James Laurinaitis to be Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame
1/14/2026 2:29:00 PM | Football
One of Ohio State’s most decorated stars is 29th player to enter the Hall
COLUMBUS, Ohio – James Laurinaitis, one of only eight three-time All-Americans in Ohio State history, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December as a member of the 2026 class. The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame announced its 2026 class on Wednesday.
Laurinaitis, originally from Wayzata, Minn., and who settled in Columbus with his wife, Shelly, following an eight-year career in the National Football League, recently completed his third season on the Ohio State football staff and his second season as the team's linebacker's coach.
A two-time team captain (2007 and 2008), Laurinaitis lettered four years (2005-08) for coach Jim Tressel teams that won four consecutive Big Ten Conference championships (two of them outright), played in two BCS national championship games and posted a 43-8 record, including a 29-3 Big Ten record and a 4-0 mark against Michigan.
In addition to his honor as one of eight three-time All-Americans in school history, Laurinaitis joined Chic Harley (1916-17-19) and Wes Fesler (1928-29-30) as the only three-time consensus and/or unanimous All-Americans in school history.
He is the most decorated linebacker ever for Ohio State when one considers the number of awards – seven national and two Big Ten – and honors Laurinaitis won as a Buckeye over a three-year period when he was a finalist for a major award 12 times:
Laurinaitis, a three-time first-team all-Big Ten honoree, was the leader of a defense that led the nation in total defense in 2007 and never ranked below 15th nationally throughout his career. He set the BCS championship game record with 18 tackles against LSU in 2007.
A 2009 graduate of Ohio State with a degree in communications, Laurinaitis excelled academically with three Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors in addition to the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Laurinaitis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons with the Rams, and one year with New Orleans, and finished his NFL career with 115 starts in his 117 games played and with 869 total tackles.
After working as an analyst for the Big Ten Network and on a broadcast team at 97.1 FM The Fan in Columbus, Laurinaitis started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2022. He was hired in a similar role by Ohio State in 2023, and in 2024 he took over as Ohio State linebacker's coach under head coach Ryan Day.
His starting linebacker tandem in 2025 of Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese made school history by becoming the first tandem of linebackers in the same season to be named a first-team All-American.
Laurinaitis is the 29th former Buckeye player to be enshrined into the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame, joining most recent honorees Chris Ward (2024), Michael Doss (2022), Keith Byars (2020) and Tom Cousineau (2016). He is the fourth linebacker, after Cousineau, Chris Spielman and Randy Gradishar.
A 2018 inductee into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, Laurinaitis and Shelly are the parents of three young daughters – London, Hayden and Remi – and a son, Maverick.
The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8 at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes during the fall. Their accomplishments will forever be immortalized at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Ohio State Players in the College Football Hall of Fame (29)
Year Name, Pos. (Years at Ohio State)
2026 James Laurinaitis, LB (2005-08)
2024 Chris Ward, OT (1974-77)
2022 Michael Doss, SAF (1999-02)
2020 Keith Byars, RB (1982-85)
2016 Tom Cousineau, LB (1975-78)
2014 Orlando Pace, LT (1994-96)
2012 Eddie George, RB (1992-95)
2009 Chris Spielman, LB (1984-87)
2007 Rex Kern, QB (1968-70)
2005 Jim Houston, E (1957-58)
2004 Jack Tatum, DB (1968-70)
2001 John Hicks, OT (1970, 72-73)
1998 Randy Gradishar, LB (1971-73)
1996 Bob Ferguson, FB (1959-61)
1991 Jim Stillwagon, DT (1968-70)
1989 Aurealius Thomas, G (1955-57)
1986 Archie Griffin, RB (1972-75)
1984 Warren Amling, G/T (1944-46)
1979 Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, RB (1952-55)
1978 Gomer Jones, C (1934-35)
1977 Jim Daniel, T (1939-41)
1976 Vic Janowicz, HB (1949-51)
1975 Gust Zarnas, G (1935-37)
1974 Jim Parker, G (1954-56)
1973 Gaylord Stinchcomb, HB (1917-20)
1971 Bill Willis, T (1942-44)
1969 Les Horvath, QB (1940-42, 44)
1954 Wes Fesler, E 1928-30)
1951 Chic Harley, HB (1916-17, 19)
Laurinaitis, originally from Wayzata, Minn., and who settled in Columbus with his wife, Shelly, following an eight-year career in the National Football League, recently completed his third season on the Ohio State football staff and his second season as the team's linebacker's coach.
