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Vernon Davis was an integral part of a 49ers squad that played in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens on February 3, 2013.
On Monday June 2, the National Football Foundation revealed its 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, which included legendary San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. Davis played for the 49ers from 2006-2015. In the 139 games he played in throughout his career in San Francisco, he racked up 5,640 receiving yards and scored 55 touchdowns. His 55 scores are the most by a tight end in 49ers history. He was a Pro Bowler for the 49ers in 2009 and 2013, and went on to win Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos in 2016. 49er fans would love to see one of their franchise’s best players of the 21st century get such a prestigious honor.
Davis’s Maryland Career
Vernon Davis played at the University of Maryland for three years, from 2003-2005, but really stood out for his superb junior season in 2005. That year, Davis hauled in 51 receptions for 871 yards and 6 touchdowns in only 11 games. That resumé earned him several awards, including 2005 Maryland Team MVP and All-American first team honors. He was also a finalist for the 2005 John Mackey award, which goes to the best tight end in all of college football for that particular season. His performance that season vaulted him to the top of draft boards everywhere, and Davis ended up being the first receiver (tight end or wide receiver) selected in the 2006 NFL Draft. He was picked No. 6 overall by the 49ers.
Davis Has Been On The Hall of Fame Trail Recently
The College Football Hall of Fame wouldn’t be the first Hall of Fame that Vernon Davis has been inducted into in recent years. Back on October 7, 2022, Davis was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame. He told the Testudo Times when he was inducted that being enshrined meant the world to him.“It’s a great thing, man,” Davis said. “It’s pretty phenomenal to be able to be awarded for all the things I’ve been able to accomplish in my play on the field. It’s just awesome that they recognize me and they respect me in that way.”Then, just last week on Friday May 30, 2025, Davis was elected into the Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame.
A selection to the College Football Hall of Fame would be Davis’s most prestigious post-career honor yet. But most of all, 49er fans are holding out hope that Davis is eventually inducted into football’s most distinguished Hall of Fame of all, the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Davis was eligible in 2025 and was nominated, but was not selected as a finalist or elected. Back in 2024, Davis told CBS that being selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame would be the biggest honor of all. “When you make it to the Hall of Fame, that’s the pinnacle, that’s the highest you can go, there’s nothing higher than that when it comes to sports,” Davis said. 49er fans hope that Davis will soon be enshrined in more Hall of Fames, including a stop in Atlanta for the College Football Hall of Fame, with a gold jacket ultimately waiting at the end of the road.
Ethan Inman is a sports journalist covering the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders for heavy.com. He also co-hosts a college football podcast for The Voice of College Football, and writes about the NBA and MLB. He has previously covered the USC Trojans, the NHL, college baseball, and the intersection of sports and popular culture for other publications. He is based in the greater Los Angeles area. More about Ethan Inman
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