Two legendary Penn State running backs on the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

The National Football Foundation revealed the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, and just one year after Paul Posluszny was inducted, two former Nittany Lions running backs, Ki-Jana Carter and D.J. Dozier were included amongst the 77 former FBS players up for induction. 

Membership voting for the 2025 class will run through July 1. Carter and Dozier will hope to join Posluszny, Bob Higgins, Hugo Bezdek, Pete Mauthe, Glenn Killinger, Rip Engle, Shorty Miller, Dexter Very, Steve Suhey, Richie Lucas, Mike Reid, Ted Kwalick, Jack Ham, John Cappelletti, Dennis Onkotz, Dave Robinson, Glenn Ressler, Lydell Mitchell, Keith Dorney, Joe Paterno, Curt Warner, Shane Conlan, Kerry Collins, and LaVar Arrington as Nittany Lions in the Hall of Fame. 

Penn State has a fantastic history of running backs, but only Cappelletti, Mitchell, and Warner have been inducted. 

Dozier played at Penn State from 1983 to 1986 and in the Nittany Lions’ 12-0 national championship season in 1986, he was a consensus First-Team All-American and finished eighth in Heisman voting. He ran for 811 yards and 10 touchdowns that season, adding 287 yards and two more scores through the air. He was the first running back in program history to lead the team in rushing for four consecutive seasons. 

While Dozier compiled great numbers of his season in Happy Valley, Carter was much more explosive in his three seasons. Carter ran for just 264 yards in 1992, his first season, but took off with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 1993-94. In 1994, Carter led Penn State to another perfect 12-0 season with a Rose Bowl win, running for 1,539 yards and 14 touchdowns. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting and was named a unanimous First-Team All-American.