A couple more former Oklahoma Sooners could (and should) be sitting in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this time next year.
With the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 getting officially inducted over the weekend, eyes already turned toward the 2027 class, and two Sooners are eligible to be voted in for the first time with running back Adrian Peterson and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
First-time eligibles for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027 include Rob Gronkowski, Ben Roethlisberger, Adrian Peterson, Richard Sherman, Cam Newton, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, Andrew Whitworth, Alex Mack, Gerald McCoy and Eric Weddle. pic.twitter.com/uNomVfDDJ5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 8, 2026
Number of Sooners in Pro Football Hall of Fame could double with 2027 class
Peterson has certainly had his issues off the field, even recently, but he's still definitely worthy of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He's considered by many as one of the greatest running backs in the history of football at all levels, from high school to college to pro.
As a pro, Peterson was a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time First-Team All Pro during his 15-year (!!) career between the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. Should Peterson have retired long before he did after the 2021 season? Probably, but those 15 seasons now make Peterson feel even more unbelievable, and at his peak, very few were better.
Imagine thinking that PRIME AP wasn't a top 3 rb of all time! pic.twitter.com/dykO5AwYH3
— PREDYX (@predyx_markets) August 7, 2026
Peterson's 2012 season alone is worthy of HOF consideration. After tearing his ACL and MCL near the end of the 2011 season, he not only returned in time for the start of 2012 but put together one of the best seasons we've ever witnessed from a running back. He was named NFL Most Valuable Player after falling just 208 yards short of breaking Earl Campbell's NFL record for most rushing yards in a season with 2,097. Fourteen years later, he's still the last running back to be named NFL MVP. He was also voted by other players after that season as the top player in the league.
Read more: Adrian Peterson could be the injury lesson John Mateer needs to bounce back even better
McCoy might not be as obvious of a first-ballot choice but is still also destined for the Hall of Fame after his 12-year career between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. He was First-Team All Pro in 2013 and made six Pro Bowls in a row between 2012 and 2017 with the Buccaneers.
And even more meaningful to OU fans, McCoy still today uses social media to help recruit talent to his alma mater and proudly blasted "Boomer Sooner" through the speakers at the weight room during his time in Tampa Bay. That same tune should also be blared in Canton next August if a pair of former Sooners get inducted.
Read more: Gerald McCoy is becoming Oklahoma's secret weapon on the recruiting trail
Whether it's in 2027 or later, when Peterson and McCoy do inevitably end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it would double the number of Sooners forever enshrined in Canton. Right now, wide receiver Tommy McDonald and defensive tackle Lee Roy Selmon are the only former OU players to be inducted, unless you also count quarterback Troy Aikman, who started his college career in Norman.
Peterson and McCoy then might double the number of Hall of Famers to come from Norman, but that number will continue to inflate considering the NFL greats Oklahoma has recently produced.
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