A two-time team captain (2007 and 2008), Laurinaitis lettered four years (2005-08) for coach Jim Tressel teams that won four consecutive Big Ten Conference championships (two of them outright), played in two BCS national championship games and posted a 43-8 record, including a 29-3 Big Ten record and a 4-0 mark against Michigan.
In addition to his honor as one of eight three-time All-Americans in school history, Laurinaitis joined Chic Harley (1916-17-19) and Wes Fesler (1928-29-30) as the only three-time consensus and/or unanimous All-Americans in school history.
He is the most decorated linebacker ever for Ohio State when one considers the number of awards – seven national and two Big Ten – and honors Laurinaitis won as a Buckeye over a three-year period when he was a finalist for a major award 12 times:
- Unanimous All-American (2008)
- Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2008 and 2007)
- Lott IMPACT Trophy (2008)
- Senior CLASS Award (2008)
- Butkus Award (2007)
- Consensus All-American (2007 and 2006)
- Bronko Nagurski Award (2006)
Laurinaitis, a three-time first-team all-Big Ten honoree, was the leader of a defense that led the nation in total defense in 2007 and never ranked below 15th nationally throughout his career. He set the BCS championship game record with 18 tackles against LSU in 2007.
A 2009 graduate of Ohio State with a degree in communications, Laurinaitis excelled academically with three Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors in addition to the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Laurinaitis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons with the Rams, and one year with New Orleans, and finished his NFL career with 115 starts in his 117 games played and with 869 total tackles.
After working as an analyst for the Big Ten Network and on a broadcast team at 97.1 FM The Fan in Columbus, Laurinaitis started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2022. He was hired in a similar role by Ohio State in 2023, and in 2024 he took over as Ohio State linebacker's coach under head coach Ryan Day.
His starting linebacker tandem in 2025 of Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese made school history by becoming the first tandem of linebackers in the same season to be named a first-team All-American.
Laurinaitis is the 29th former Buckeye player to be enshrined into the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame, joining most recent honorees Chris Ward (2024), Michael Doss (2022), Keith Byars (2020) and Tom Cousineau (2016). He is the fourth linebacker, after Cousineau, Chris Spielman and Randy Gradishar.
A 2018 inductee into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, Laurinaitis and Shelly are the parents of three young daughters – London, Hayden and Remi – and a son, Maverick.
The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8 at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes during the fall. Their accomplishments will forever be immortalized at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Ohio State Players in the College Football Hall of Fame (29)
Year Name, Pos. (Years at Ohio State)
2026 James Laurinaitis, LB (2005-08)
2024 Chris Ward, OT (1974-77)
2022 Michael Doss, SAF (1999-02)
2020 Keith Byars, RB (1982-85)
2016 Tom Cousineau, LB (1975-78)
2014 Orlando Pace, LT (1994-96)
2012 Eddie George, RB (1992-95)
2009 Chris Spielman, LB (1984-87)
2007 Rex Kern, QB (1968-70)
2005 Jim Houston, E (1957-58)
2004 Jack Tatum, DB (1968-70)
2001 John Hicks, OT (1970, 72-73)
1998 Randy Gradishar, LB (1971-73)
1996 Bob Ferguson, FB (1959-61)
1991 Jim Stillwagon, DT (1968-70)
1989 Aurealius Thomas, G (1955-57)
1986 Archie Griffin, RB (1972-75)
1984 Warren Amling, G/T (1944-46)
1979 Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, RB (1952-55)
1978 Gomer Jones, C (1934-35)
1977 Jim Daniel, T (1939-41)
1976 Vic Janowicz, HB (1949-51)
1975 Gust Zarnas, G (1935-37)
1974 Jim Parker, G (1954-56)
1973 Gaylord Stinchcomb, HB (1917-20)
1971 Bill Willis, T (1942-44)
1969 Les Horvath, QB (1940-42, 44)
1954 Wes Fesler, E 1928-30)
1951 Chic Harley, HB (1916-17, 19)
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football No videos available.
