EA Sports College Football 26 comes out this week, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival.
The annual release of the game is just another reminder that the college football season, in all of its glory, is just around the corner.
After a decade-long hiatus from regular video game playing, I was pretty rusty when the game dropped last summer. So, I spent countless hours playing College Football 25 and worked my way from the ranks of overwhelmed Millennial dad to elite amateur by the time it was all said and done.
I topped out at a global ranking of No. 680 (out of roughly 2.8 million), which means that I’m really good for a “civilian” but unlikely to beat a pro more than once or twice out of 10 tries.
That experience has helped me understand the game in more ways than one. There are tips and tricks that everyone should be aware of so that they can enjoy the game to the fullest while stacking wins in their dynasties and online.
But it all has to start with the teams and players you choose to roll with when you fire up the system this week. With that in mind, here are the teams I think you should be playing with right away, from the best of the best to the diamonds in the rough.
College Football Juggernaut: Texas
I’m old enough to remember the hype surrounding Peyton and Eli Manning during their college careers.
Peyton was thrust into the starting role during his true freshman season after a rash of injuries devastated the Vols’ quarterback room.
He had his fair share of freshman moments, both good and bad. He was picked off twice and sacked three times in a rivalry game loss to Alabama.
But he rebounded, leading UT to five straight wins, including a bowl game blowout of Virginia Tech before he ascended into true superstardom.
Eli wasn’t called upon to save his program in the same way Peyton was at Tennessee. He redshirted his first year on campus at Ole Miss and barely saw the field as a redshirt freshman. But he hit the ground running as a sophomore, throwing for 31 touchdowns and leading the Rebels to a decisive road victory over Nick Saban and the eventual SEC champion LSU Tigers.
Arch Manning is better positioned to make a run at the Heisman in his first full year as a college starter than his famous uncles were. Texas is loaded with nearly three-quarters of its roster comprised of blue-chip recruits of 4 or 5 stars.
DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ryan Wingo return as dynamic perimeter weapons, having flashed their big-play potential as a duo last fall for 1,028 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns.
Jack Endries portaled in from Cal and could be an elite security blanket for Manning at tight end. Sixty-three percent of Endries' receptions at Cal last fall went for first downs or touchdowns.
Meanwhile, CJ Baxter returns from injury and will be joined by Quintrevion Wisner and a stable of former four-star runners. If the offensive line gels, this offense could be unstoppable.
And even if there are some growing pains up front, Arch has something his uncles never did…speed to burn. He’s been clocked at a 4.6 40-yard dash, which explains why EA has awarded him with an 87 speed rating.
Additionally, EA gave him elite passing attributes and loaded him up with five special physical abilities, most notably gold “Step Up,” which enhances his accuracy when stepping up into a clean pocket.
If you’re not buying the Manning hype, could I interest you in the Texas defense? The Longhorns have starters at all three levels of the defense with ratings of 92 or higher in this game.
Colin Simmons was a terror off the edge last season as a true freshman, amassing 14 tackles for loss. He took home the Shaun Alexander Award, given to the nation’s top freshman, and is a consensus preseason All-American with an overall rating of 93.
At the next level of the defense, we find Anthony Hill Jr., who boasts a 95 overall rating. He’s the third-highest rated player in the entire game and a heat-seeking missile with 92 speed and 93 acceleration.
And behind Simmons and Hill is Malik Muhammad, a lockdown cornerback with speed to burn and elite ball skills. He also received the platinum “Ball Hawk” ability, which gives him a higher chance of intercepting passes.
He’s joined by returning starters Michael Taaffe at safety and Jaylon Guilbeau at corner, giving UT an elite back end. Taaffe is the fourth-highest rated safety in the nation, per Pro Football Focus, and the 26th overall player in their database.
Toss in head coach Steve Sarkisian's playbook that's unique and RPO-heavy, and any player could hop onto the game and enjoy suiting up with the burnt orange.
