Three former USC Trojans are among the 77 FBS players on the 2025 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.7 million people have played college football and only 1,093 players have been inducted,” said National Football Foundation President & CEO Steve Hatchell in a statement released Monday. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year.”
USC offensive guard Jeff Bregel is one of just eight FBS players on the ballot who was also recognized as NFF National Scholar-Athletes.
Bregel was a two-time consensus First-Team All-American and a NFF National Scholar-Athlete in 1986. He was a two-time First-Team All-Pac-10 selection. He helped USC to a 1984 Pac-10 Championship and 1985 Rose Bowl win over Ohio State. Following the 1985 season, he was the Morris Trophy winner as the league’s most outstanding offensive lineman.
USC safety Mark Carrier is on the ballot for the fifth time. He was USC’s first Thorpe Award winner, taking home the trophy in 1989 as the nation’s best defensive back.
Carrier led the conference with seven interceptions in 1989, to go along with 107 tackles, three fumble recoveries and 10 pass deflections. And he was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection. Carrier ranks tied for No. 6 on USC’s career interception list with 13. He was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2007 and to the Pac-12’s All-Century Team in 2015.
Carrier was drafted No. 6 overall by the Chicago Bears in the 1990 draft. He spent 11 years in the NFL with the Bears, Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins. Carrier then served as a college coach with Arizona State and in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.
Fellow safety Dennis Thurman is also on this year’s ballot.
Thurman earned All-American honors twice while at USC. He earned USC’s Defensive Player of the Year Award and team MVP in 1977. His eight interceptions in 1976 led the Trojans and he’s tied with Carrier at No. 6 all-time with 13 career interceptions for USC.
Thurman was selected in the 11th round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
USC ranks second among all programs with 35 players included in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Reggie Bush became the latest former Trojan with his inclusion as part of the 2023 class. Before Bush, Carson Palmer was elected in 2021, safety Troy Polamalu in 2019 and quarterback Matt Leinart in 2017.
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