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Notre Dame legends Manti Te'o, Todd Lyght make 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

IMG_7504by: Jack Soble06/10/25jacksoble56
Manti Te'o
Notre Dame legend Manti Te'o. (Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports)

For the second-straight year, Notre Dame legends Manti Te’o and Todd Lyght have a chance to make the College Football Hall of Fame.

Te’o and Lyght were selected to the National Football Foundation’s 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, and they hope to join the 49 players and 6 coaches representing the Irish in the Hall of Fame. Notre Dame’s 55 Hall of Famers are the most of any program in college football.

Te’o was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012, leading Notre Dame to an appearance in the national championship game. He finished with 113 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 7 interceptions. A unanimous All-American, Te’o was the first player in college football history to sweep the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi and Nagurski awards in the same season.

Te’o was the first defense-only player to finish top-two in Heisman voting since 1980. The trophy went to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel that year. Without question, though, Te’o was the best defensive player in the country.

Todd Lyght was one of the best defensive players in the country in his career from 1988-91. The standout Notre Dame defensive back is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the second consecutive year. He was instrumental in Notre Dame’s national title-winning season in 1988, the most recent in program history. Lyght finished his career with 11 interceptions.

Lyght’s cousin, Shawn Lyght, is a standout Fighting Irish athlete himself. Shawn Lyght is an All-American defenseman in men’s lacrosse who helped lead Notre Dame to the national championship in 2024.

Both Te’o and Lyght enjoyed relatively long NFL careers, with Te’o playing eight years in the league and Lyght playing 12. Lyght made one Pro Bowl, in 1999.

Te’o recently returned to Notre Dame for the first time since the catfishing saga that somewhat tainted his incredible senior season in South Bend. Te’o was warmly embraced by blue and gold faithful at the Cal game in 2022. He gave a pregame speech on the library lawn and was shown on the video board inside the stadium during the game. 

“It’s always good to be home,” Te’o said. “There’s no place like home. But I want to make this real clear; it’s not about me. It’s about this whole family. It’s about this whole family. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. You understand what I’m saying? You want to go fast, go alone. You want to go far, go together.”

Notre Dame’s most recent Hall of Fame inductee is linebacker Michael Stonebreaker, who was enshrined in 2023.

Blue & Gold‘s Tyler Horka contributed to this report.

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