Pitt star Aaron Donald has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday.
Donald becomes the 26th individual associated with the University of Pittsburgh to receive this honor.
Widely regarded as a generational talent, Donald had his No. 97 jersey retired by Pitt last year and left a significant mark during his collegiate career, which began in 2010.
“Donald represents everything we value at Pitt: Humility, toughness and an unwavering commitment to excellence. His legacy continues to inspire our student-athletes and our entire community,” Pitt athletic Director Allen Greene said.
“Aaron set a new standard at Pitt and then carried that standard with him to the highest level of football,” Pitt Head Football Coach Pat Narduzzi said.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> Aaron Donald headlines new Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class
Donald starred at Penn Hills High School and went on to achieve remarkable defensive statistics while playing for the Panthers.
During his time at Pitt, Donald recorded 66 tackles for loss, the most by an FBS interior defensive lineman since the NCAA started tracking that statistic in 2000.
In his senior year in 2013, he led the nation with 28.5 tackles for loss and recorded 11 sacks, earning unanimous first-team All-American honors and multiple prestigious awards, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Outland Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> City of Pittsburgh proclaims March 4 as ‘Aaron Donald Day’
After being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft as the 13th overall pick, Donald lived up to high expectations.
Over his 10 professional seasons, he became one of only three players in NFL history to win three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was a key player in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory.
Beyond football, Donald established the AD99 Solutions Foundation to support underprivileged youth in Pittsburgh by providing access to education, nutrition and community engagement. He remains actively involved in charitable initiatives.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> Aaron Donald working to break stigma on mental health, sharing message with local kids
The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino on Dec. 8. Each inductee will also be honored with an on-campus salute during their respective school’s football season.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
