The 2017 Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame was announced this week with former quarterback Andrew Walter as an inductee from the football program.

Though not as illustrious as enshrinement to the Pro or College Football Halls of Fame, to be selected to ASU’s hall immortalizes the legacies of those chosen and proves beyond doubt that the student-athletes’ careers at Arizona State had unforgettable value.

Understandably, ASU’s Hall of Fame includes the vast majority of the greatest players ever to suit up for the Sun Devils – but what about those whose names have yet to be called? Which players from Sun Devil days of yore deserve induction the most?

According to ASU’s website, its Athletics Hall of Fame selection “is based on one or more of the following criteria: All-America recognition; NCAA champion; world record setter; Olympic medal; NCAA statistical leader; and significant contribution to sports and graduation”.

Though somewhat open-ended in nature, these criteria are considered when developing this list of the top-25 candidates (as I see them) – listed in chronological order – who are eligible for induction into ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame but have yet to be enshrined.

Pre-Pac Days (1977 and Before)

RB Nolan Jones (1958-61)

Pro: At the time of his graduation, Jones ranked fourth in school history in rushing (2,122 yards) and remains in the top-15 on ASU’s all-time rushing chart. Jones was also a three-time First-Team All-Border Conference selection. All three of the players that were ahead of him on the rushing chart at the time of his graduation – “Whizzer” White, Leon Burton and Bobby Mulgado – are in ASU’s Hall of Fame.

Con: A very consistent player, he had four very good years but no one incredible year. Unlike White and Burton who had 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Jones’ best was his 689-yard effort in 1959 – a total good enough for 10th in the nation that year. Also, no records are found of him being drafted into the professional ranks or having any measure of pro football career.

QB Joe Spagnola (1968-70)

Pro: The offensive catalyst in ASU’s historic 1970 team, Spagnola was a three-year starting quarterback and two-time First-Team All-Western Athletic Conference selection. The 1970 WAC Offensive Player of the Year, Spagnola ranked fourth in passing touchdowns and 15th nationally in passing yards, leading ASU to an undefeated season and a No. 6 final Associated Press poll ranking. That season, his passing helped receiver J.D. Hill become the first in ASU history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark.

Spagnola finished his career with 4,396 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. The available records are incomplete, but it is possible those were school records at the time he finished his collegiate career.

Con: More than 45 years have passed since his career ended at ASU, leading one to believe that though his career was greatly impressive and he was a driving force to help catapult the Sun Devils into national prominence, there is an underlying reason why he has not been selected. Perhaps more than any player eligible and not selected for ASU’s Hall of Fame, Spagnola is the most deserving.

Perhaps working against him is that he was never an All-American and he did not play professionally, but there are members of ASU’s Hall of Fame with these same limitations but like Spagnola made an historic impact on the football program and therefore were chosen. Again, there likely is a distinct reason he is not in the Hall of Fame given the deserving nature of the impact he made.

OL John Houser (1972-74)

Pro: One of the top offensive linemen to play for Frank Kush, Houser was a two-time First-Team All-WAC selection and an Honorable Mention All-American as a senior in 1974.

Con: In addition to never earning high-level All-America honors, Houser was not drafted into the NFL and no records are found of him having a pro career.

QB Dennis Sproul (1974-77)

Pro: The starting quarterback in the final seasons before ASU’s promotion from the WAC to the Pac-10, Sproul finished his career second on ASU’s all-time list in touchdown passes (46). As a senior in 1977, he was named an Honorable Mention All-American and First-Team All-WAC pick. He helped guide ASU’s undefeated, second-ranked 1975 team and helped the Devils claim two conference titles.

Con: Off-field legal matters he encountered in the 1990s likely contribute to Sproul not being included in ASU’s Hall of Fame. On the field, he remains ASU’s all-time leader in interceptions as he threw exactly as many picks (46) as touchdowns.

Early Pac-10 Era (1978-89)

LB Joey Lumpkin (1978-81)

Pro: He graduated as ASU’s all-time leader in total tackles (377) and currently ranks second all-time. He was a Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 1981 and an honorable mention pick the year before.

Con: Never a first-team all-conference pick let alone an All-American, Lumpkin also played just two years at the NFL level.

P Mike Black (1979-82)

Pro: The most decorated punter in ASU history, Black was an Honorable Mention All-American in 1981-82 and was a three-time First-Team All-Pac-10 selection. The only punter in school history to earn multiple first-team all-conference honors, Black remains ASU’s all-time leader in total punting yards (9,902) and finished his career with a 42.2-yard average.

Con: Currently there are no players in ASU’s Hall of Fame who strictly punted, with only one kicker having been inducted in former Consensus All-American Luis Zendejas.

