College Football Hall of Fame ballot: Top Colorado legends who made the cut for 2026
The University of Colorado is basking in glory after the school earned two nominations in the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class. Colorado legends Eric Bieniemy and Chris Hudson were named nominees on Monday.
The college made the announcement on Instagram and wrote in the caption:
"Colorado Football royalty on the Hall of Fame ballot 🙌 Bieniemy ran it.💨 Hudson locked it down. 🔒 Now they’re up for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame. 🏆"
Eric Bieniemy - Running Back (1987-1990)
Bieniemy was Colorado's offensive power in the late 1980s. He was the program's all-time leading rusher at the time of his graduation. He had 3,940 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns.
The running back led the Buffaloes to the national championship in his final season with the program. Moreover, he was a consensus All-American and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting that season.
Chris Hudson - Cornerback (1991-1994)
While Eric Bieniemy was known for his offensive exploits, one year after he left, the program added cornerback Chris Hudson, who developed into the defensive anchor of the team.
Apart from being a consensus All-American in his final season in Boulder, he also earned the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation's best defensive back.
Hudson has the second-most interceptions in the Buffaloes' team history, and in terms of pass deflections, he is fifth all-time.
How many Colorado athletes are already in the College Football Hall of Fame?
The 1992 Jim Thorpe winner, Deon Figures, was the latest Buffalo to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His enshrinement took place in December, and at the ceremony, he said:
"We've been struggling for a while, so it's good to see Deion Sanders up there and what he's done for Boulder and to bring back the attention. My generation, this is what we were used to, minus the social media.
"It's done a lot for the entire community, and it's given these students something they haven't had for a long, long time. It feels good with what he's done, and we're going bowling again. We're on the right track, I just hope it can continue."
Before him, here is the list of the other 10 inductees from the football program in Boulder.
- Byron White (1952)
- Joe Romig (1984)
- Dick Anderson (1993)
- Bobby Anderson (2006)
- Alfred Williams (2010)
- John Wooten (2012)
- Coach Bill McCartney (2013)
- Herb Orvis (2016)
- Michael Westbrook (2020)
- Rashaan Salaam (2022)
Among the current crop of players who just exited Boulder, Travis Hunter seems to be the person who could very well be in the College Football Hall of Fame one day from Colorado.