CFB 26 Pro Tip: Use Texas’ “Reload Motion” plays (run, pass, PA) out of the “Gun Normal Y Off Close” formation to really confuse your opponent.
College Football National Title Threat: LSU
The EA Creator Network gave early access of CFB 26 to prominent video game streamers like KMac, Civil, DCroft and more. To a man, they’ve all pointed out that LSU is a capital “P” problem in this video game.
If you’re someone who can operate from the pocket, Garrett Nussmeier may be the very best quarterback in the game. He has a howitzer for an arm, and when you combine his attributes and special abilities like platinum “On Time,” gold “Step Up” and silver “Dot,” he can put the ball anywhere on the field.
Caden Durham is a speed demon (95) out of the backfield, and we’re not just talking straight-line speed. His platinum “Shifty” ability allows him to change direction without slowing down, making him a one-play touchdown waiting to happen.
Despite limited usage as a true freshman, he had six plays of 35-plus yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns.
Nussmeier’s receiving corps is blazing fast and versatile.
Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson is a mismatch at 6-foot-4 with 91 overall speed (4.52 electronic 40-yard dash). He possesses platinum “Double Dip,” which allows him to cook man coverage with double moves on routes like whips and sluggos.
If speed is more your thing, LSU has the fastest wide receiver in the game when you factor in his platinum abilities, “Takeoff” and “Shifty” alongside Barion Brown’s 99 speed rating. He can run past defensive backs on go routes or become a YAC animal if you give him space to work with underneath a defense.
Toss in Aaron Anderson (94 speed) and his useful YAC abilities — gold “360” and platinum “Side Step” — and this is the most dangerous skill position group in CFB 26.
One downside to playing with LSU is its offensive line, which returns only one starter from a unit that finished 87th in Line Yards last fall. EA may bump up its ratings in-season, but as it stands on launch day, the Tigers only have one offensive line starter with a rating of 82 or higher, and that’s right tackle Josh Thompson.
Defensively, Brian Kelly’s front four is mediocre by SEC standards, outside of Florida State transfer Patrick Payton. He garnered an 88 overall rating with three gold abilities, most notably “Quick Jump.”
He arrives in Baton Rouge with 16 career sacks in tow and is a one-man blitz package off the edge.
Harold Perkins Jr. is returning from injury and will be featured in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s “star” position. Perkins can do it all at the second level. He can rush the passer, blow up running plays or blanket tight ends and backs in the passing game.
He averages more than one TFL per career start, and his “Havoc” numbers are off the charts.
Despite a few position switches while at LSU, he has nine career pass breakups, seven forced fumbles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. His overall (91) and abilities (two physical, two mental) reflect his game-changing reputation.
The defensive backfield could be special because they have the ingredients to play lockdown man coverage. Across the board, starters Ashton Stamps, Mansoor Delane and Ja’Keem Jackson have the speed to stay with most receivers. Stamps and Delane were awarded platinum and gold “Jammer,” respectively, which allows them to play elite press coverage.
CFB 26 Pro Tip: Because LSU has only one dominant edge rusher, you’ll need to utilize the new defensive line stunts/twists to consistently create pressure. Some defensive plays have stunts baked in, but you’ll also be able to dial up stunts using defensive hot routes pre-snap.
College Football Playoff Threat: South Carolina
I won’t bury the lede here: LaNorris Sellers is the best quarterback in the game. Last year, the digital version of Alabama’s Jalen Milroe dominated for three main reasons: arm strength, deep-ball accuracy and an uncanny ability to extend plays.
Sellers is this year’s version of Milroe. His speed rating is set at 91, his throw on the run rating received a 97, and he possesses platinum “Extender.”
When you put those three things together, he can run away from defenders, break out of tackles when they do reach him in the backfield, and he can throw it accurately downfield while on the run.
His throw power (96) is just icing on the cake.
Former NFL quarterback-turned-CFB-26-streamer Kurt Benkert noted over the weekend that Sellers feels like “Mike Vick 04.” For the younger members of our audience, Vick dominated Madden 2004 to the point that he was banned by serious online gamers because he was too overpowered.
