Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel will appear on the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot for his time as a National Championship-winning quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, the National Football Foundation announced on Monday.
The official 2025 College Football Hall of Fame will be announced in early 2025 at a time to be revealed later on. Once the class is announced, the selections will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025.
Heupel previously appeared on the 2023 and 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Ballots but was not selected.
The native of Aberdeen, South Dakota began his college career at Weber State before eventually transferring to Snow College followed by a move to the University of Oklahoma for the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
By the time he left Oklahoma, Heupel was a household name across the college football landscape as a National Champion. Heupel was a consensus First-Team All-American and the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2000, the AP College Football Player of the Year in 2000, and the Quarterback of the Year in 2000. Additionally, Heupel won a trio of awards that year including the Walter Camp Award, the Archie Griffin Award, and the Chic Harley Award.
Josh Heupel’s Oklahoma Football All-Time Passing Rankings (in two seasons)
- Yards: 5th (7,066)
- Touchdown Passes: 6th (50)
- Passing Completions: 5th (615)
- Passing Attempts: 4th (972)
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While it doesn’t count for his work as a player, Heupel has made the transition from coach to player look easier than it is for most. Heupel worked his way through the assistant ranks before becoming at head coach, first starting at Central Florida before moving to Tennessee prior to the 2021 season.
In three years at Tennessee, Heupel has led the Vols to a 27-12 record through 39 games with three consecutive bowl appearances and two straight bowl victories. Heupel was previously 1-2 in three bowl games with the UCF Knights.
Tennessee has three players themselves going on the ballot, too. Vols legends Willie Gault, John Henderson, and Larry Seivers will also appear on the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot. Heupel, Seivers, and Gault were on the 2023 and 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Ballots while Henderson is a first-timer in 2025.
Josh Heupel and the Volunteers will travel to Norman, OK, in Week 4 on Sept. 21 to take on Oklahoma in both team’s SEC opener and Oklahoma’s first official football game in the Southeastern Conference.
