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New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The EA Sports College Football 26 teams we are most excited to play
By Antonio Morales, Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini We're getting closer and closer to the release of EA Sports College Football 26's launch. There was a ton of hype and excitement surrounding last year's game, which was the return of the college football game after an 11-year hiatus. Now, we're starting to learn a little more as EA Sports has tried to work out the kinks from last year's return. EA released an official trailer for the game last week, and The Athletic's Chris Vannini played the game and wrote about the differences in this year's version. Advertisement As the July 10 launch date nears, three of The Athletic's EA College Football devotees (Vannini, David Ubben and Antonio Morales) have shared their thoughts on the teams they're looking forward to playing with in this year's game. Let's get to their choices. This time last year, Kevin Jennings was the best-kept secret on SMU's campus. By midseason, the dual-threat passer had officially taken over for returning starter Preston Stone, helping lead the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff. His speed is going to be maddening on the game, and he's due for a ratings upgrade after his breakout season. He was an 88 by season's end with 87 speed. Plus, LJ Johnson Jr. is due for a breakout season at running back, and RJ Maryland and Jordan Hudson should be a solid 1-2 punch in the passing game. The Wildcats were my online team last year, and working the quarterback run game with Avery Johnson and Dylan Edwards should be very satisfying again. Johnson should be improved as a passer on the game to give some balance, and Jayce Brown should get a speed boost (it was just 90 last year) to make defenses account for the vertical game more than they did a year ago. Plus, with the additions of receivers Jaron Tibbs and Jerand Bradley, the weakness of the offense should be upgraded. I'll miss trucking defenders with DJ Giddens, but Edwards' rating should get a boost this year. Nyck Harbor only caught 26 passes for 376 yards last year, but he's a cheat code in the game and opens up the entire offense. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound track star shouldn't have his 99 acceleration and 99 speed ratings dip, and that's good news for QB LaNorris Sellers, who was only an 82 overall on last year's game. Dylan Stewart was only an 87, and a freakish defensive end can change everything for playing defense. He might be pushing well into the 90s on CFB26. Alongside Harbor, Mazeo Bennett and Jared Brown give Sellers three receivers with at least a 92 speed rating. I'm scared just thinking about it. There's a reason the Gamecocks were one of the most popular teams online last year, and that may only grow this year. Speed kills. Advertisement I love to run the ball, and A&M has the craziest stable of backs on the game. Le'Veon Moss, Rueben Owens and Amari Daniels were all over 85 overall last year and should get some bumps this year for a team that's very good on the line of scrimmage, too. Plus, QB Marcel Reed should get a bump from being an 83 overall last year. The Aggies aren't a sexy team in the passing game, but running multiple-back sets from Collin Klein's playbook will give defenses a headache. There's nothing more demoralizing than knowing you can't stop an opponent's running game, and A&M might be the best running team on the game. Especially with the emphasis on Wear and Tear this year, having three big-time backs means never having to adjust your approach. New playbook! New Rice coach Scott Abell's gun option made him a force at Davidson, and with expanded playbooks on this year's game, I'm looking forward to digging into Rice's playbook for all kinds of option schemes out of all kinds of shotgun formations. There were some great plays and RPOs with options built on top of them on last year's game. And considering the unique nature of what Rice should be doing under Abell, I could see his playbook being very popular. I make my own custom playbook, and I know I'll be stealing a few pages from Abell's. I've already played with the Sooners in my brief hands-on with CFB26, and they're as fun as you would expect. With dual-threat quarterback John Mateer, running back Jaydn Ott and a strong defense, the Sooners might be the go-to team for a majority of casual online players the same way Alabama was last year. Mateer finished CFB25 as an 87 overall and Ott was an 89. Both should be better. Oklahoma was one of the biggest portal winners this offseason. It needs to show up on the real field for head coach Brent Venables this year, but on the virtual field, they're guaranteed fun. Quarterback Darian Mensah finished CFB25 as an 84 overall as a Tulane freshman, but he should get a ratings jump and be a lot of fun to play with at Duke as one of the better QBs in the country. Oklahoma transfer receiver Andrel Anthony should be a speedy deep threat (that 94 speed should improve), and the offensive line should be one of the better ones in the ACC. The