He could rush for 300 yards, throw for 500 yards and extend plays for 20 or 30 seconds by running defenders ragged. So, to say that Norris has some “04 Vick” in him, well, that’s the highest compliment a video game quarterback can receive.
Making South Carolina even more fun to select in any game mode in CFB 26 is the fact that Sellers isn’t a one-man show in Columbia. Both of his starting tackles return.
Josiah Thompson started 12 games at left tackle and was subsequently named to the freshman All-SEC team. Cason Henry has been a mainstay at right tackle and gave up just two sacks in the Gamecocks’ last 10 games. Trovon Baugh returns to the starting lineup at guard after a promising season, and Boaz Stanley transferred in from Troy to take over the duties at center.
Speaking of the portal, head coach Shane Beamer brought in Rahsul Faison from Utah State, and he could fill Rocket Sanders' cleats this season.
Faison is rated 89 overall with three physical abilities. Despite being a marked man at USU, he finished with a rushing grade of 89.4, PFF, which ranked fourth among G5 backs.
If teams have to respect Sellers' legs as well as SC’s traditional running game, there are big plays to be had downfield with Nyck Harbor and Jared Brown running free.
Brown is the Gamecocks’ highest rated receiver at 83 overall, but he has speed (94) and three physical abilities — Double Dip, Side Step and 360 — to turn short passes into long touchdowns.
And then there’s Harbor, who has the best combination of size and speed in the country. He stands 6-foot-5 and is the fastest receiver in the game with 99 speed. In fact, he’s a two-time chart-topper of Bruce Feldman’s annual ‘Freaks List.” I can already hear players muttering to themselves, “Harbor down there somewhere” as they uncork a 50-yard bomb.
Defensively, there’s a lot to like about South Carolina when it comes to stopping the pass. Dylan Stewart is the highest-rated end in the game with insane acceleration (96) and special abilities to track down quarterbacks.
If teams don’t leave tight ends and running backs in to chip, he’ll be speeding up opposing passers’ clocks on every snap.
The secondary lost Nick Emmanwori to the NFL, but they do return three starters, including nickel extraordinaire Jalon Kilgore, who racked up five picks in 2024.
The linebacking corps is green, but defensive coordinator Clayton White doubles as the team’s linebacker coach and will be focusing his attention on shoring up this unit.
If you don’t know White’s name, you should. The 47-year-old assistant has been a five-time Broyles Award nominee in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024. I think this unit will improve over the course of the season, so we may see some ratings upgrades this fall for defenders wearing the garnet and black.
CFB 26 Pro Tip: Motion RPOs are sprinkled throughout the Gamecocks’ playbook and place multiple defenders in conflict. If you move Nyck Harbor into one of these slot receiver roles and motion him into the flat as a part of an RPO, defenders are damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Harbor running free, Sellers running free or Faison running into a light box. Pick your poison.
Fringe Top 25 Team: Washington
In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys finished 1-15. By the end of the 1995 season, they had won three Super Bowls in a four-year window.
A big reason for that historic turnaround was their “Big Three.” With their first-round picks in 1988, 1989 and 1990, the Cowboys selected Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith.
Whether you’re a GM in the NFL or a recruiting coordinator in college, replicating the Cowboys’ formula under Jimmy Johnson is the way to build an elite offense.
Looking around college football, there are plenty of teams built to beat you on the ground or through the air, but only a few that are perfectly balanced with a legitimate “Big Three” of their own. Washington is one of those teams in CFB 26.
Demond Williams Jr. was a four-star prospect who initially signed with Arizona, enrolling in early January 2024. But then Nick Saban retired, and all hell broke loose. Kalen DeBoer was hired to replace Saban at Alabama, and Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch left to replace DeBoer at Washington.
Williams wasted little time, hopping from Arizona to Washington in a matter of weeks. I understand why he was loyal to Fisch; the man has an incredible CV. He has coached under Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Sean McVay and Jim Harbaugh.
