The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Sept. 24 that former Ohio State running back Eddie George, center Nick Mangold and linebacker A.J. Hawk are among the 128 modern-era nominees for the class of 2026.
George played at Ohio State from 1992-95, winning the Heisman trophy and sweeping most available awards in his senior season before being drafted No. 14 overall to the Houston Oilers (before the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997). He played for Houston and Tennessee from 1996-2003, before playing one season for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004.
The Philadelphia native totaled 10,441 rushing yards and 2,227 receiving yards in his career, finishing with 78 touchdowns. George earned four Pro Bowl selections and was named to both the first- and second-team All-Pro one time each.
Hawk was a member of the Buckeyes from 2002-05, winning the national championship alongside Mangold as a freshman. The former linebacker earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in each of his final three seasons at Ohio State, All-American honors twice, and was selected No. 5 overall in the 2006 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers where he spent nine of his 11 NFL seasons.
In the NFL, Hawk won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers in 2011, and over his nine seasons became the franchises all-time leading tackler (922). He also made stops with the Cincinnati Bengals (2015) and Atlanta Falcons (2016).
Mangold also played for the Buckeyes from 2002-05, and was named a first-team All-American in his senior year. The 6-4, 307-pound center was then selected 29th overall by the New York Jets in 2006.
Hailing from Centerville, Ohio, Mangold spent his entire career with the Jets, where he played from 2006-16. Mangold was a seven-time Pro Bowler, made first-team All-Pro twice (2009, 2010) and second-team All-Pro once (2011).
George likely has the best chance to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, as the all-time great running back was a modern-era semifinalist in 2022 and 2024.
