Hall of Fame hopefuls announced
The National Football Foundation revealed on June 1 that 227 players have been placed on the ballot for the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame, a list that includes two former Tennessee Volunteers standouts.
Willie Gault, who dazzled as a wide receiver and return specialist in the early 1980s, earned first‑team All‑America honors in 1982 and still holds several SEC and school records for punt and kick returns. His most remarkable feat came in 1980 when he scored three touchdowns on kick returns in a single season, tying an NCAA record.
Deon Grant, a safety who anchored Tennessee’s defense in the late 1990s, was a consensus first‑team All‑American and captured the 1999 AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. He led the SEC with nine interceptions that year and was a pivotal member of the Volunteers’ 1998 national championship squad.
A tradition of excellence
Tennessee boasts 27 members in the College Football Hall of Fame, comprising 23 players and four coaches, underscoring the program’s historic impact on the sport.
More than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers will cast ballots for the 2027 class, with the final announcement slated for early 2027.
The induction ceremony will honor the selected few alongside the sport’s greatest legends, cementing Gault’s and Grant’s place in college football history.