defense returns a ton from a group that finished fourth in sacks and needs to get more respect than last year's ratings (80 overall). While the attention is rightfully on quarterback Dante Moore (81 overall, 79 speed in CFB25), don't overlook that the Ducks added Tulane running back Makhi Hughes (92 overall). I briefly played with Oregon in Orlando, and it is a fun team with an obviously fun playbook. I grabbed an interception with Purdue transfer safety Dillon Thieneman (90 overall in CFB25), and the Oregon defensive front will be strong again. Advertisement I always spend some time with a triple-option team, and Navy fits because of returning QB Blake Horvath (85 overall in CFB25) and its awesome playbook that could be even more dynamic this year. Offensive coordinator Drew Cronic's Wing-T option took off in a big way last year. I didn't get to the Midshipmen in my test, but I'm looking forward to it. Yes, really. The Hawkeyes actually had a really solid playbook last year, and now they've got South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski under center. He's coming back from a knee injury, so I'm not totally bought in in real life yet, but video game Gronowski will have no concerns — I'm curious how FCS transfers will rate in the game. Running back Kaleb Johnson must be replaced, but there's a group of talented running backs behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. To get ahead of it, Michigan may or may not be fun to play with this season. I tested out the Wolverines, but I didn't like quarterback Bryce Underwood's accuracy, and I really didn't like the playbook. I don't believe the players' ratings in the CFB26 test I did were final, so maybe that changes. While Alex Orji felt unstoppable early in CFB25, some ratings adjustments changed that, and I wonder what pre-adjustments will be made this year. Or if Underwood gets a boost for being on the cover. I had the most success playing the game online with the Gators last year. DJ Lagway is a stud, can make every throw in the game and is really valuable in the run game. The offensive line was solid, and the run game was diverse with good formations, particularly out of the pistol. Jadan Baugh is a tough, physical runner as well. I play with the D-line when I'm on defense, and Tyreak Sapp is disruptive on the edge. Those players should all be better this year, so there's a lot to like about Florida, especially if you're playing with the Gators in Road to the CFP, where you can grind out long possessions during those three-minute quarters. This is strictly for the running game. I tinkered with the Yellow Jackets last year and had some good moments with them online. I might utilize them a bit more this season because quarterback Haynes King is the perfect trigger man for this offense and is experienced, which should help when you run into an opponent with an overwhelming stadium pulse. Running back Jamal Haynes is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and that speed complements King's running really well. There's an identity with this program, so if you're in the mood to run the ball, this is going to be a good option for you. As you can probably tell, my video game allegiances lean toward mobile, athletic quarterbacks. I watched Devon Dampier quite a bit at New Mexico last season and even created a dynasty with the Lobos in the game a few months ago. He's raw as a passer, but he's very much a dynamic playmaker (2,768 passing yards and 1,166 rushing yards in 2024). It helps that the Utes have two stalwart tackles — Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu — to protect Dampier and also run behind. Washington State transfer Wayshawn Parker is a good player at running back, and Utah's defense is always solid. Utah is coming off a tough year on the field, but it should be fun to use in the game. I'm all in on Huskies sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. There was some buzz about him last offseason, but the greater college football world didn't really get a full glimpse of it until Washington's bowl game against Louisville. He's a gifted, explosive playmaker with good escapability, so he's fun to play with and the best sort of quarterback to frustrate your opponent. The Huskies have a standout running back in Jonah Coleman and made some shrewd additions on defense through the portal this season. Williams has the potential to be electric, and there are good pieces on the team that'll make Washington entertaining from a gameplay perspective. Advertisement I know there was a bit of a drop-off offensively last season, but the Hilltoppers at the very least have a productive passing game pretty much every season. I love the playbook. There's an HB Angle screen in there that became a go-to play for me. Whenever I started a dynasty in last year's game, I always changed my coach's playbook to WKU's. The Hilltoppers have cycled through offensive coordinators and quarterbacks almost every season, and this year they've brought in Abilene Christian OC Rick Bowie and quarterback Maverick McIvor, who teamed up to lead a productive FCS offense last year. I'm betting on the QB-playbook combination to be a fun one.
