From the Heisman stage to the Hall of Fame, former Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch continues to be immortalized by the sport he once mastered.
On Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, Lynch was named one of 22 new inductees (18 players, 4 coaches) to the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. Lynch is the third former Northern Illinois player to qualify for the College Football Hall of Fame, joining quarterback George Bork (1960-63, inducted 1999) and quarterback/halfback Tom Beck (1959-61, inducted 2004).
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Lynch suited up for the Huskies from 2009-13. After three seasons of backing up NFL Draft selection Chandler Harnish, Lynch took over the starting role and took the college football world by storm. He guided the Huskies to a 2012 MAC championship and a subsequent Orange Bowl appearance — becoming the first MAC team to earn a BCS Bowl berth. Lynch’s dual-threat abilities were well-documented by defenses that season. He threw for 3,138 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 1,815 and 19. He ranked fourth in the FBS in rushing yards and first among quarterbacks as the ultimate zone read threat.
Lynch entered the 2013 campaign with plenty of eyeballs on him after a spectacular 2012, and the quarterback didn’t disappoint. He led NIU to a 12-0 regular season record, climbing as high as No. 16 in the AP Poll. Meanwhile, Lynch was lighting up stat sheets in the process, firing for 2,892 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 1,920 yards and 23 scores as a rusher. Lynch finished second in the FBS in rushing yardage (only trailing Boston College running back Andre Williams) and third in rushing touchdowns. During 2013, he rushed for 100+ yards in 10 of 14 games and even crossed the 300-yard threshold twice.
On Oct. 19, 2013, Lynch set an FBS record for most single-game rushing yards by a quarterback,…
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