LB Greg Battle (1982-85)

Pro: A four-year starter, Battle is ASU’s all-time leader in tackles (425) – a crown he has held for more than 30 years – and was an Honorable Mention All-American in 1985. He was also a Second-Team All-Pac-10 member in 1985 and an honorable mention selection the year before as well as the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the 1985 Holiday Bowl.

Con: Battle never played in the NFL, though he had an illustrious career in the Canadian Football League and is a member of the CFL Hall of Fame.

RB Darryl Clack (1982-85)

Pro: Clack was ASU’s leading rusher from 1982-84, was once a First-Team All-Pac-10 pick and twice a Second-Team honoree. He currently ranks sixth all-time at ASU in rushing (2,711 yards) and all five players ahead of him on the list are in the Hall of Fame. Had he not been injured his senior year he could be in the top two or three on ASU’s all-time rushing chart.

Con: He never earned any measure of All-America recognition and his pro career was limited to 113 total rushing yards across four seasons.

DL Dan Saleaumua (1983-86)

Pro: An Honorable Mention All-American in 1985, Saleaumua was twice a Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick. Beyond ASU, he had a 12-year NFL career including All-Pro honors in 1990 and a Pro Bowl selection in 1995.

Con: He was never a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection or better than an honorable mention at the All-America level.

LB Scott Stephen (1983-86)

Pro: An Honorable Mention All-American and First-team All-Pac-10 pick in 1986, Stephen was ASU’s sacks leader from 1984-86. At the end of his career, he ranked second in school history with 26.0 career sacks and third with 46.0 tackles for loss. Stephen was also a team captain for ASU’s 1986 Pac-10 champion squad. He was chosen in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft and played six pro seasons.

Con: Though an impact player and greatly consistent, he never had eye-popping numbers as his collegiate high was 9.0 sacks in a season. Also, besides his senior season, he didn’t earn any additional postseason honors. At the pro level, he only notched 4.5 total sacks.

RB Darryl Harris (1984-87)

Pro: An Honorable Mention All-American his final two years, Harris was a First-Team All-Pac-10 pick in 1987 and a second-team member the year before. Harris currently ranks 10th all-time at ASU in rushing yards (2,617).

Con: Though he was an honors recipient on ASU’s 1986 Pac-10 champion team, he didn’t receive high-level All-America recognition. His NFL career was very limited and though his statistical performances were impressive, he did not walk away from Tempe with any school records of note.

1990s and Beyond

RB Leonard Russell (1990)

Pro: A Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick in 1990, Russell rushed for 810 yards and scored 10 touchdowns to lead ASU. He was selected 14th overall in the 1991 NFL Draft and was named the 1991 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In six pro seasons, he totaled 3,973 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns.

He is one of just 10 ASU football players to be picked among in the top-15 selections in the NFL Draft. Eight of the 10 are already in ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame, while the ninth, Terrell Suggs, will be inducted as soon as his pro career ends. Since he was drafted in 1991, ASU has only had two players picked higher – Levi Jones in 2002 and Terrell Suggs in 2003, both chosen 10th overall.

Con: He played just one season at ASU after transferring from the JUCO level. Though he was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, his pro career tapered off after his first few seasons. Also, only two players (Phillippi Sparks and Jerry Smith) to have come from the JUCO level have become football inductees to ASU’s Hall of Fame.

LB Brett Wallerstedt (1989-92)

Pro: An Associated Press Third-Team All-American and First-Team All-Pac-10 pick as a senior in 1992, Wallerstedt finished his career fourth on ASU’s all-time tackles list (362). No Sun Devil player has accumulated more total tackles than he did in the 25 years since his graduation. He posted at least 100 tackles in each of his final three seasons including a career-best 122 as a junior in 1991. As a senior, he tallied 119 tackles including 22.0 for loss and was a team captain.

Con: Though he made it to the pro level, he played in just 30 total games across five seasons with four different franchises. Though his numbers were excellent his sophomore and junior years, his postseason accolades were limited to his senior season.

RB Mario Bates (1991-93)

Pro: Bates enjoyed an excellent junior season with 1,111 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, earning First-Team All-Pac-10 honors. He left ASU a year early to enter the NFL Draft and finished his three-year career with 2,025 rushing yards and 14 scores. He was picked in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft and played seven pro seasons.

Con: Between a season-ending injury and the decision to opt out of his final collegiate year, Bates is a bit of a one-year wonder. Though he was a first-team all-conference pick as a junior, he wasn’t given All-America recognition.

