Arizona does not have any alums on the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, but four Wildcats have been inducted. Linebacker Ricky Hunley was inducted in 1987 as the first Arizona alum in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Safety Chuck Cecil in 2009, defensive tackle Rob Waldrop in 2009 and defensive end Tedy Bruschi in 2013 are the other Arizona alums who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Cecil predated Desert Swarm but played for one season under Dick Tomey, who also coached Bruschi and Waldrop.
Hunley is still the Arizona all-time leader with 566 tackles. In 1983, Hunley was the Co-Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year with Ron Rivera of California and a unanimous first-team All-American after receiving the honor by consensus in 1982. After Arizona, Hunley spent eight years in the NFL.
Cecil, who missed Hunley by one season, finished his Arizona career with a program record 21 interceptions and seventh with 392 tackles. In 1987, Cecil was the second Arizona Pac-12 Defensive Player and was named a consensus first-team All-American.
Bruschi and Waldrop led the Arizona Desert Swarm defense as teammates from 1991 through 1993. Bruschi holds the Arizona career record with 55.0 sacks and the top two single seasons with 19.0 in 1993 and 14.5 in 1995. Ricky Elmore is second in Arizona history with 25.5 career sacks.
In his final season in 1995, Bruschi was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American. At 6'1 and 247 pounds, Bruschi was a third-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 1996 NFL Draft as a linebacker. Bruschi was a three-time Super Bowl champion with New England.
Waldrop is one of the most honored players in Arizona history. As a senior in 1993, Waldrop won the Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, UPI Lineman of the Year and unanimous All-American. Waldrop won Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts in 1996 and 1997.
The primary criteria to be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame is that a player must have been a consensus first-team All-American by recognized media outlets. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is the most likely Arizona player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame next.