Larry Seivers and two other Tennessee Volunteers on 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

On Monday, the National Football Foundation announced that Josh Heupel, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, and two outstanding former players would be on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame in 2026.
On the 2026 ballot, which includes 79 FBS players, the Heupel are joined by VFL greats Deon Grant and Larry Seivers.
Heupel has been on the ballot for six consecutive years, even though he is about to lead the Volunteers for his fifth season.
While playing quarterback for the Sooners, he set numerous records, helped them win the 2000 national championship, and was named the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy that same year.

The 1975 and 1976 seasons both saw Seivers named to the consensus first team All-American roster. Upon his retirement from Tennessee, the Clinton High School alumnus set a new school record for receptions and receiving yards with 800.

He was also the first Vol to do it in a single season. Two years running, he was also named to the Southeastern Conference’s first team.

For the first time ever, Grant’s name will appear on a ballot. From 1997 through 1999, he was an integral part of the Vols’ unstoppable defense, which contributed to the team’s two SEC titles and national championship in 1998.
In 1999, he won the Associated Press SEC Defensive Player of the Year award and was unanimously selected as a first-team All-America safety.

His nine interceptions that season were the second-most in program history and set an NCAA record.
A total of twenty-seven players, twenty-three coaches, and one hall of famer have left their mark on the Volunteer State.

John Henderson, a star defensive lineman, was the most recent inductee into the Hall of Fame for the class of 2025 in Atlanta. In early 2026, the 2026 class will formally be presented.