fall before being selected in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Grant is a member of the Tennessee Sports and Georgia Sports Halls of Fame.
The trio make up 80 players from the FBS ranks under consideration for induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame. The Vols have produced 27 Hall of Famers – 23 as players and four as coaches.
The announcement of the 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2027, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 69th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas.
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Heupel, who enters his sixth season with the Volunteers, is on the ballot for a seventh straight year. A 2000 consensus first-team All-American, he led the Sooners to the 2000 national championship with a win in the Orange Bowl. In two seasons, Heupel rewrote the Oklahoma record books and was the 2000 Heisman Trophy runner-up before going onto a successful coaching career.
A 1982 first-team All-American, Gault led Tennessee to three bowl berths and set six conference punt and kickoff return records. He tied the NCAA record for most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season with three in 1980. He totaled 82 catches for 1,482 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns during his career. Gault averaged an incredible 16.4 yards each time he touched the football.
Grant, a 1999 consensus first-team All-America safety, is on the ballot for the second consecutive year. Grant starred on the Vols' stellar defense from 1997-99, a period that saw UT post a 33-5 record, a 1998 national championship and claim SEC titles in 1997 and 1998.
Grant's 1999 season was highlighted by an NCAA-best nine interceptions, a mark that ranks second in UT single-season history. He was tabbed the Associated Press SEC Defensive Player of the Year that fall before being selected in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Grant is a member of the Tennessee Sports and Georgia Sports Halls of Fame.
The trio make up 80 players from the FBS ranks under consideration for induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame. The Vols have produced 27 Hall of Famers – 23 as players and four as coaches.
The announcement of the 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2027, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 69th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas.
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