Eslinger becomes the 20th Gopher to be enshrined.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team got their 20th member into the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday afternoon. When the 2025 induction class was announced by the National Football Foundation on the list was former Outland Trophy winner and two-time All-American Greg Eslinger.
The Bismarck, North Dakota native played for the Gophers from 2002 through 2005. He is one of just two Gophers to ever earn First Team All-Big Ten honors three times and started all 50 games of his college career. Eslinger anchored an offensive line that paved the way for a series of great former Gopher running backs to lead toe Big Ten in rushing with 256.8 yards per game in 2004 and 273.1 yards per game in 2005. His best season wast the 2005 season when he shared co-team MVP honors with Laurence Maroney. Eslinger was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2005, the first Gopher to ever claim the honor. He was named a First Team All-American in both 2004 and 2005, an was unanimously selected in 2005. He was awarded the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football and and the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center.
During Eslinger’s tenure, the Gophers set multiple single-season offensive records, including rushing attempts (683), rushing yards (3,759), rushing yards per game (289.2), rushing touchdowns (46), total season yards (6,430), total yards per game (494.8), total season points (503), average points per game (38.7), season touchdowns (66) and first downs (326). Minnesota went 32-18, posting winning records in all four years of his college career. He led the Gophers to four consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history, notching a 3-1 record in postseason play and ranking No. 17 in the final Coaches Poll after the 2003 season with a victory against Oregon in the Sun Bowl.
He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, and played three seasons from 2006-2008 for the Broncos, Browns and Texans.
He’s Minnesota’s first College Football Hall of Fame Inductee since Bob Stein was enshrined in 2020. He also is Minnesota’s first modern enshrinee who played in the 21st Century. He joins a class with several familiar names including Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, former Minnesota Viking and North Dakota tight end Jim Kleinsasser, former New York Giant from Texas Southern Michael Strahan, Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick, and St. Johns (MN) wide receiver Blake Elliot. Also being enshrined as coaches are Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.
The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.
Congrats to Greg, and we will look out for him being honored at a Gopher game this fall!