For the first time in EA Sports College Football franchise history, two wide receivers will be on the cover. After standout freshmen seasons, Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith will be on the standard edition cover of the College Football 26 game when it is released on July 10. EA is set to release more information around the game on Thursday.
Williams and Smith were the two freshmen stars of the 2024 college football season. Williams posted 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, his eight receiving touchdowns were the second most in the SEC and tied for the second most among freshmen wide receivers in Division I in the nation.
Smith led all freshmen wide receivers in the nation with 16 receiving touchdowns. The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class, he finished with 1,315 receiving yards and 76 catches. He was a key piece of Ohio State’s offense in its national title run.
“I know y’all think I’m young, but growing up, the oldest one I remember is the one with Mark Ingram,” Williams told On3. “From there to 2014, just playing those games — if I could ever be on the cover, it would mean the world to me. Just thinking back to little Ryan, that’s what they called me back home. If he got to see what was going on right now, I could only imagine how excited he would be. It’s a blessing. It’s super exciting.
“Just remembering all those memories, playing mascot mode, playing road of glory, all those memories, they all come creeping in. It almost makes you emotional, just because of how exciting it is.”
EA is also releasing a deluxe edition cover, which features a slew of college football head coaches and players, along with former stars. Among the names are Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Penn State’s James Franklin. Past EA Sports cover stars Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow and Denard Robinson also appear on the deluxe cover.
EA has confirmed that coaches are in the 2026 video game.
“Last year, when we brought back the pride, pageantry, atmospheres and traditions of college football, the response from fans was overwhelming,” EA vice president of marketing Evan Dexter said in a statement. “With College Football 26, we’re celebrating our sophomore season with two generational sophomore wide receivers on the cover, and we can’t wait for the world to experience even more heart and authenticity across athletes, stadiums, coaches and fans.”
The original EA college football video game franchise ran from 1998 until 2013. Moving from the Bill Walsh College Football moniker to NCAA Football, the annual game was eventually discontinued. The game returned in July for the first time in more than a decade. Now the game is returning for its second consecutive year.
EA announced last fall that the College Football 25 franchise was the largest new console game launch in North America in 2024. EA also announced the video game had seen 6.5 million unique players to date. Quick math shows EA brought in more than $400 million in sales from the game.
“Being on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 is a tremendous privilege, and I’m proud to represent Ohio State alongside Coach Day while carrying the Buckeye legacy forward, celebrating the passion of our fans and the tradition of this incredible program,” Smith said in a statement.
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