Ohio State and Alabama stars grace cover of EA Sports College Football 26
Ohio State and Alabama stars grace cover of EA Sports College Football 26
When EA Sports College Football 25 returned and put active college football players on the cover, fans were pumped — especially after the game's decade-long pause.
Colorado's Travis Hunter, Texas' Quinn Ewers and Michigan's Donovan Edwards had the honor of gracing the first cover in the game's return to market. Now, it's Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams turn, as the EA Sports dropped the cover for College Football 26 on Tuesday.
The game will be available July 10.
EA SPORTS COLLEGE FOOTBALL: College Football 25: 10 essential minigames you need to learn how to play
As USA TODAY Sports noted, Smith and Williams' cover is the standard edition of the game, but added: The "deluxe edition features them and several stars, mascots and coaches from the past and present, including former cover stars in Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow, as well as Kirby Smart, Ryan Day and the Oregon Duck."
The College Football 25 cover stars saw varying levels of success last season.
Two-way player Hunter won the Heisman Trophy before eventually becoming the No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick. Ewers helped lead Texas back to the College Football Playoff, but the Longhorns lost to Smith's Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl semifinal (and Ewers' draft stock tanked). Edwards had a solid run with Michigan before getting injured at the end of last season and ultimately signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Michigan football earns prediction for 5-star EDGE Carter Meadows in 2026
Michigan football continues to be on a recruiting heater, having received two commitments on Friday evening with plenty more to come. And now it appears that the Wolverines won't just add to the class, they'll potentially get a top overall prospect. The final official visit weekend of the summer cycle, tabbed Victors Weekend, saw some top-tier talent come through Ann Arbor. None bigger than 2026 Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga five-star edge rusher Carter Meadows, the 6-foot-6.5, 225-pound talent rated as the sixth-best player in the country, per On3. It's been a battle with several schools, namely Ohio State, but there's now a prediction that the maize and blue will win out. On Saturday morning, On3's Steve Wiltfong put in a prediction indicating that Meadows will wear a winged helmet when all is said and done. Meadows does not yet have a commitment date, so there's no clear idea of the timeline. Could he up and decide to shut things down at his leisure? It's certainly possible. The scouting report from 247Sports' Andrew Ivins: Spider-like pass rusher with exceptional physical specs, but one where the sack total has yet to match the big-league potential. Can give opposing offensive tackles fits just with his stride length as he can run the arc and right into the quarterback. Has spent much of prep career attacking from a 5-technique in a four-man front. Wins more times than not with his top-flight athleticism as he pairs adequate get-off with slippery inside-outside agility, but further technical development will dictate pressure rate on Saturdays and beyond as he's got the levers to chop and swipe his way around the corner like few others. Makes his fair share of stops in backside pursuit with his closing speed, but has to get better at crushing blocks and holding his turf if he's going to make a living as an every-down defender. Should be viewed as a high-upside edge player that has a chance to develop into an absolute game-wrecker at the Power Four level and then an early-round NFL Draft pick if he can soak up coaching and embrace the weight room. Might be worth a look in a hybrid off-the-ball role as spatial awareness fostered on the basketball court allows him to drop into zones and affect passing lanes. Here is the currently committed class, ranked No. 11 by both On3 and 247Sports, as of Friday evening: Michigan currently has two edge rushers committed in four-star McHale Blade and three-star Tariq Boney. The Wolverines may take up to four this cycle with Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork four-star Julian Walker also in strong contention.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Penn State makes NHL draft history with first-round pick
For the second time this week, Penn State made some draft history. Within days of having its first NBA first-round draft pick, the Nittany Lions now have the first NHL draft first-round pick in draft history. The hockey program's latest bit of history was achieved Friday when the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Penn State's Jackson Smith with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. There is a slight caveat to this piece of history, of course. Smith. a defenseman, is an incoming freshman for the Penn State program and has yet to lace up his skates in a Penn State hockey uniform. Smith committed to the Penn State program in June and will join the program this fall. He will join Penn State program, coming off its first trip to the NCAA Frozen Four and will continue to raise expectations for the program moving forward. Smith played the last two seasons in the Western Hockey League and recorded 54 points in 68 games. He has recently played on Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championships and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Smith is the 17th player from Penn State to be selected in the NHL draft as the program continues to rise in national prominence in a relatively short period of time. Penn State's season ended with a 3-1 loss to NCAA hockey blueblood Boston University in the semifinal round of the Frozen Four. Penn State upset No. 3 overall seed Maine in the first round of the tournament by a score of 5-1 and advanced to the Frozen Four with a 3-2 victory over UConn in the Allentown regional.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How former LSU baseball catcher Brady Neal fared with Alabama in 2025
After two years playing for LSU baseball, catcher Brady Neal transferred to a conference rival, landing at Alabama ahead of the 2025 season. With Alabama, Neal played in 41 games with 128 at-bats. He started all four of the Crimson Tide's postseason games behind the plate, two in the SEC Tournament and two in the Hattiesburg Regional at the NCAA Tournament, recording at least one hit and one run in three of the four. Neal batted .219 with a .373 on-base percentage. He totaled 40 runs, 28 hits, and 19 RBI. The catcher registered 29 walks and led the team with an 18% walk rate. During the three-game series against LSU, Neal went three for nine with a home run and two RBI. Neal played two seasons in Baton Rouge. He began 2023 as the everyday catcher but was sidelined with a back injury in April and never truly reclaimed the role in 2024. As part of the 2022 recruiting class, Neal was ranked the No. 2 catcher in the country and No. 29 overall prospect by Perfect Game. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, but he opted for the college route. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Neal back with Alabama in 2026.
