Ole Miss Legend Terrence Metcalf Elected to College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025

IRVING, Texas– (Release) Ole Miss football great Terrence Metcalf has been elected as a member of the induction class of 2025 for the College Football Hall of Fame, as announced by the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame live on ESPN2 on Wednesday afternoon.

Metcalf – an All-American standout offensive tackle during his time at Ole Miss from 1997-2001 – is one of three offensive linemen in the Class of 2025, with Metcalf standing as the lone tackle in the group.

Metcalf is now the 10th Rebel player and the 13th total inductee to the College Football Hall of Fame with Ole Miss ties, joining Bruiser Kinard (1951, tackle), Charlie Conerly (1965, halfback), Barney Poole (1974, end), John Vaught (1979, coach), Doug Kenna (1984, quarterback), Thad “Pie” Vann (1987, coach), Archie Manning (1989, quarterback), Parker Hall (1991, halfback), Jake Gibbs (1995, quarterback), Charlie Flowers (1997, fullback), Wesley Walls (2014, tight end) and Patrick Willis (2019, linebacker). Kenna played on the 1941 Ole Miss freshman team, which also included fellow Hall of Famers Bruiser Kinard and Charlie Conerly, before finishing his career at Army. Vann, meanwhile, was a team captain and played at Ole Miss as a tackle from 1926-28, but was inducted as a coach following his career at Southern Miss.

“We are thrilled to announce the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Ole Miss legend Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer. “Each of these legends ranks among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to adding their incredible accomplishments to those permanently enshrined in the Hall of Fame.”

A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Metcalf played at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds and used a unique blend of size, technique and agility to become one of the most formidable linemen in Ole Miss history.

A consensus First Team All-American in 2001 and a Sporting News Second Team selection in 1999, Metcalf helped lead Ole Miss to three bowl appearances (1997 Motor City, 1999 Independence, 2000 Music City Bowl) and two final national rankings (No. 22 in 1997 and No. 22 in 1999).

Lettering in 1997 and 1999-2001, Metcalf started the first three games in 1998, but he was redshirted after an ankle injury for the remainder of that season. Ole Miss would go 37-22 over the five-year period, helping his teammates set new school high-water marks. He blocked during the first two seasons of NFF National Scholar-Athlete Eli Manning’s record setting career, who would pass for 10,119 yards to claim multiple school records at the time. He also cleared a path for Deuce McAllister who still holds the school rushing record with 3,060 yards and all-purpose record with 4,889 yards.

A two-time First Team All-SEC selection (2000, 2001), Metcalf was named the SEC’s Most Valuable Lineman in 2001 by the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club. Metcalf’s impact was particularly felt in pass protection, where he anchored an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC in both 2000 (7 sacks) and 2001 (10 sacks).

A team captain, his leadership and athletic prowess also earned him multiple team awards, including the Co-Offensive Player of the Year by the Rebel Club of Jackson in 1997; the Clower-Walters Scholarship Award in 2001; the J. Richard Price Courage and Compassion Award in 2001; and the Birmingham Alumni Club’s Leadership Award. He participated in the 2002 Senior Bowl as one of the top NFL prospects.

Drafted in the third round by Chicago in 2002, Metcalf played for the Bears for seven seasons, including the 2006 season with an appearance in Super Bowl XLI. After retiring from the NFL, Metcalf dedicated himself to coaching in Mississippi, with stints at Oxford High School, Pearl River Community College and as the head coach at Coahoma Community College in his hometown of Clarksdale.

He has also remained active in civic initiatives, participating in charity fundraisers, Habitat for Humanity, and military and church outreach programs. As part of the Rebel Reconnect program, Metcalf returned to Oxford to complete his degree in management, graduating in 2016. His son DK Metcalf played at Ole Miss and is currently an All-Pro wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks.

Metcalf has been inducted into the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 and honored as an SEC Legend.

The 18 First Team All-America players and four standout coaches in the 2025 Class were selected from the national ballot of 77 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 101 players and 34 coaches from the divisional ranks.

The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.

2025 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

PLAYERS:

Montee Ball, RB (2009-12) – University of Wisconsin

Gregg Carr, LB (1981-84) – Auburn University

Blake Elliott, WR (2000-03) – Saint John’s University (MN)

Greg Eslinger, C (2002-05) – University of Minnesota

Terry Hanratty, QB (1966-68) – University of Notre Dame

Graham Harrell, QB (2005-08) – Texas Tech University

John Henderson, DT (1999-2001) – University of Tennessee

Michael Huff, DB (2002-05) – University of Texas

Jim Kleinsasser, TE (1995-98) – University of North Dakota

Alex Mack, OL (2005-08) – University of California

Terrence Metcalf, OL (1997, 1999-2001) – University of Mississippi

Haloti Ngata, DT (2002, 2004-05) – University of Oregon

Steve Slaton, RB (2005-07) – West Virginia University

Darrin Smith, LB (1989-92) – University of Miami

Michael Strahan, DL (1989-92) – Texas Southern University

Dennis Thurman, DB (1974-77) – University of Southern California

Michael Vick, QB (1999-2000) – Virginia Tech

Ryan Yarborough, WR (1990-93) – University of Wyoming

COACHES:

Larry Blakeney – 178-113-1 (61.1%): Troy University (1991-2014)

Larry Korver – 212-77-6 (72.9%): Northwestern College [IA] (1967-94)

Urban Meyer – 187-32-0 (85.4%): Bowling Green State University (2001-02): University of Utah (2003-04); University of Florida (2005-10); Ohio State University (2012-18)

Nick Saban – 292-71-1 (80.4%): University of Toledo (1990); Michigan State University (1995-99); LSU (2000-04); University of Alabama (2007-23)

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. First and foremost, 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 teams.

2. A player becomes eligible for consideration by the NFF’s Honors Court 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.

3. While each nominee’s football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree.

4. Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years*. For example, to be eligible for the 2025 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1975 or thereafter. In addition, current professional players and/or coaches are not eligible until retirement.

5. A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years old. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.

6. Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate’s collegiate institution.

* Players that do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees. Veterans Committee candidates must still meet First Team All-America requirement.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME QUICK FACTS

• When the 2025 Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted in December, only 1,111 players and 237 coaches will have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.78 million who have played or coached the game during the past 155 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played/coached the game have earned this distinction.

• Founded in 1947, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame inducted its first class of inductees in 1951. The first class included 32 players and 22 coaches, including Illinois’ Red Grange, Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne, Iowa’s Duke Slater, Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg and Carlisle (PA)’s Jim Thorpe.

• 326 schools are represented with at least one College Football Hall of Famer.

• Induction for the 2025 Class will take place Dec. 9, 2025, during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas.