Vick, Fitzgerald on ’24 College Football HOF ballot
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Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff Writer
Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among the former players on the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, which was released Monday.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) released the ballot in conjunction with the College Hall of Fame. The 2024 ballot comprises 78 players and nine coaches from the FBS, with 101 players and 32 coaches coming from divisional ranks.
Vick, Fitzgerald and Suggs are all on the ballot for induction in their first year of eligibility.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.62 million people have played college football and only 1,074 players have been inducted,” NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell said in a statement. “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.”
Before going No. 1 to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL draft, Vick starred at Virginia Tech for two seasons (1999-2000), guiding Frank Beamer’s program to the BCS National Championship game in the 1999 season.
Vick finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting that season as a redshirt freshman after helping the Hokies go undefeated in the regular season at 11-0 before losing to Florida State in the 2000 Sugar Bowl.
Fitzgerald played two years for Pittsburgh (2002-03) and won the Biletnikoff Award during his sophomore season in 2003 after catching 92 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. Pittsburgh retired his No. 1 jersey on July 1, 2013.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Fitzgerald, who finished second to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White in 2003 Heisman voting, with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.
Suggs, who was taken with the 10th overall selection in the 2003 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens, played three seasons (2000-02) for Arizona State. He concluded his time there with 163 tackles and 44 sacks while leaving as the Sun Devils’ career leader in tackles for loss (65½). His 24 sacks as a senior in 2002 established a new NCAA single-season record at the time.
Membership voting continues through June 30, and the announcement of the class will be made in early 2024.
Wisconsin will start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith at No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, replacing Danny O’Neil after the sophomore was carted off the field with a right leg injury last week.
O’Neil was injured on a 21-yard keeper during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 13-10 win over then-No. 23 Washington. He had a towel over his head as he was carted to the locker room.
Smith made his season debut following O’Neil’s injury, completing 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Also available to the Badgers at quarterback is senior Hunter Simmons, who is 48-for-95 for 485 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
For Indiana, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is doubtful to play, sources said. Sarratt, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions, injured his hamstring against Maryland on Nov. 1 and missed the Penn State game last week.
With Indiana having a bye next week, Sarratt is on track to return against Purdue on Nov. 28.
Quarterback issues have hindered Wisconsin all season and throughout coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure.
Billy Edwards Jr. was Wisconsin’s first-team quarterback at the start of the season, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ opener and has played only one full series since.
Tanner Mordecai missed 3½ games with a broken hand in 2023. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the third game of the 2024 season.
Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starting quarterback has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the 34 games the Badgers have played since the beginning of the 2023 season. The last time Fickell had his season-opening starting quarterback healthy for a full game was in a 27-13 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will not play Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State because of a concussion, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Iamaleava was injured during last week’s loss to Nebraska. He began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, according to On3, which first reported that Iamaleava would not play.
With Iamaleava out, redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will make his first career start. Duncan has not attempted a pass in college as he tries to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Iamaleava has thrown for 1,659 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first year with the Bruins after transferring from Tennessee.
He led UCLA to three straight wins in October, including a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State, but the Bruins (3-6) have lost two straight and need to win out to become bowl eligible.
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