Tim Tebow, Alex Smith, Ryan Leaf highlight first-time candidates on College Football Hall of Fame ballot

Tim Tebow, Alex Smith and Ryan Leaf highlight the first-time candidates on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame, it was announced Monday.

In all, there are 80 players and nine coaches from FBS, and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.

The ballot was emailed Monday to the more than 12,000 National Football Foundation members and current Hall of Famers, who have through June 30 to vote. Those votes will then be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will select the class. The Honors Court is chaired by NFF board member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin.

The newest inductees will be announced in early 2023.

Tebow led Florida to two national championships and became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007. He was a three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year and set 28 school records during his career.

Smith, the former Utah quarterback, led the Utes to their first 12-0 season in 2004 and was an All-American that year. He retired from the NFL in 2021 after returning from a devastating leg injury to be named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2020.

Leaf was the 1997 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year at Washington State, leading the Cougars to their first league title in school history and first Rose Bowl berth in 67 years.

Other notable names as first-time candidates: Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma linebacker Rocky Calmus, Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter, Oregon running back LaMichael James, Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, Oklahoma defensive lineman Dewey Selmon and Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams.

USC running back Reggie Bush, Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch, Florida State running back Warrick Dunn,