Despite the fact that Aaron Donald is a year-and-a-half removed from his last snap with the Los Angeles Rams, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year continues to find himself in the news.
In addition to issuing a casual reminder on Instagram that he remains sculpted from granite, and being named the headliner of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2025, Donald is also among the nominees on the National Football Foundation’s ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2026.
Donald enrolled at Pittsburgh in 2010 as an undersized three-star prospect and played sparingly during his freshman season, but by the beginning of his sophomore year, it was impossible to keep the West Pennsylvania native off the field. Donald rampaged past and through opponents, eventually drawing comparisons to Pro Football Hall of Famer John Randle by the time he prepared to head to the NFL.
Aaron Donald’s NFL resume is beyond reproach, and when Canton comes calling, he’ll be a first ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. He’s arguably the NFL’s most impactful defensive player of the last quarter-century. But as he put together one of the NFL’s most awe-inspiring careers, his collegiate resumé feels like it’s now being overlooked. And if he’s ultimately snubbed of the honor of entering the College Football Hall of Fame, that will be irrefutable.
At Pittsburgh, Aaron Donald was named an all-conference performer three times, twice in the Big East (2011 and 2012) and once in the ACC (2013). Donald’s senior season is on the shortlist of the most impressive by a defensive player in modern college football history, on par with the best campaigns from stars such as Ndamukong Suh, Terrell Suggs, Manti Te’o, and Jadeveon Clowney.
Overall, Donald accounted for 59 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 4 forced fumbles — and too many double-teams to count.
For good reason, Donald was named the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. And yes, he was also named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American. Combining otherworldly strength, abnormal speed, top-notch intuition, unparalleled technique and unmatched work ethic, Donald morphed into an unstoppable game-wrecker as a member of the Panthers… a title he’d maintain for an entire decade while playing in the NFL.
Aaron Donald faces some stiff competition on this ballot, with multiple Heisman winners and former National Champions also vying for a spot in the class. But the eye test, the stats and the hardware tell the story of a player who should be a lock for the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2026.