Reggie Bush one of three former Trojans on the College Football HOF ballot

Headlined by Reggie Bush, ex-Trojans Jeff Bregel and Mark Carrier also were among the 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks in a release from the National Football Foundation.

Criteria for nomination includes: a player must have received first-team All-America recognition by a selector recognized by the NCAA and be 10 full seasons removed from his final year.

"It's an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.54 million people have played college football and only 1,056 players have been inducted," NFF President/CEO Steve Hatchell said in the news release. "The Hall's requirement of being a first-team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year."

The trio is among 24 two-time All-Americans on the list.

Bush, who starred at running back and as a return specialist from 2003-05, followed up a consensus first-team selection in 2004 with unanimous honors the following season. The two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year was also named the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Associated Press Player of the Year and Doak Walker Award winner in 2005. He also won the 2005 Heisman Trophy, which was later vacated following an NCAA investigation for improper benefits. Bush has been vocal about requesting the return of his Heisman, and it's a cause the fanbase has carried onto social media anytime the matter comes up.

Bush, who helped lead the Trojans to back-to-back national championships in 2003 and 2004, rushed for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career. He collected another 13 touchdown receptions, one via kick return and three more on punt returns.

Bush was the first Trojan to lead the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards, doing so in 2004 and 2005. He amassed 6,617 all-purpose yards, including a single-game conference record 513 yards against Fresno State in 2005 (second-best in NCAA history).

Bregel, an offensive guard from 1983-86, earned consensus first-team All-American honors in 1985 and 1986. The two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection helped the Trojans win a conference title and claim a Rose Bowl victory in 1984.

The following year, Bregel earned the Morris Trophy as the league’s most outstanding offensive lineman.

Carrier, a safety from 1987-89, earned back-to-back first-team All-American honors including a unanimous selection in 1989. That season, he was the first player in school history to win the Thorpe Award given to the nation’s top defensive back.

Carrier, who collected 100 or more tackles in each of his three seasons, was a two-time first-team all-conference selection and led the Pac-10 with seven interceptions in 1989. His 13 career interceptions is tied for sixth on the school’s all-time list.

The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class will be voted on by more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers by June 30 and will be announced in early 2023. The class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2023.

The nominees were submitted by current athletic directors, head coaches and sports information directors of the potential candidates’ collegiate institution, as well as the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the NFF.