CHARLOTTE — Now that the Pro Football Hall of Fame has inducted its Class of 2025, including former Panther Jared Allen, it's time to start looking ahead to next year's class.

And there will be plenty of representation from Carolina on next year's ballot, and in years to come.

Legendary linebacker Luke Kuechly is an automatic finalist this year, based on the results of last year's voting.

The Hall adjusted its rules in 2024 to create a more restrictive environment, which led to a class of just three modern-era players this year (Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Antonio Gates), when it's normally five per year, plus any seniors or coaches or contributors.

That math problem left many frustrated that Kuechly didn't follow Julius Peppers (2024) in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer last year, and another former teammate shared those frustrations.

"I'm going to give him the same advice Cris Carter gave me in London this year," Jared Allen began when asked if he expected to hear Kuechly's name called (Carter waited six years to finally be elected). "The process can be frustrating, yes, but once you're in, once you have the gold jacket, the process kind of fades, and you're in. Look, I think, and even for myself, he doesn't need it for validation. I didn't need it for validation; I knew what I played for. I played this game for the respect of my peers and the respect of those who played before me, and I knew I had that. This is the cherry on top. It really is.

"But I'd be totally lying to you if I said it doesn't get frustrating because you kind of get in this competitive, competitive mindset against other guys. You're like, I love these guys. These are great guys. Why am I comparing notes 15 years later? This is stupid, but it gets you because we're all competitors.

"So I would tell him, you know what, God will give it to you when you get it. He's going to get in. I don't think anybody has a doubt that he's going to get in. But yeah, I think just try to breathe, ask questions about what the process is like. Because you kind of deal with the emotions based on the process that you experience, and you don't realize that that process is complicated. It really is complicated, especially when you're trying to take great players and say one's greater than this person this year, how do you fit the mold? So now you kind of look back and you see the totality of which to tell people, hey, breathe, relax, try to enjoy it, and that's all you can do.

"I empathize. I truly do, but I mean, he's beyond deserving."

Kuechly was among the group of players who advanced to the final seven in last year's voting, and the four who weren't enshrined this year are automatically advancing to the final 15 this year, without having to go through the voting process.

Not that that should have been a problem.

Kuechly has a nearly identical resume to Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, who was enshrined in 2024 in his third year of eligibility.

Both played eight seasons, shortened by injury. Both were named to the All-Decade team, went to seven Pro Bowls, earned defensive rookie of the year honors, and went to one Super Bowl. The only differences were that Kuechly was named All-Pro seven times to Willis' six, and Kuechly was named defensive player of the year in 2013. That's not an insignificant difference.

Kuechly was also recognized as one of the best in the game practically his entire career. By making an All-Pro team in seven of his eight seasons (87.5 percent, and the only year he didn't, he was defensive rookie of the year), he has the third-highest percentage of All-Pros in NFL history, trailing just Barry Sanders (10-of-10, 100.0 percent) and Jim Brown (8-of-9, 88.9). The guys he's immediately ahead of on that list are Reggie White (13-of-15, 86.7) and Anthony Munoz (11-of-13, 84.6).

That's the company Kuechly is in, and among the reasons he's deserving.

Of course, most of the final 15 are deserving, and certainly those other three automatic finalists are. Kuechly is joined in that group by former Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson, Patriots and Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, and Rams wide receiver Torry Holt.

But if 2026 brings another three-man class, they're not all making the cut.

This year's class of first-year eligibles is a strong one, including former Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Brees is second all-time in passing yards and passing touchdowns, behind only Tom Brady. Fitzgerald is second all-time in receptions and receiving yards, behind only Jerry Rice. So their chances are very good.

Thus, there will be plenty of competition for the remaining 11 slots in the final 15.

Panthers Hall of Honor wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.. made the finalist list for the first time last year, but did not make the cut to the final 10. The other members of last year's final 15 (other than the enshrinees and automatic finalists) include Jahri Evans, Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Fred Taylor, Reggie Wayne, Darren Woodson, and Marshal Yanda.

While there's a logjam of receivers (Holt and Wayne have each been finalists six times), Smith has numbers and extenuating circumstances that make him more than deserving.

Smith is eighth in league history in receiving yards and 12th in receptions. Wayne is 10th in both categories. Holt is 17th in yards and 26th in receptions in a shorter career.

Unlike those two, Smith didn't have the benefit of all-star casts of Hall of Fame quarterbacks. He was also the focus of every opposing defensive coordinator, and did it all for teams that generally preferred to run.

The year he won the triple crown, leading the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns (2005), the Panthers ran more often (487 attempts) than they threw (449 passes).

So, yes, he deserves to advance to the finals, but nothing is certain under these new voting rules (the Hall's board of directors is keeping last year's process intact), and with a crowded field of players on the way.

Other first-year eligibles in 2026 include tight end Jason Witten, running back Frank Gore, quarterback Philip Rivers, and center Maurkice Pouncey.

The Panthers also have two first-year eligible players this year, both with strong business upon which to stand.

Tight end Greg Olsen came along at the beginning of a wave of pass-catching tight ends and is seventh all-time in receptions and receiving yards at his position.

Three of the six guys ahead of him on the yardage list are already in the Hall (Tony Gonzalez, Gates, Shannon Sharpe), and the other three are coming soon (Witten, Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski).

Olsen's also the first tight end in league history to post three straight 1,000-yard seasons.

Linebacker Thomas Davis was a three-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro in 2015, and NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year recipient. He's also the first player to come back from three straight ACL tears, and he played in a Super Bowl with a broken arm. If Canton never calls, the Toughness Hall of Fame should.

So as the debates begin about the next class to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Panthers will be part of a lot of conversations.

And we haven't even gotten to 2027, when quarterback Cam Newton becomes eligible for the first time.