And when he finally got his first head coaching opportunity at the age of 44, all he did was turn around a downtrodden program in Arizona while elevating its undersized quarterback into a star. Noah Fifita led U-of-A to seven straight wins to close the 2023 season, five of which came over ranked opponents.
Williams was hoping to win the starting job last fall while instantly replicating Fifita’s success in the desert with Fisch.
But he had to wait and ride the bench until late in the season. After a competent start against top-ranked Oregon in which he went 17-for-20 for 201 yards and a touchdown, he broke out in the Huskies’ bowl game against Louisville. He finished with 422 total yards of offense and five touchdowns against the Cardinals.
He's ready to explode this season, and EA has given him the skills to do it on the virtual gridiron as well.
He’s only an 82 overall, but he has 88 speed, 92 acceleration and 85 juke when he tucks it. As for his passing numbers, they’re a bit more modest (88 throw power, 87 throw on the run, lower 80s in accuracy across the board).
But I think gamers will love using him because of the weapons surrounding him.
Jonah Coleman is back after a 1,000-yard campaign in 2024. He’s built like a fire hydrant at 5-foot-9 and 228 pounds and rolls downhill like a bowling ball made of knives. Just look at these power ratings: 95 trucking and 93 break tackle.
His injury/toughness/stamina numbers also make him an asset because he’s unlikely to get “worn and torn” even if you’re regularly feeding him the rock.
If defenses stack the box to stop Coleman and Williams on the ground, Denzel Boston is there to remind them that the Pacific Northwest has a new “Big Three.” Boston is a big-bodied target at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, and he’s 92 or higher in multiple categories such as catching, release off the line, catching in traffic and special catching.
While he doesn’t have amazing straight-line speed, even if he’s covered one-on-one, he’s basically open. He was cooking last fall, nabbing nine touchdowns in the Huskies' first seven games.
If the defense overcompensates and doubles Boston, Penn State transfer Omari Evans is ready to torch them on a go route with his 93 speed and 94 acceleration. It will be easy to see from the first game you play with Washington — when these three stars are on the field at the same time, you have something special on your hands.
Speaking of special, cornerback Tacario Davis is a unicorn who can make scheming up a defense a lot easier for gamers.
He can lock down any receiver in the game because he’s fast and physical. At 6-foot-4, he’s one of the tallest cornerbacks in recent memory, and his 98 rating in press coverage allows him to treat opposing receivers like small children at the line of scrimmage.
One massive corner usually stands out, but Washington has two. Ephesians Prysock — who stands at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds — patrols the other side of the field. While he’s not quite as fast or physical at the line scrimmage, he's willing to put his face in the fan and set the edge in the running game (80 tackle grade, PFF).
Having two corners with the height and wingspan Davis and Prysock possess gives UW a noticeable advantage among “mid-tier” P4 competition.
Taariq Al-Uqdah and Jacob Manu are quality inside linebackers, but you may need to blitz them more than you’re used to because Washington’s defensive line leaves a lot to be desired.
The Huskies' 1.54 sacks per game average was abysmal last season. Only four Power Four programs got to the quarterback at a lower rate. Giving your opponents ample time in the pocket is the easiest way to get dotted up on the sticks. So, send the heat!
CFB 26 Pro Tip: For the first time, gamers can perform special moves with the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. By using the right stick, you can now juke left or right, or truck a defender to get out of trouble. Williams is the perfect QB to utilize this new controller integration with this summer.
Group of 5 Power: Liberty
If you enjoy a challenge in Dynasty or Road to the College Football Playoff mode, utilizing Group of Five teams is the way to go. In Road to the CFP, you receive more points for winning with lower-ranked teams, so familiarizing yourself with teams from the AAC, CUSA, MAC, MWC and Sun Belt is worth your time.
One of the best teams right out of the box is the Liberty Flames.
The Flames fell off the map after a dream season in 2023 in which they made the Fiesta Bowl. Last season, they fell short of expectations and laid a massive egg against FBS newcomer Kennesaw State, losing as a 28-point favorite.