USA Today
23-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC's Jennifer Cohen discusses the future of the Notre Dame football rivalry
USC's Jennifer Cohen discusses the future of the Notre Dame football rivalry A lot of people are wondering if the USC-Notre Dame football series should continue as an annual event USC football versus Notre Dame is one of the fiercest and most storied rivalries in all of college sports. The series dates back nearly a century, and outside of the COVID season in 2020, the Trojans and Irish have faced off every year since the end of World War II. Recently, however, the changing landscape of college football has called into question the future of the rivalry. With USC now playing in the Big Ten Conference and the expanded College Football Playoff potentially de-incentivizing teams from scheduling difficult nonconference games, there are questions on both sides as to whether continuing the series makes sense or not. So could college football's greatest intersectional rivalry be in jeopardy? In a recent interview with Antonio Morales of The Athletic, USC Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen discussed the future of the Trojans' rivalry with Notre Dame. "It's such an important series to our fans and both universities," Cohen said. "I've said this before and I'll say it again: In an ideal world, we're going to keep playing each other. With that being said, the landscape has changed dramatically. We're now playing in a conference where we fly back and forth across the country every other week, and CFP expansion and how you get access to the CFP and how things are seeded and selected. Those, to me, are important, unanswered questions. So we remain in conversations with Notre Dame about the series. I think we're clear to each other (that) we're going to continue to evaluate what's best, and it's my job to evaluate what's best for our student-athletes and our program. As we keep doing that, we're excited to go back to South Bend next year." It is hard to imagine a world in which USC and Notre Dame do not play each other in football every season. But then again, 10 years ago, it would have been nearly impossible to imagine a world in which USC was in the Big Ten, the College Football Playoff had 12 teams, and the sport's players were essentially free agents every offseason and could legally be paid seven-figure contracts. The sport of college football is changing rapidly, and for better or worse, many of the traditions that have lasted for decades are being left behind. As of now, USC and Notre Dame have the series scheduled through 2026. Beyond that, however, the future of the rivalry remains uncertain. The Trojans and Irish will meet on October 18 of this fall in South Bend.
New York Times
31-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Big Ten roster shuffle reset: Who's rising and falling after the winter portal window?
The first transfer portal window has closed, and schools soon will turn their attention to spring practice. Where do the Big Ten programs stand after the first wave of roster movement? Here's a look at the teams rising and falling as well as those stuck in neutral, with analysis from The Athletic's Scott Dochterman and Antonio Morales. Advertisement Few programs are as aggressive about adding high-end talent as the Ducks, who avoided any significant portal losses and made several strong additions. The Ducks bolstered their offensive line with Texas State's Alex Harkey, Nevada tackle Isaiah World and USC guard Emmauel Pregnon, the latter move weakening a conference foe in a key area in the process. Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman, a freshman All-American in 2023, and Tulane running back Makhi Hughes, who rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, were also headline-making gets. The Ducks took some bets on recruiting pedigree over production by bringing in Florida State receiver Malik Benson and USC defensive lineman Bear Alexander. Even if those two don't pan out, there's still enough talent in Oregon's transfer class to offset it. — Morales The Nittany Lions didn't make a huge splash in the portal, and it could be argued the loss of receivers Trey Wallace (to Ole Miss) and Omari Evans (to Washington) for Troy's Devonte Ross (76 catches, 1,043 yards, 11 touchdowns) and USC's Kyron Hudson (38 catches, 462 yards, three touchdowns) was at best an even swap. But viewed through the lens of 2024 Ohio State's national championship, Penn State came out much better than neutral. The roster returns several starters who could have declared for the NFL Draft after losing the Notre Dame on a last-second field goal in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl. The core of Penn State's offense, including quarterback Drew Allar (3,327 yards) and 1,000-yard running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, opted to return. Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton was overshadowed by potential No. 1 NFL pick Abdul Carter in 2024, but he's one of the nation's best at his position. And prying defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Ohio State means the Nittany Lions are all-in with their national title aspirations. — Dochterman GO DEEPER Who will win the College Football Playoff and Heisman in 2025? Our staff makes early picks After winning 10 games for the first time since 2001, the Illini enter the offseason with more momentum than at any time in recent memory. They followed portal blueprints laid out by Ohio State (which worked) and Iowa (mixed results) of paying up to keep NFL-caliber players in school, which should vault them into Big Ten contention. Quarterback Luke Altmyer, safety Xavier Scott, left tackle J.C. Davis and edge rusher Gabe Jacas turned down NFL opportunities to help equip head coach Bret Bielema with 18 returning starters. Advertisement Illinois didn't lose any starters to the portal and targeted players who should have immediate impact. The Illini landed All-Big Sky tackle Ayden Knapik from Idaho, Purdue punter Keelan Crimmins and West Virginia wide receiver Hudson Clement, who should replace Pat Bryant as Altmyer's go-to target. Also, Illinois grabbed four defensive linemen and former Northern Illinois starting quarterback Ethan Hampton, who will back up Altmyer. — Dochterman Based strictly on its additions, Nebraska qualifies as a Riser. But with at least 32 departures, including 12 to other power-conference schools, it's fair to judge the Huskers as slightly above treading water — at least until the spring portal window opens. Receivers Dane Key (Kentucky) and Nyziah Hunter (Cal) combined for 87 catches, 1,293 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Nebraska also added multiple lower-level pickups who should help right away, including Sun Belt defensive player of the year Marques Watson-Trent, a linebacker from Georgia Southern. All-Southern Conference defensive lineman Jaylen George (East Tennessee State) and All-Big Sky cornerback Andrew Marshall (Idaho) are likely to make an impact. The Huskers took some chances on talented SEC departures, including starting Alabama right tackle Elijah Pritchett and former five-star edge Williams Nwaneri from Missouri. Whether those two can perform up to their recruiting pedigree could swing the Huskers' final portal grade. — Dochterman The Hawkeyes' defense has carried the program for nearly a decade while inconsistent quarterback play has kept them from truly competing for a Big Ten title. That formula has changed this offseason with the signing of South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski, who was the Football Championship Subdivision's Walter Payton Award winner in 2023. With two FCS titles on his resume, Gronowski has thrown 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns while rushing for 1,767 yards and 37 scores in his career. He instantly upgrades Iowa's offense. Advertisement The Hawkeyes lost three players to power-conference programs, but two were walk-ons and another was a backup. Central Michigan defensive tackle Jonah Price (11 tackles for loss) and Chattanooga receiver Sam Phillips (50 catches, 823 yards, three touchdowns) should join Gronowski as immediate starters. — Dochterman GO DEEPER Iowa fans have QB scar tissue — can Mark Gronowski appease them? It's been a promising portal window for Rutgers, which hasn't had many significant departures. The Scarlet Knights brought in proven producers on defense, starting with James Madison edge rusher Eric O'Neil (13 sacks and 18.5 tackles in 2024) and Ohio defensive lineman Bradley Weaver (8.5 sacks and 15 TFLs). The secondary also got a talent infusion with the arrival of Marshall corner Jacobie Henderson, Penn State corner Cam Miller and UNLV safety Jett Elad, all of whom started or played meaningful contributing roles at their previous stops. Meanwhile, the offense picked up some playmakers North Texas receiver DT Sheffield and FAU running back CJ Campbell Jr. — Morales Most of the Wolverines' key offseason additions came through the high school ranks, headlined by five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood. Michigan addressed a couple of needs in the transfer portal, though. Fresno State transfer quarterback Mikey Keene is a useful veteran who could buy the Wolverines time until Underwood is ready to play this fall. It'll be impossible to fully replace Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant on the interior defensive line, but Tre Williams (Clemson) and Damon Payne (Alabama) should help the cause. Alabama running back Justice Haynes is the