Two Ohio State legends are one step closer to the College Football Hall of Fame.
The National Football Foundation announced Monday that former Buckeye stars Cris Carter and A.J. Hawk are among 80 FBS players on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2027 class.
Despite Ohio State’s long line of elite receivers like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and current star Jeremiah Smith, Carter remains firmly in the conversation as the greatest wide receiver in program history. A native of Troy, Ohio, Carter dazzled during his three seasons in Columbus, setting freshman receiving records (now broken by Smith) before earning two first-team All-Big Ten selections and 1986 consensus All-American honors.
His success only grew in the NFL. Over 16 seasons, Carter became one of the league’s most productive pass catchers, earning eight Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro honors. The Minnesota Vikings retired his No. 80 jersey in 2003, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Hawk's Ohio State résumé is also impressive. The Kettering native and Centerville High School product played a key role on the Buckeyes’ 2002 national championship team before developing into one of the nation’s premier linebackers. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors three times, was a consensus All-American in 2004 and a unanimous All-American in 2005. During his senior season, Hawk also captured the Lombardi Award and Jack Lambert Trophy before becoming the No. 5 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft.
Hawk went on to enjoy an 11-year NFL career, including nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He won Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season and finished his career with 947 tackles.
More than 12,000 NFF members and current College Football Hall of Famers will vote before July 1, after which the NFF Honors Court will review the results and select the 2027 class. The Honors Court is chaired by Ohio State legend Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy. The 2027 class will be announced early next year.
Ohio State has 29 players and eight coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. The Buckeyes’ latest entrants have been James Laurinaitis in 2026 and Urban Meyer in 2025.
Photo credits: Charles LeClaire, Imagn, and Brett Davis, Imagn
