Casey Hampton looks right at home on the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

On Tuesday, the National Football Foundation announced that former Texas defensive tackle Casey Hampton was added to the ballot for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame. Hampton, one of the best defensive players in the history of the Texas Longhorns, joins other notable college football stars like Dez Bryant, Rocky Calmus, Ki-Jana Carter, Dallas Clark, Vernon Davis, Jarett Dillard, Aaron Donald, Ken Dorsey, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Robert Griffin III, Percy Harvin, Josh Heupel, Mark Ingram, Marshawn Lynch, Kellen Moore, Cam Newton, DeMeco Ryans, Ndamukong Suh, and Manti Te’o on the ballot.

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Those names represent a who’s who of college football stars. There’s no question Hampton is at home not only with those listed, but in the College Football Hall of Fame. Just ask a fellow hall of famer in Mack Brown.

“Casey Hampton was a great player, a pleasure to coach and an even better person,” said Brown, who coached Hampton at Texas. “He was a guy that always set the pace and brought his best, whether it was in offseason workouts, practice or games. He was just a relentless competitor who was unbelievably productive and led some of the best defenses in Texas history. Casey was so strong and physical and really unblockable. He drew double and even triple teams every snap, yet still led our team in tackles from an interior line position and anchored our defense for four seasons. What he did in the NFL, playing 12 seasons as a key cog on great Steelers defenses is truly incredible, as well. He is an all-time great as a college and pro player and so deserving of consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame.”

Hampton, a product of Galveston Ball, was a first-team All-American in 1999 and 2000, earning consensus honors in 2000. At 6-foot-1 and 325 pounds, Hampton earned a number of college honors. He was part of Texas’ 1999 Cotton Bowl winning team. He also was a two-time All-Big 12 selection and the 2000 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

In 1999, Hampton logged a startling 102 tackles and 21.0 TFL from the DT position, including a 12 tackle game versus Kansas State with 6.0 TFL and 1.5 sacks. That 6.0 total is the third-most in a game in UT history.

He also had a 13 tackle game at Texas A&M that same season. His 1999 play drew the attention of opposing offenses. While that limited his statistical accumulation for the next year, it did not limit his effectiveness. Hampton logged 80 tackles and another massive TFL number with 18 in 12 games in 2000.

Hampton ranks fifth in UT history in tackles for loss in a career with 54. Over the final two years of his time in Austin, he helped the Longhorns rank No. 6 in total defense in 1999 and No. 7 in 2000. His efforts on the Longhorn defense rank near the top in a number of statistical categories. Only two opponents scored more than 35 points on the Longhorns thanks to Hampton’s efforts in the middle of the defense during his junior and senior seasons.

Hampton was selected with the 19th overall pick by Pittsburgh in the 2001 NFL draft, joining fellow Horn Leonard Davis in the top 31. He earned five Pro Bowl selections and won two Super Bowls with the Steelers and is in the Steelers Hall of Honor.

A number of elite defensive linemen have made their way through the hall of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. But only a select few have earned first-team All-America distinctions, an honor required to even be up for selection to the College Football Hall of Fame. Fewer still have worn burnt orange and been named a first-team All-American twice. In fact, the list features just two names: Hampton and Kenneth Sims.

Hampton was also the first of six Longhorns to earn Big 12 defensive player of the year honors.

While players like Byron Murphy, T’Vondre Sweat, Malcom Brown, Frank Okam, Rodrique Wright, and Marcus Tubbs followed Hampton as All-Americans, Hampton arguably paved the way for them. Prior to Hampton’s All-America selection in 1999, seven seasons passed since James Patton earned All-America honors in 1991. Without Hampton, other prep defensive tackles may not have seen the path toward success on the interior in Austin. Hampton made it clear it was possible.

Texas has 23 players in the College Football Hall of Fame, a list that includes greats like Earl Campbell, Doug English, Chris Gilbert, Jerry Gray, Derrick Johnson, Johnnie Johnson, Bobby Layne, Roosevelt Leaks, Steve McMichael, Tommy Nobis, James Saxton, Jerry Sisemore, Ricky Williams, and Vince Young.

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It is Hampton’s first year on the ballot. But his bonafides look like those of the players already in the Hall of Fame.