best player Michigan added this portal cycle and should compete for the starting job. Michigan didn't land any transfers at receiver, though, and that position could use an additional veteran presence. — Morales Head coach Jonathan Smith has always been good at finding under-the-radar players and he's trying to do it again entering Year 2 in East Lansing. The Spartans made it a point to bolster their offensive line and did so with four transfer pickups, headlined by Montana State's Conner Moore, who was an FCS All-American. Out of Michigan State's 16 incoming transfers, Moore is one of the five who came from the FCS or Division II. Questions about how they'll adjust to their new level won't get full answers until the fall. Advertisement Michigan State lost two of its top five receivers from this past season, but landing Omari Kelly (Middle Tennessee) and Chrishon McCray (Kent State) could help solve for those departures. — Morales One byproduct of winning the national championship and playing deep into January is that the Buckeyes haven't been able to truly go to work in the transfer portal yet. Ohio State has some solid transfers in the fold like West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson and Purdue tight end Max Klare, but the program has signed just six as February arrives. None of the 14 Buckeyes transferring out were major impact players in 2024. The quarterback depth took a hit with the departures of Devin Brown and Air Noland, but Ohio State still has Julian Sayin and Tavien St. Clair, with the former five-star Alabama commit Sayin first in line to replace Will Howard. — Morales GO DEEPER Transfer portal winners and losers: Miami, LSU load up for title runs in 2025 Every rebuilding program will use Indiana as an example of perfect portal execution. New coach Curt Cignetti brought a strong core of players with him from James Madison, lured some more solid veterans in the portal and produced the greatest season in school history. Can the Hoosiers replicate their 2024 success in the portal this time around? Replacing quarterback Kurtis Rourke was a priority, and landing former Cal starter Fernando Mendoza (3,004 yards, 68.7 completion percentage in 2024) was critical. The Hoosiers signed Michigan's top receiver Tyler Morris along with Appalachian State wideout Makai Jackson (a third-team All-Sun Belt pick) and Ohio State swing offensive lineman Zen Michalski. On defense, signing first-team All-Conference USA defensive tackle Hosea Wheeler from Western Kentucky was important in replacing C.J. West. At this point, Indiana has covered its bases as best it could. Was it enough to hold up over what promises to be a more difficult schedule in 2025? That remains to be seen. — Dochterman Washington's class ultimately will be evaluated by what it can get out of the transfers who played for Jedd Fisch at Arizona. Tacario Davis was viewed as one of the best corners in college football a year ago but had a disappointing season after returning to the Wildcats. Jacob Manu is a productive linebacker whose 2024 was cut short because of injury. If the Huskies get the best version of those two, they'll be clear risers in 2025. Advertisement Transfers like Washington State linebacker Taariq Al-Uqdah, Arizona defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei and Utah defensive lineman Simote Pepa should help ease the loss of the defensive contributors who left the program, such as corner Thaddeus Dixon, linebacker Khmori House and corner Jordan Shaw. — Morales How we judge the Gophers wholly depends on what happens at quarterback. After striking gold last year with New Hampshire grad transfer Max Brosmer, Minnesota will need a similar impact from Georgia Tech transfer Zach Pyron. However, Pyron is far less experienced than Brosmer was, throwing just 65 passes last season. Minnesota's other portal additions and subtractions represent a clear step forward from last year: Only two players left for power-conference programs, and the Gophers landed some solid additions. UCLA receiver Logan Loya (29 catches, 348 yards) and Marshall running back A.J. Turner (864 rushing yards) should make immediate impacts, as should Oklahoma State linebacker Jeff Roberson (58 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, three sacks). FCS transfers Steven Curtis and Rushawn Lawrence should bolster the Gophers' defensive line. — Dochterman The Terrapins lost their starting quarterback, backup quarterback, leading rusher and No. 3 receiver. That's rough. Maryland does have four-star freshman quarterback Malik Washington coming in, but it's a lot to ask a true freshman to step in immediately. The alternative is UCLA transfer Justyn Martin, who is fairly inexperienced as well. The Terrapins added some intriguing transfers such as Georgia State