Tony Gonzalez, Marshawn Lynch and Ron Rivera are the California representatives on the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame national ballot announced Monday by the National Football Foundation (NFF). The Golden Bear trio is looking to join 17 former Cal players and a total of 21 affiliates of the school's football program previously enshrined in the esteemed Hall with the most recent Alex Mack as a member of the Class of 2025.

The ballot was emailed Monday to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current NFF Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. Individuals can cast a vote this year by clicking here to become an NFF member. The 2027 ballot includes 80 players and nine coaches from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 39 coaches from the NCAA divisional and NAIA ranks.

The 2027 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be named in early 2027, officially inducted during the 69th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, and honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2027 season.

Below are notes on each member of Cal's trio.

Tony Gonzalez, TE (Cal, 1994-96)
– Consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-10 selection in his final collegiate season in 1996 when he had career highs of 46 receptions for 699 yards receiving and five touchdown catches.
– Shares Cal's single-game bowl record for most receptions with nine in the 1996 Aloha Bowl vs. Navy.
– A two-sport standout at Cal who also starred in basketball and helped the Bears to the Sweet 16 of the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
– A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team who played in the league for 17 seasons and ranks among the NFL's all-time regular-season leaders in receptions (3rd, 1325), receiving yards (6th, 15127) and receiving touchdowns (9th, 111).
– A member of the Cal Athletic sHall of Fame's class of 2015.

Marshawn Lynch, RB (Cal, 2004-06)
– First-team All-American, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pac-10 selection in his final collegiate season as a 2006 junior.
– Cal's all-time leader with 17 games of 100 or more yards rushing, while his 3,230 career rushing yards rank second in school history, his 29 rushing touchdowns tied for third and his 4,574 all-purpose yards fourth.
– The only player in Cal history with two campaigns in the school's top 10 for single-season rushing yards with 1,356 in 2006 (5th) and 1,246 in 2005 (8th).
– Led Cal to a single-season school-record-tying 10 wins during both his 2004 freshman and 2006 junior campaigns with the 2004 team recording Cal's first 10-win season since 1991 and also finishing No. 9 in the final AP Top 25, while the 2006 squad was Cal's first Pac-10 co-champion since the 1975 team shared the Pac-8 title and ranked No. 14 in the final AP Top 25.
– Helped Cal to a 28-9 overall record during his three collegiate seasons, including an 18-7 mark in Pac-10 games on the Golden Bears' way to bowl games each season with victories in his final two (2005 Las Vegas, 2006 Holiday).
– Set Cal's single-game bowl records with 194 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground when he was named the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl Co-MVP.
– Selected in the first round (No. 12 overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and played 14 NFL seasons with Buffalo (2007-10), Seattle (2010-15, '19) and the Oakland Raiders (2017-18).
– A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2010's NFL All-Decade team who captured Super Bowl XLVIII with Seattle following the 2013 campaign and was a first-team All-Pro selection for the Seahawks in 2012.
– A member of the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame's class of 2021.

Ron Rivera, LB (Cal, 1980-83)
– Consensus first-team All-American, Lombardi Award finalist, East-West Shrine Game MVP and Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 1983.
– Led Cal in tackles in each of his final three seasons (1981-83), finished his career as the school's all-time record-holder with 336 tackles and still ranks sixth on the career list.
– Had a successful nine-year NFL playing career with the Chicago Bears (1984-92), including a victory in Super Bowl XX to cap the 1985 season.
– Spent 36 seasons as a player and coach in the NFL, culminating his 27-season coaching career in the league with a pair of head coaching jobs in Carolina (2011-19) and Washington (2020-23).
– Two-time NFC champion as a coach (2006, '15).
– Two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year (2013, '15).
– Winner of the 2022 George Halas Award given to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes adversity to succeed after making a full recovery from cancer diagnosed in 2020.
– A member of the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame's class of 1994.
– Returned to Cal in his current position as the General Manager of the football program in March of 2025.