Two Buffs are taking a major step toward entering the hallowed halls in Atlanta.
Two legendary Colorado Buffaloes have taken one step closer to cementing their legacy as some of the best to ever do it, as running back Eric Bieniemy and cornerback Chris Hudson were named to the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 induction ballot.
Bieniemy’s name ending up on the ballot should come as no surprise to any fan who kept up with Colorado football during the 1990s. The kid from New Orleans came to Boulder in 1987 and made an immediate impact in turning CU’s program around.
During his four seasons as a Buffalo, Bieniemy tallied 3,940 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns. Biemiemy has the best player of Colorado’s 1990 National Championship-winning team, earning unanimous first-team All-American honors and finishing third in Heisman voting during CU’s magical season.
Hudson was not a member of the 1990 championship-winning team, as he arrived in Boulder in 1991, but his impact in Boulder still shouldn’t be understated. In four seasons with the Buffs, Hudson racked up 15 interceptions and two pick-sixes, establishing himself as one of the best ball-hawking corners in the country. Hudson’s heroics in 1994 earned him the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best cornerback in college football.
Colorado already has 11 members represented in the College Football Hall of Fame, but two more players appear to be on the horizon. Bieniemy’s case for election is strong, as he has a good chance of induction in the coming years, or even this year. Although Hudson’s case is undeniably weaker than Bieniemy’s, his resume as a Thrope Award winner stands out as well.
We won’t know who in this year’s Hall of Fame induction class until early 2026, but Colorado fans should keep their fingers crossed that two of the best players to ever wear black and gold make it into the hallowed halls in Atlanta.