tight end Dorian Fleming and Oklahoma receiver Jalil Farooq, but they placed a lot of bets on players from the FCS and Group of 5. Time will tell how well those will work out. — Morales Losing running back TJ Harden and receivers Sturdivant and Logan Loya were serious blows for the Bruins in the skill position department. Those departures haven't put up overwhelming stats, but that's more a reflection of UCLA's scheme on offense the past two years than their skills. The Bruins did well landing productive App State quarterback transfer Joey Aguilar and his teammate, receiver Kaedin Robinson. Oregon State linebacker Isaiah Chisom has the potential to be a solid addition as well. — Morales Advertisement Kentucky defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver, San Jose State corner DJ Harvey and New Mexico running back Eli Sanders, who rushed for 1,000 yards last season, should fill important holes on Lincoln Riley's roster. But the talent brought in would be hard-pressed to match the impact of the talent that has left this offseason. Losing Pregnon to Oregon hurts an offensive line that was already losing two other starters. Quinten Joyner (now at Texas Tech) had the potential to be the No. 1 back. And while Zachariah Branch and Duce Robinson weren't elite players, their departures (along with Hudson's for Penn State) left USC without much proven depth at receiver. The Trojans have also bypassed the QB position in the portal, even though Jayden Maiava was wildly inconsistent in his four starts. — Morales GO DEEPER ACC offseason recap: Who's rising and falling after the winter portal window? The Badgers enter year three under Luke Fickell with more questions than answers. For the third straight season, Wisconsin is starting over at quarterback with Maryland's Billy Edwards (2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns) and San Diego State's Danny O'Neil (2,181 yards, 12 touchdowns) battling to replace Braedyn Locke (now at Arizona) and Tyler Van Dyke (SMU). The receiving corps is in shambles with Will Pauling and C.J. Williams leaving for Notre Dame and Stanford, respectively. Then there's the ongoing saga of talented cornerback Xavier Lucas enrolling at Miami as Wisconsin brass accuses the ACC school of tampering. But Wisconsin is taking some encouraging chances on several small-school players who earned their way to a power-conference program. Ball State tight end Tanner Koziol caught 94 passes for 839 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Western Michigan defensive tackle Corey Walker, Bethel safety Matt Jung and Idaho wide receiver Mark Hamper all should make an impact. But six months before fall camp, there's more uncertainty than conviction surrounding the Badgers' prospects. — Dochterman Traditionally a low-attrition program, the Wildcats didn't experience much turnover, but the players they lost were significant. Oregon plucked cornerback Theran Johnson, and LSU signed tackle Josh Thompson, creating more holes than Northwestern has filled so far in the portal. But with the university's rigid academic standards, the football program usually is more active during the spring portal than the winter window. Northwestern did make a few positive additions, starting with former SMU quarterback Preston Stone and Purdue edge rusher Yanni Karlaftis, the brother of Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis. Offensive coordinator Zach Lujan helped land South Dakota State receiver Griffin Wilde (70 catches, 1,147 yards, 12 touchdowns), whom he coached with the Jackrabbits before joining David Braun's staff last season. — Dochterman Advertisement If it's possible for Purdue to start in a worse position than where it ended last season, that's where the program stands under new coach Barry Odom. Despite their 1-11 record, the Boilermakers had talent last fall, but they were decimated in the portal for the second consecutive offseason. Tight end Max Klare (Ohio State), safety Dillon Thieneman (Oregon), defensive linemen Cole Brevard (Texas), Damarjhe Lewis (SMU) and Jeffrey M'ba (SMU), and cornerbacks Kyndrich Breedlove and Nyland Green (both Arizona State) landed with CFP teams. Odom brought in three quarterbacks who either played sparingly or recorded no statistics as freshmen last year: Malachi Singleton (Arkansas), E.J. Colson (UCF) and Evans Chuba (Washington State). Seven UNLV players, including second-team All-MWC tackle Jalen St. John, followed Odom from Las Vegas. First-team All-MAC defensive lineman C.J. Nunnally (Akron) is a solid pickup after 11 tackles for loss and six sacks. But it's farfetched to think Purdue can approach in-state rival Indiana's first-year success under Cignetti. The Boilers didn't pick up anywhere near that many players capable of making that type of impact. — Dochterman
