The 12 Schools With The Most Players In The College Football Hall Of Fame

Millions of people have earned the right to say they’ve played college football at some level since the sport’s inception, but only a very tiny percentage—specifically .02%—of that group has managed to earn a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. As things currently stand, that institution boasts close to 1,350 members, and these schools are responsible for producing more players than any other.

The showdown between Rutgers and Princeton on November 6, 1869 is widely recognized as the first college football game in history, and a little more than 80 years later, the College Football Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class.

More than 1,300 players and coaches have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which was originally built in Ohio, eventually relocated to South Bend, and has been situated in Atlanta since 2014.

More than 325 schools have sent at least one person to the College Football Hall of Fame, but none of them have produced more players who’ve earned the honor than these programs.

Notre Dame: 49

There are plenty of college football fans who get fed up with the amount of attention Notre Dame gets on an annual basis despite having not won a national championship since 1988, but there’s a reason the Fighting Irish are viewed as one of the most hallowed teams of all time.

No school comes close to sniffing the number of players who made a name for themselves in South Bend, a list that includes dozens of greats including Joe Theismann, George Gipp, and Tim Brown.

I’m not including coaches in these totals, but if I did, that number would go up to 54 thanks to the five skippers who’ve also ended up in the Hall of Fame.

USC: 34

As you can probably guess, the USC in question is the University of Southern California, which firmly boosts its claim to being the USC with the edge it has on the College Football Hall of Fame front (if you’re curious, South Carolina has a grand total of two players).

Reggie Bush was the most recent addition to a stacked group of Trojans that also boasts Matt Leinart, Marcus Allen, Lynn Swann, and O.J. Simpson.

USC is also no slouch in the coaching department, as three guys—John Robinson, John McKay, and Howard Jones—also punched their ticket.

Michigan: 33

Ohio State fans will probably not be thrilled to discover they’re fourth place on a list where the bronze medal is held by their most bitter rival, and Michigan currently has a pretty firm edge.

The bulk of the Wolverines who’ve been inducted played during an era where most of the photos that were taken of them were in black and white, but you’ve probably heard of more modern additions like Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard.

Michigan also holds its own on the head coach front, as four of them have ended up in the Hall of Fame.

Ohio State: 28

Ohio State might not be able to match Michigan when it comes to the number of players in the Hall of Fame, but having 28 guys is certainly nothing to scoff at.

Eddie George, Orlando Pace, and Archie Griffin stand out when it comes to the guys who made an impact on the field, but it’s worth noting Ohio State’s race with its rival up north would be a bit tighter if we were also accounting for the seven coaches who’ve gotten the nod.

Yale: 24

Yale is the first of a few schools on this list that will probably make you think, “Wait, really?”

However, college football basically ran through the Ivy League in the early days, and the Bulldogs still boast more national championships than any other team in history with 18 (the most recent of which came in 1927; Alabama is in second with 16).

It’s been 10 years since Yale added its most recent inductee in the form of Dick Jauron, and I have a hard time believing most college football fans with be too familiar with any of the other players.

With that said, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Walter Camp, as the man who lends his name to the trophy presented to the best player in the country each year is one of three Bulldogs coaches in the Hall of Fame.

Army: 24

This is another “Wait, Really?” team, but Army (as well as another military service academy I’ll get to in a minute) was also more than able to hold its own in the days when the Ivy League was the sport’s equivalent of the SEC.

The Black Knights haven’t had any new additions since Arnold Tucker was enshrined in 2008, and it seems pretty safe to assume they’re only going to continue to slide as other schools start to gain ground.

If you’re curious, there have also been a couple of coaches to end up in the Hall of Fame by way of West Point.

Oklahoma: 24

Oklahoma is the third school that currently has exactly 24 players in the Hall of Fame and the first one that probably won’t catch you off guard.

Brian Bosworth, Roy Williams, Lee Roy Selmon, and Keith Jackson are the names that stick out at first glance (it’s worth noting former Georgia Southern running back Adrian Peterson was inducted in 2017, but the one who probably should be in it based on what he achieved as a Sooner is still waiting for his day).

Oklahoma is also responsible for four head coaches, including Bob Stoops and Bud Wilkinson.

Texas: 23

This is another one that definitely tracks, as Texas has obviously been able to attract its fair share of talent over the decades.

The Longhorns have had a player inducted every year since 2023, and Michael Huff will officially become the 23rd member of a club that includes Vince Young, Ricky Williams, and Earl Campbell at the ceremony that will be held toward the end of 2025.

Texas also has three coaches in the mix, as Mack Brown joined Darrell Royal and Dana Bible in 2018.

Navy: 22

We’ve got our next (but not last) “Wait, Really?” team courtesy of Navy, which was the other service academy I was referring to when we were talking about Army.

As was the case with their rival, the Midshipmen haven’t produced a ton of players that most college football fans have heard of; Roger Staubach is easily the standout (it’s also worth noting Navy claims 22 members, although three players aren’t listed on the College Football Hall of Fame website because they completed their career at a different school).

It’s also been 15 years since a Navy player was inducted, as Chet Moeller became the most recent in 2010.

Tennessee: 22

It probably goes without saying that Peyton Manning is the most prominent member of the group of Hall of Fame players who played at Tennessee, but he’s in good company with guys including Reggie White, Gene McEver, and Eric Berry.

As you’d expect, Bob Neyland—the man who lends his name to the school’s stadium—is also enshrined along with three other coaches (with Phil Fulmer serving as the most recent addition).

Alabama: 21

Nick Saban became the fourth Alabama coach to land in the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 class, but interestingly enough, none of the guys who played under him have earned a spot yet.

The Crimson Tide might have a claim to being the school boasting Hall of Fame players with the best names, as Dixie Howell, Johnny Mack Brown, and Pooley Hubert are some top-tier monikers.

Princeton: 21

We’re going to cap things off with one last “Wait, Really?” courtesy of Princeton, which is probably done adding players for the forseeable future and beyond when you consider Cosmo Iacavazzi (also a surefire member of the Hall of Fame’s All-Name Team) was the most recent player inducted…in 2002.

However, the school did pretty well for itself thanks to its dominance in the early days of college football (it still has the third-most national championships of all time with 15) with the help of the four coaches who are also enshrined.

WANT MORE? CHECK OUT THE LIST OF THE COLLEGE TEAMS THAT HAVE PRODUCED THE MOST PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMERS.