Top of the class: Tim Tebow, Brad Culpepper, Errict Rhett on 2023 College Hall of Fame ballot

A trio of former Gators — Brad Culpepper, Errict Rhett and Tim Tebow — are among the 176 former college football players and 41 former collegiate coaches on the ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced Monday. 

The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class will be inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, scheduled for Dec. 5, 2023, and enshrined at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. 

In the history of the UF football program, Florida has produced 13 Hall of Fame inductees, including Steve Spurrier, who made it in as both a player and as a head coach. The last Gator to be awarded the honor was offensive lineman Lomas Brown in 2020. Since 2000, eight Gators have joined the prestigious group.

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Tim Tebow was expected to make College Hall of Fame

Tebow, the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, has long been considered a shoo-in for the College Football Hall of Fame. Tebow set 28 school records during his time at Florida, which culminated in a pair of national championships for the Gators. Tebow was a two-time Maxwell Award recipient, a Davey O’Brien winner and a three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year. 

Culpepper helped lead the Gators to their first SEC title during the 1991 season. His 47.5 tackles-for-loss during his UF career still stands as the sixth-most all-time at Florida. Like Tebow, Culpepper received the NFF’s Campbell Trophy, given to the nation’s top scholar-athlete. 

With 4,163 rushing yards, Rhett still holds UF’s career rushing record, and he became the first player in FBS history to rush for more than 4,100 yards and catch more than 140 passes in a collegiate career. He was a three-time All-SEC selection during his time at Florida, and he also holds the program record for carries in a career with 873. 

Florida Hall of Fame players

(By year inducted)

1975: E Dale Van Sickel (1927-29) 

1986: QB Steve Spurrier (1964-66) - inducted as coach in 2017 

1992: DE Jack Youngblood (1968-70) 

2006: RB Emmitt Smith (1987-89) 

2008: LB Wilber Marshall (1980-83) 

2011: WR Carlos Alvarez (1969-71) 

2013: QB Danny Wuerffel (1993-96) 

2015: WR Wes Chandler (1974-77) 

2020: OL Lomas Brown (1981-84)