NFF College Football Hall of Fame Calls on Virginia Legend

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Former Virginia wide receiver Herman Moore (1988-90) was announced as a 2026 inductee to the National Football Foundation (NFF) College Football Hall of Fame today during “College Football Live Presented by Great Clips” on ESPN2. He is the sixth Cavalier football player to be inducted and the first since Anthony Poindexter in 2020.

The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class consists of 18 First Team All-America players and four standout coaches. The class will officially be inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026, at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Tickets are available at https://NFF2026.givesmart.com.

The 2026 inductees were selected from the national ballot of 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks. An official date for an on-grounds recognition for Moore this fall as part of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity investments, will be announced at a later date. Each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.

2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

PLAYERS:

• Jerry Azumah, RB (1995-98) – University of New Hampshire
• Ki-Jana Carter, RB (1991-94) – Penn State University
• Bruce Collie, OT (1981-84) – University of Texas at Arlington
• George Cumby, LB (1976-79) – University of Oklahoma
• Aaron Donald, DT (2010-13) – University of Pittsburgh
• Marvin Harrison, KR/WR (1992-95) – Syracuse University
• Garrison Hearst, RB (1990-92) – University of Georgia
• Chris Hudson, DB (1991-94) – University of Colorado
• Mark Ingram, RB (2008-10) – University of Alabama
• Olin Kreutz, C (1995-97) – University of Washington
• James Laurinaitis, LB (2005-08) – Ohio State University
• Jordan Lynch, AP/QB (2010-13) – Northern Illinois University
• Herman Moore, WR (1988-90) – University of Virginia
• Terence Newman, CB (1999-2002) – Kansas State University
• Bob Novogratz, OG (1957-58) – United States Military Academy
• Ndamukong Suh, DT (2006-09) – University of Nebraska
• Peter Warrick, WR (1996-99) – Florida State University
• Eric Weddle, S (2003-06) – University of Utah

COACHES:

• Jim Margraff*: 221-89-3 (71.1%) – Johns Hopkins University [MD] (1990-2018)
• Gary Patterson: 181-79-0 (69.6%) – Texas Christian University (2000-21)
• Chris Petersen: 147-38-0 (79.5%) – Boise State University (2006-13); University of Washington (2014-19)
• Ken Sparks*: 338-99-2 (77.2%) – Carson-Newman University [TN] (1980-2016)

*Deceased

Moore emerged as one of the most explosive wide receivers in college football history, helping transform Virginia football and elevating the Cavaliers to national prominence. The Danville, Virginia, was a consensus First Team All-American in 1990 and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He played a central role in Virginia’s rise to its first No. 1 national ranking and a berth in the Sugar Bowl.

He holds the NCAA record for highest average gain per reception (22.0) among players with at least 105 catches and finished his career with the most consecutive games in a season with a touchdown reception, scoring in nine straight contests during the 1990 campaign. Moore helped guide Virginia to its first-ever New Year’s Day game with an appearance in the Citrus Bowl, following the 1989 season. The Cavaliers posted a 22–6 record during his three years in Charlottesville.

Playing for NFF Hall of Fame coach George Welsh, Moore helped Virginia capture a share of the 1989 ACC championship. In 1990, he earned First Team All-ACC honors while setting the league’s single-season records for receiving yards (1,190), receiving yards per game (108.2) and receiving touchdowns (13). Moore departed Virginia as the school’s all-time leader in career receiving yards (2,504), receiving touchdowns (27), and 100-yard receiving games (eight). He holds the Cavalier single-season record for receiving touchdowns with 13 in 1990 and his single-season mark for receiving yards (1,190) the same year was a UVA record for over three decades.

Selected in the first round (10th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft by Detroit, Moore played from 1991 to 2001 with the Lions and a final season in 2002 with the Giants. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and was a First Team All-Pro pick three times.

Moore has been inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, Detroit Lions Ring of Honor, was a member of the 2018 ACC Legends Class and has his No. 87 jersey retired at Virginia.

To be eligible for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, a player must have received first-team All-America recognition by a selector recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America team. A player is eligible for consideration by the NFF’s Honors Court 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.

Virginia NFF Hall of Famers

Players (6)
Bill Dudley, halfback, inducted in 1956
Tom Scott, defensive end, inducted in 1979
Joe Palumbo, middle guard, inducted in 1999
Jim Dombrowski, offensive tackle, inducted in 2008
Anthony Poindexter, safety, inducted in Dec. 2020
Herman Moore, wide receiver, induction is in 2026

Coaches (3)
Earle “Greasy” Neale, head coach, inducted in 1967
Frank Murray, head coach, inducted in 1983
George Welsh, head coach, inducted in 2004