Sproles, Bishop, Pinkel on 2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

Kansas State running back Darren Sproles, Georgia cornerback Champ Bailey and Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney will appear on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

The National Football Foundation on Tuesday announced the 78 players and seven coaches from major college football who are up for selection to the Atlanta-based Hall of Fame. There also are 99 players and 33 coaches from outside the highest level of college football eligible for induction.

Among the other notable players on the ballot for the first time are kickers Sebastian Janikowski of Florida State and Luis Zendejas of Arizona State and quarterback Ken Dorsey from Miami.

Also on the ballot with Sproles are fellow former Wildcat Michael Bishop and former Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.

Sproles finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2003. He left Kansas State with 28 school records, including career rushing (4,979) and all-purpose yards (6,812) as well as the Big 12 record for 100-yard games (24).

Bishop was a 1998 Heisman Trophy runner-up and winner of the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top quarterback. He led the Wildcats to the ’98 Big 12 North title and a berth in conference championship game and finished his career with 14 Big 12 and 34 school records.

Pinkel, who coached Missouri from 2001-15, is the winningest coach in history at both Mizzou (118-73) and Toledo. He led a Tigers resurgence that included the program’s first No. 1 national ranking since 1960 during the 2007 season.

The College Hall of Fame class of 2021 will be announced early next year.

The ballot was sent to more than 12,000 National Football Foundation members. Votes will be tabulated and then the NFF honors court will select the class of 2021 from the top vote-getters.