Billy Sims, the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner who rushed for 4,118 yards at the University of Oklahoma, has been named to the SEC's 2026 Football Legends class.

The university announced the honor Thursday, Oct. 8. Sims, 71, becomes the third Sooner selected for the distinction, joining former head coach Barry Switzer in 2024 and defensive lineman Lucious Selmon in 2025.

The SEC Football Legends class honors former standouts from each conference school. Sims and the rest of the 2026 class will be recognized at the SEC Legends Celebration on Friday, Dec. 4, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and again before the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Sims played at OU under Switzer from 1975 to 1979 and helped the Sooners compile a 52-7-1 record, win five Big Eight Conference titles and capture the 1975 national championship. His teams won three Orange Bowls and one Fiesta Bowl.

His 1978 season stands as one of the greatest in program history. Sims rushed for a Big Eight-record 1,896 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry and topping 100 yards in 11 of 12 games. That performance earned him the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Trophy and the Davey O'Brien Award, and OU finished 11-1 with an Orange Bowl win over Nebraska.

He nearly repeated the feat in 1979, rushing for 1,670 yards and 23 touchdowns to finish second in Heisman voting. He was a unanimous first-team All-American both seasons and the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year both years.

Sims left Norman as OU's all-time leading rusher. Samaje Perine has since passed him, but Sims still ranks second with 4,118 career yards and second with 53 rushing touchdowns. He holds program records for 200-yard games in a season (four in 1978) and in a career (seven).

Sports journalist Brett McMurphy noted on X that both Sims and Texas running back Ricky Williams, another Heisman winner, were named to the class. Oklahoma and Texas joined the SEC in 2024, making their former players part of the conference's history.

@Brett_McMurphy: "Former Oklahoma RB Billy Sims & Texas RB Ricky Williams, both Heisman winners, named to the 2026 SEC Football Legends class"

The Detroit Lions selected Sims with the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and made three consecutive Pro Bowls before an injury ended his career after five seasons. The Lions retired his No. 20.

A 1980 OU graduate, Sims was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He co-founded Billy Sims BBQ, which is based in Tulsa.

The full 2026 class also includes former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, former Georgia head coach Mark Richt, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson and Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb, according to On3. Sims and the other honorees will be recognized at the celebration in Atlanta.