WR Keith Poole (1993-96)

Pro: He finished his career tied as the school record holder in touchdown catches (25), third all-time in career receiving yards (2,691) and fourth in receptions (140). At the time, his junior season receiving yardage total (1,036) was the third-highest single season effort in ASU history. He was a Second-Team All-American as a senior in 1996 and was a First-Team All-Pac-10 pick his final two seasons. Poole was also a major fan favorite and the preferred target of Jake Plummer during ASU’s 1996 season that resulted in a Rose Bowl berth.

Poole was selected in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft and played five pro seasons, totaling 96 receptions for 1,734 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best year came in 1999 for New Orleans when he started 15 games and caught 42 passes for 796 yards and six touchdowns.

Con: The argument against Poole is very thin, creating curiosity as to why he has yet to be inducted. Along with Joe Spagnola, Poole may be more qualified and deserving of induction than any just about any other player on this list.

RB Terry Battle (1994-96)

Pro: Stepping in for an injured Michael Martin, Battle became an explosive runner for ASU’s Rose Bowl squad in 1996. He surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark, ran for 18 touchdowns and earned First-Team All-America and First-Team All-Pac-10 accolades. That year he also put together one of the best kickoff return seasons by a Sun Devil, averaging 31.1 yards per return with two touchdowns. Battle bypassed his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.

Con: As unforgettable as his junior season was, prior to that he was a rotation player and totaled just 753 rushing yards between his first two seasons. It may be difficult for his one spectacular season to outweigh the efforts of his first two years and it likely does not help that an injury cut his NFL before it started.

DL Derrick Rodgers (1996)

Pro: One of the most memorable one-year wonders in ASU history, Rodgers was a terrorizing force on the 1996 defense. A First-Team All-American, Bronko Nagurski Award finalist and First-Team All-Pac-10 selection, Rodgers posted 12.0 sacks and 24.0 total tackles-for-loss as a junior. He bypassed his senior season to enter the 1997 NFL Draft. At the pro level, Rodgers played eight seasons and collected 507 total tackles. Rodgers is currently one of only three former First-Team All-Americans who are eligible for induction into ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame but have not been selected joining Terry Battle and Jeremy Staat.

Con: Similar to Leonard Russell, Rodgers came to ASU from the JUCO ranks and played just one season, albeit one single incredible year. Also like Russell, the odds are against Rodgers entering ASU’s Hall of Fame as a JUCO transfer as only two football players from that level have ever been inducted. Rodgers enjoyed a fairly long pro career but never was a Pro Bowler or a recipient of any major accolade that would boost his argument dramatically.

OL Kyle Murphy (1994-97)

Pro: A team captain as a senior in 1997, Murphy was recognized as an All-American that season by multiple outlets including a second-team selection by Sporting News. Also a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection that year and a second-team honoree the year before, Murphy is one of the most decorated linemen for ASU of the past 20 years.

Con: ASU appears to be quite picky at inducing offensive linemen, as there are currently only seven former linemen in the Hall of Fame – three of which in the past six classes. With just one exception, the six others all were either first-team All-Americans and/or first round draft picks. Though Murphy has a deserving background, the lack of a notable pro career and having not attained first-team All-America status could be what is keeping him out.

DL Jeremy Staat (1996-97)

Pro: One of only three First-Team All-Americans who are eligible for induction into ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame but haven’t been chosen, Staat had one of the most dominant defensive seasons in school history as a senior. The Morris Trophy winner in 1997 as the Pac-10’s top defensive lineman and the Lineman of the Game for the 1997 Sun Bowl, Staat posted 12.5 sacks and 23.0 total tackles for loss. His sacks total in 1997 is the second most by a defensive tackle in ASU history behind Will Sutton’s 13.0 in 2012.

After ASU, Staat was chosen in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft and would later serve in the United States Marine Corps.

Con: As mentioned twice before, currently only two JUCO players have been inducted into ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame from the football program. Also, Staat was a reserve his first season before posting a breakout year as a starter his senior season.

TE/LS Brian Jennings (1996-99)

Pro: Jennings played 13 years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, appearing in 208 games as the team’s long snapper. On two occasions he earned Pro Bowl recognition during his career with San Francisco.

Con: He was never recognized as an all-conference or All-America honoree. At tight end, he only caught four passes during his college career. There are no players currently in ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame from the football program to have predominately played long snapper.

OL Scott Peters (1998-01)

Pro: A two-time First-Team All-Pac-10 selection and once an honorable mention pick, Peters also was a Freshman All-American in 1998. Peters is the only ASU offensive lineman of the 21st century to twice earn first-team all-conference recognition. He played seven seasons in the NFL from 2002-08.

Con: As previously mentioned, the standard for offensive linemen is quite high, and a lack of high-level All-America honors might be the key factor preventing Peters from induction at this time, though his full body of work at ASU deserves strong Hall of Fame consideration.

