Former Texas DB Michael Huff Named to 2025 College Football Hall of Fame

2005 national champion Michael Huff is the 23rd Longhorn inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame.
USC running back Reggie Bush (#5) is surrounded by Texas defenders Michael Huff (#7), Drew Kelson (#4) and Aaron Ross (#31) just before attempting to pitch to ball to a teammate during the 2006 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 4, 2006.
USC running back Reggie Bush (#5) is surrounded by Texas defenders Michael Huff (#7), Drew Kelson (#4) and Aaron Ross (#31) just before attempting to pitch to ball to a teammate during the 2006 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 4, 2006. / Rodolfo Gonzalez / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Former Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Huff is one of 18 players named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class.

Huff played at Texas from 2002 to 2005, and was a member of the national championship -winning team that defeated USC in the 2005 Rose Bowl. In the same year, Huff won the first Jim Thorpe Award in program history, and now becomes the 23rd Texas player to earn the Hall of Fame award.

 "This is an incredible honor and an unbelievable blessing for my family," Huff said, per a Texas Athletics release. "Growing up in Texas, playing for the Longhorns was a dream come true, and now representing my school and program that changed my life is such an honor and privilege. This is a tribute to the great teams I played on, the awesome teammates and coaches I was so fortunate to play with and for, and of course, Mack Brown, who I will forever be indebted to for recruiting me to Texas and helping bring the absolute best out of me. The same can be said for my defensive backs coach, Duane Akina, who molded and developed me so much as a player and person. It's humbling to be listed among so many legends of Texas Football, I'm grateful for everyone at the National Football Foundation for selecting me and look forward to being a part of the celebration of this year's class. The coolest part for me is that I'm receiving this honor at the same time that I'm also sharing my passion for the game in working with Coach Sark and the Longhorns. That's icing on the cake."

The four-year starter for the Longhorns, who was a two-time All-American and earned unanimous first-team honors as a senior currently serves as Texas Football's assistant director of player development.

Huff was a first round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, being selected seventh by the Oakland Raiders.

The National Football Foundation chairman who helped the selection of the honor recipients is current Texas quarterback Arch Manning's grandfather, Archie Manning.

"What an amazing story and truly deserving selection to the College Football Hall of Fame Michael is," former Texas head coach Mack Brown said per the release. Brown recruited and coached Huff. "He was a tremendous leader, player and representative of our program who was an invaluable member of our team. He is one of the best to ever wear the burnt orange and white, was gifted in many ways, and accomplished so much as a player, but the best part about him is he's an even better person. He's always been an incredibly caring person who constantly gives back in the community, has a wonderful family, and is sharing his knowledge and experience as he pours back into the current team for Coach Sarkisian."

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Isa Almeida
ISA ALMEIDA

Isa Almeida is a writer covering the Texas Longhorns for SI/Fan Nation, having joined the team on June 1, 2024. Raised in Southeast Brazil, Isa is now a third-year Journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin. Fluent in both English and Portuguese, Isa brings a diverse background and a wealth of knowledge to her writing. In addition to her work with SI/Fan Nation, Isa also covers the soccer and women's basketball beats for The Daily Texan. Her journalism journey is firmly rooted in her academic pursuits and her passion for sports.