IRVING, Texas – The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame announced today the names on the 2026 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including former Terrapins tight end Vernon Davis and Head Coach Ralph Friedgen.
This year’s ballot features 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks. This year marks Friedgen’s fourth year on the ballot, while it’s Davis’ first year.
More on each Hall of Fame nominee is listed below.
Vernon Davis, Maryland Tight End (2003-05)
Davis redefined the tight end position as a Terp and throughout his 14-year NFL career. As a Washington, DC native, Davis grew up cheering for Maryland and eventually went on to star for the Terps. He hauled in 83 receptions for 1,371 receiving yards (16.52 yards per catch) in three seasons.
Davis was named an All-American in 2005 by the Associated Press, AFCA and CollegeFootballNews.com. He was also First Team All-ACC and a finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the top tight end in the nation, during his final season at Maryland.
Davis was drafted No. 6 overall in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He went on to play in the NFL for 14 seasons with the San Francisco, Denver and Washington.
Davis was an NFL All-Pro selection in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl twice (2009, 2013). He won a Super Bowl in 2016 as a member of the Denver Broncos.
Davis finished his NFL career with 583 catches for 7,562 yards and 63 touchdowns.
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Ralph Friedgen, Maryland Head Coach (2001-10)
Friedgen, who restored the Maryland football program to national relevance during his decade tenure as the head coach of the Terrapins from 2001-10, ranks third all-time in program history with 75 wins. He led the Terps to seven bowl games, including a pair of New Year’s Day appearances, and a school-record give bowl wins during his tenure.
A Maryland lifer who suited up as an offensive guard for the Terrapins from 1966-69, Friedgen came back to his alma mater as an assistant coach under Bobby Ross from 1982-86. He took over as the Terps head man in 2001, fostering an immediate turnaround.
The consensus national coach of the year in 2001, Friedgen led Maryland to its first ACC title in 16 years in his first year as head coach. Maryland won its first seven games and earned the league’s automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series’ FedEx Orange Bowl. By winning the ACC title that season, Friedgen became the first coach in league history to win the championship in his first year as a head coach.
Following that historic 2001 season, Friedgen led Maryland to six more bowl appearances, 12 wins over top-25 teams and the Terps spent 18 weeks in the AP Top-25 during his tenure. Friedgen ranks fifth all-time in ACC history in bowl victories (five), 15th all-time in wins (75), tied for 14th in ACC victories (43) and stands 12th in games coached (125).
Friedgen recruited and coached some of the largest names etched in Maryland lure, including E.J. Henderson, D’Qwell Jackson, Shawne Merriman, Vernon Davis and Torrey Smith. Eighty players earned All-ACC honors under Friedgen’s direction, 37 were named All-Americans and seven were named ACC Players of the Year.
Twenty-seven of Friedgen’s players at Maryland were drafted in the NFL with many, such as Henderson, Jackson, Merriman, Davis, Smith, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Nick Novak, Adam Podlesh and Josh Wilson having sustained professional careers.
