9 former Jaguars make College Football Hall of Fame ballot

On Monday, the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame announced its 2024 ballot, including nine former Jacksonville Jaguars.

Over 12,000 members of the Foundation will vote on who makes the final cut, with the announcement of who was voted in to be made in early 2024.

Individuals can cast a vote by signing up to be a part of the National Football Foundation at their website.

Here are the prominent Jags who made the ballot.

Aaron Beasley, West Virginia defensive back

In the Jaguars’ second draft, the team took Beasley with the 63rd overall pick after a three-year career at WVU.

In his final year as a Mountaineer in 1995, Beasley was a First-Team All-American and led the nation in interceptions. He holds two of the top-five single-season pass breakup records for the school.

Beasley played for the Jaguars from 1996-2001, known largely for his impressive campaign in ‘99.

The corner started 16 games, snagged six picks, and returned two for touchdowns. His 93-yard pick-six against San Francisco set the team record for longest interception return.

His two fumble recovery touchdowns still stands as the most by a defensive player in team history.

Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State wide receiver

Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon will go down as one of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in team history.

The Jaguars took Blackmon fifth overall in 2012, after he put up two straight Biletnikoff Award-winning seasons. He is still one of only two players ever to accomplish the feat, joining Michael Crabtree.

With the Jaguars taking Blackmon fifth, he became the second-highest-drafted Oklahoma State player behind Barry Sanders.

However, Blackmon did not live up to the hype, as he played in just 20 games over two seasons.

Blackmon found himself in legal trouble after his rookie season and played only four games in 2013 before being suspended indefinitely.

Kevin Hardy, Illinois linebacker

With the second overall pick in 1996, 61 spots ahead of Beasley, the Jaguars selected Illinois linebacker Kevin Hardy.

After posting back-to-back All-Big Ten seasons and being named an All-American in ‘95, Hardy was a staple on the Jaguars’ defense for six seasons.

In six seasons with the team, Hardy played in 86 games, amassing 398 tackles and 28.5 sacks.

Hardy’s best year came in ‘99 when he logged a career-best 10.5 sacks.

Paul Posluszny, Penn State linebacker

The Jaguars struck gold when the team signed former Buffalo linebacker Paul Posluszny.

Posluszny was drafted 34th overall in 2007 by the Bills, where he played for four seasons.

In 2011, Posluszny was signed by Jacksonville, where he would play until 2017.

“Poz” ranks second all-time in tackles at Penn State and is one of two linebackers (joining Pat Fitzgerald) to ever win the Bednarik Award twice in college.

The linebacker made his only Pro Bowl of his career in 2013 with the Jags when he tallied 162 tackles, a career-best.

During his decade-long career, Posluszny played only once on a team that finished with a winning record (2017).

Toby Gerhart, Stanford running back

Toby Gerhart’s tenure with the Jaguars was tumultuous but memorable.

After becoming one of the most prolific running backs the Pac-12 had ever seen, the Vikings took Gerhart in 2010 with the 51st overall pick.

He was paired with Adrian Peterson in Minnesota before signing with Jacksonville in 2014 to be the feature back.

Gerhart played 21 games in two seasons for the Jaguars, scoring two rushing touchdowns, but his most notable memory was the time he tried four times to score… and couldn’t.

Other Jags-

Marco Coleman, Georgia Tech linebacker (2002)

Jarett Dillard, Rice wide receiver (2009-11)

Vaughn Dunbar, Indiana running back (1995)

Deon Figures, Colorado cornerback (1997-98)