But this is a new year, and they have the talent and unique scheme to become a darling of the CFB 26 community.
Offensively, Jamey Chadwell brought in an experienced dual-threat quarterback to run the show.
Ethan Vasko has decent speed and agility ratings in the low 80s and a throw power of 91. He can be characterized as a scattershot passer (57% career completion percentage), but Chadwell’s system schemes up open receivers, and they’d like to run it at a 65% clip — the seventh-most run-heavy team in 2024.
The Flames have two capable backs rated in the lower 80s in Julian Grey and Vaughn Blue, making their two- and three-running back packages dangerous.
Reese Smith is a sure-handed WR1, capable of carving teams up with intermediate routes (87 route running). And Liberty has a pair of speedsters for passing situations when Donte Lee Jr. and Tyson Mobley come trotting onto the field with their 91 speed ratings in tow.
By G5 standards, this is a super-talented secondary, headlined by safety Brylan Green, who doubles as the Flames’ punt returner.
When they put their sub-packages on the field, they have a ball-hawking defensive backfield. In 2023, LU led the nation in interceptions, but they couldn’t hold onto their opportunities last fall, nabbing just eight all season long.
What’s true on Saturdays is true in the video game: Win the turnover battle, and you’re likely to win the game.
The loss of TJ Bush in the transfer portal hurt, but CJ Bazile Jr. returns to provide a pass rush up front. But much like Washington earlier in this rundown, you’re going to need to manufacture some pressure by sending linebackers and slot corners from time to time.
No G5 team is perfect, but if you like running the ball and being able to rely on a decent secondary to blanket receivers downfield, Liberty is for you.
CFB 26 Pro Tip: The developers at EA fine-tuned the option game with one of their final patches to CFB 25. The result is that you can really kill opponents with a well-timed pitch. Vasko operating Chadwell’s spread option attack could be a match made in heaven now that the pitch tuning is complete on EA’s side of things.
Group of 5 Sleeper: Old Dominion
I’m looking for three things in a bottom-tier team: a mobile quarterback, perimeter speed and a star defender I can user to make plays. Check, check and check for Old Dominion.
Quarterback Colton Joseph took flight last season as a redshirt freshman. He threw for 636 yards and six touchdowns in back-to-back games against Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. He also broke the century mark on the ground on two occasions while pumping in 11 rushing touchdowns in just eight starts.
The EA ratings czars took notice and gave him solid speed (80) and acceleration (84) ratings with a throw power of 89. He has the physical tools to hurt opposing defenses in different ways.
His receiving corps features four players with speed ratings of 90-plus.
TJ Lott is a burner (91 speed, 87 change of direction) you can use in the slot or in EA’s new “gadget” position if you want to move him into the backfield on certain snaps. He is a former three-star recruit and should thrive in Kevin Decker’s offensive system.
At linebacker, I have a complete monster to roam the middle of the field with if I so choose. Jason Henderson, a tackling machine, needs 139 stops to become the career tackles leader at the FBS level.
If that seems like a lot standing between him and immortality, keep in mind that he averaged 178 tackles in his last two injury-free seasons.
The EA ratings team gave him an 89 overall with five abilities (three mental, two physical), headlined by his 99 play recognition and 98 tackling. Early reviews noted that it’s been easier to run in this year’s version of the game, so having a veteran front seven with an All-American caliber thumper in the middle is ideal.
CFB 26 Pro Tip: If you’re running into the meta from last year, the dreaded “Mid Blitz,” I have some good news. In CFB 25, opposing players would dial up a six-man blitz, then user a defender and stand them directly over the center pre-snap. Then, when the ball was snapped, they’d drop that defender back into coverage, but their mere presence in the A-gap would sometimes confuse your offensive line and allow a blitzer to run in untouched. Well, the new “un-target” feature allows you to instruct your offensive line to ignore a player in the box. If you use this new mechanic properly, those pesky tactics of yesterday will be useless to your opponent.
