Two former Iowa Hawkeyes players found themselves on the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot that was released on Monday by the National Football Foundation. The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be announced early next year, and the induction ceremony will be held in December in Las Vegas. Here are the two Hawkeye players and a list of their achievements.
Dallas Clark was a 2002 First Team All-American, Mackey Award (nation’s best tight end) winner, and a two-time All-Big Ten selection for the Hawkeyes. He holds Iowa’s record for the longest pass reception at 95 yards. Clark went on to be a one-time Pro Bowl selection and a one-time First Team All-Pro selection during 11 seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens. Clark had 505 career NFL receptions for 5,665 yards and 53 touchdowns.
Brad Banks finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting (to Carson Palmer) in 2002. Banks was a First Team All-American selection and the winner of the Davey O’Brien Award (best college quarterback). He was the Associated Press Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year in 2002 as well. Banks led an 11-2 Iowa squad to a share of the Big Ten Conference title and an Orange Bowl appearance that year. Banks threw for 26 touchdowns with only five interceptions in that season and added 423 yards rushing and five rushing touchdowns. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the then-Washington Redskins (now Commanders) but never played in an NFL game.
The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot has some big names on it. Players like Aaron Donald, Vernon Davis, Dez Bryant, Alan Faneca, Marvin Harrison Sr., Marshawn Lynch, Cam Newton, and Richard Seymour are just a few of the names that made the ballot. Hawkeye fans will have to temper their excitement a little. Clark and Banks only played two seasons each in college, but they each had one exceptional season that netted them multiple awards.
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