WR Shaun McDonald (2000-02)

Pro: A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award in 2002, McDonald was a Third-Team All-American that season and an Honorable Mention All-American the year before. A two-time First-Team All-Pac-10 selection, McDonald is the first player in school history to post consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. His 87 receptions for 1,405 yards in 2002 remain single-season school records, while his 13 touchdown catches that year are one short of tying the school record. He bypassed his senior season to enter the NFL, but at the time he left ASU he ranked second all-time in receiving yards (2,867) and touchdown catches (24) and third in receptions (156). He played seven pro seasons and caught 220 passes for 2,490 yards with 11 touchdowns with a highlight year in 2007 with Detroit when he caught 79 passes for 949 yards with six touchdowns.

Con: There do not seem to be many strikes against McDonald – though he didn’t claim any school records, he was right on the doorstep despite not playing his senior season. Similarly, though he wasn’t a First-Team All-American, he earned multiple third-team accolades during his sensational junior season. His body of work at Arizona State surely warrants induction at some point in the very near future.

FB Mike Karney (2000-03)

Pro: Karney was a three-year starter and a two-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection. He went on to become one of the better fullbacks in the NFL, playing seven years and earning two Pro Bowl invites.

Con: Playing a position with little flash, Karney was never recognized higher than an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 pick. There are no players in ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame who primarily were blocking fullbacks and not frequent ballcarriers.

LB Dale Robinson (2004-05)

Pro: Robinson was the 2005 Pac-10 Conference Pat Tillman Co-Defensive Player of the Year which warrants at least a mention on this list. Also a First-Team All-Pac-10 pick that year, Robinson was an honorable mention selection as a junior in 2004. A tackling machine, in just two seasons he totaled 208 tackles.

Con: Robinson never played in the NFL and though he was the conference player of the year, he did not earn any sort of All-America honors in 2005. Also, Robinson’s status as a two-year JUCO transfer does not help his case.

OL Mike Pollak (2004-07)

Pro: One of the very best offensive linemen of the past decade or so for ASU, Pollak was a First-Team All-Pac-10 pick as a senior and a second-team honoree as a junior. Still the highest drafted offensive lineman for ASU since 2002, Pollak was chosen in the second round (59th overall) in 2008 and played seven pro seasons.

Con: Never an All-American with no superstar achievements in the NFL, as outstanding as he was at ASU Pollak may lack the star-studded credentials required of a Hall of Fame honoree.

The Future (Players Not Yet Eligible for Induction)

The first and easiest name on this list is Terrell Suggs, who has yet to be enshrined as he remains active in the NFL. The 2017 season marks Suggs’ 15th year at the pro level and as soon as he retires, he will undoubtedly be a part of the next class to follow. Eventually, Suggs should join Mike Haynes and Randall McDaniel as the only Sun Devils to be inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

In terms of more recent players, ones with the highest odds figure to be ones such as D.J. Foster, Zane Gonzalez and Will Sutton. All three players have several years before they are eligible and as of now are still in the NFL, so their inductions are the better part of a decade away. However, due to the records they set and accomplishments they achieved, these three should be easy picks no matter the level of impact they make in the NFL.

Depending on the full body of work of the pro careers of Carl Bradford, Vontaze Burfict, Brock Osweiler, Damarious Randall and Jaelen Strong, Hall of Fame honors could be in their future. However, each of the five likely needs to trend in a high direction to accomplish that.

Potentially working against the members of this list is the relatively brief careers they had at ASU – two were two-year JUCO transfers, Osweiler started just over one full season worth of games, Bradford was a main contributor for just two years and Burfict played three tumultuous years with the Sun Devils. Of this list, Burfict has the greatest overall name value but the controversial nature of both his college and pro careers could exclude him from consideration.

Quarterbacks Rudy Carpenter and Taylor Kelly both had lengthy, illustrious careers at ASU. However, neither of the two reached a record-setting level such as Andrew Walter, both maxed out at 10-win seasons and Holiday Bowl berths and didn’t have Rose Bowl runs such as Hall of Famers Jeff Van Raaphorst and Jake Plummer.

Beyond ASU, Carpenter had a brief NFL run while Kelly never made it to the pro level in terms of a regular season roster position. It is possible that either or both will be elected down the line, but it appears to be a coin flip at this point. Carpenter should be eligible as soon as the 2018 class.

Other longshot options from recent teams include Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard (depending on how their final college seasons and beyond pan out), Chris Coyle, Jamil Douglas, Lawrence Guy and Thomas Weber.

As far as the even more distant future, though N’Keal Harry has played just one college season, he had a freshman campaign that compares favorably to some of the absolute best in ASU history. At this level, his trajectory aims to a high NFL draft pick and a seemingly limitless ceiling