Volunteer Country

Tennessee Vol Deon Grant Deserves a Place in the College Football Hall of Fame Class

Deon Grant, a 1999 All-American and 1998 national champion, is up for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame. Tennessee could soon add a 28th inductee.

Josh Greer

Sep 22, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Travis Stephens and Darwin Walker and Deon Grant, members of the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers national championship team, pose with the Amway Coaches Trophy before the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, TN. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Travis Stephens and Darwin Walker and Deon Grant, members of the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers national championship team, pose with the Amway Coaches Trophy before the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, TN. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images / Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
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Deon Grant has long held a place in the hearts of Tennessee fans, and now he may soon hold a place in the College Football Hall of Fame. The former Vols standout safety is officially on the ballot for the Hall’s Class of 2026, an honor that underscores a career defined by national championships, All-American honors, and game-changing production.

Grant’s college football legacy is forever tied to the University of Tennessee’s golden era under Phillip Fulmer. A key defensive leader for the 1998 national championship team, Grant patrolled the secondary with a rare blend of range, physicality, and instinct. His presence helped the Vols cap an undefeated season and claim the program’s first national title since 1951.

By 1999, Grant had evolved into one of the nation’s most feared defenders. That season, he was named a consensus First-Team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. His nine interceptions led the NCAA and remain the second-highest single-season total in Tennessee history—behind only Bobby Majors.

Beyond the accolades, Grant was a tone-setter. He anchored a defense that became the backbone of Tennessee’s late-1990s dominance, a stretch that included back-to-back SEC titles and multiple top-five finishes. His elite vision, ball-hawking ability, and sideline-to-sideline speed made him the definition of a lockdown safety.

For Deon Grant, enshrinement would be more than deserved, it would be a permanent acknowledgment of one of the greatest defensive backs in Tennessee and SEC history.

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Josh Greer
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