Latest news with #SportsCollegeFootball26
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where's Gus? FSU football OC Gus Malzahn not featured in EA College Football 26
EA Sports College Football 26 is approaching. In a new feature, over 300 coaches will be part of the game, including Florida State football's head coach Mike Norvell and defensive coordinator Tony White. However, Gus Malzahn is not among those coaches. Advertisement The former UCF head coach, now offensive coordinator, has chosen not to participate in CFB '26, the football program confirmed to the Tallahassee Democrat on May 29. Both Malzahn and White are entering their first seasons as coordinators on Norvell's coaching staff following a 2-10 season. Malzahn left his head coaching gig to join Norvell's coaching staff after lasting four seasons at UCF. White joined FSU's staff in December after his two seasons with Nebraska. Need a break Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. MAKING THE CUT: EA Sports College Football 26 covers: How many players from Florida made the cut? College Football '26 released its first official trailer earlier on Thursday. FSU, unfortunately, didn't make the cut. The release date is set for July 10, but you can pre-order the deluxe edition and the MVP bundle now and have access on July 7. Advertisement FSU opens the season against Alabama on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. More: Is FSU football rivalry vs. Florida in trouble as sport handles realignment, playoff expansion? Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@ or on X @_Da_pistol. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football OC Gus Malzahn not in EA College Football 26
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
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.
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
EA Sports names WRs Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith as College Football 26 cover athletes
Associated Press Alabama's Ryan Williams and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith are the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 26, the video-game developer announced Tuesday. The electric sophomore wide receivers were picked for the second edition of the franchise's reboot. Last year's game was the first in 11 years and was among the best-selling video games in 2024. Williams and Smith are posed together on the standard cover, while the deluxe edition also includes other players, coaches, mascots and former cover stars Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow and Denard Robinson. The '26 edition will test if the franchise still has the same staying power it had when it was released annually in the early 2000s. For the players who are featured in the game, it will certainly remain popular. Williams said in a statement released by EA Sports that the cover was 'a dream come true,' and Smith called it 'a tremendous privilege.' 'I'm proud to represent Ohio State alongside Coach (Ryan) Day while carrying the Buckeye legacy forward, celebrating the passion of our fans and the tradition of this incredible program,' Smith said. Williams and Smith broke onto the national scene in 2024 with their miraculous catches on the biggest stages. Williams' spinning TD grab to help beat then-No. 2 Georgia looked like it belonged in a video game. It was one of many wowing plays from the young receiver. Williams finished his freshman season with 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Smith was a major part of the Buckeyes' run to a national championship. He regularly hauled in one-handers that decimated the confidence of his defenders. In a CFP quarterfinals win over top-seeded Oregon, Smith had seven receptions, 187 yards and two touchdowns. He finished his freshman year with 76 catches, 1,315 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and recommended in this topic
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
EA Sports College Football 26: Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams are cover athletes
EA Sports College Football 26: Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams are cover athletes Show Caption Hide Caption Kalen DeBoer talks Alabama football roster retention for 2025 Here's what Kalen DeBoer said about the Alabama football roster heading into 2025. Two of college football's young stars will grace the cover of the sport's next video game. Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and Alabama receiver Ryan Williams are the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 26. The two players will be on the cover of the standard edition, while 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 game will come out July 10 for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. The MVP bundle of College Football 26 and Madden 26 allows buyers to have three-day early access, meaning those who buy it would be able to play the college football video game on July 7. The full reveal for the game will be released Thursday, EA Sports said. EA Sports said College Football 26 will celebrate "real-world coaches," indicating they will be in the game for the first time. College Football 26 will be the second edition of EA Sports' famed franchise after it was revived last year. Prior to the game's hiatus from 2014-2023, the cover athletes were only players that completed their college careers. But with the franchise returning with player likeness in the game and compensation given for it, it has allowed for current athletes to be on the cover. The players for the College Football 25 cover were Travis Hunter, Quinn Ewers and Donovan Edwards. Now for the 2026 version, the cover will feature two players coming off unforgettable freshman seasons. Williams burst onto the scene in a September showdown against No. 1 Georgia, in which he had six catches for 177 yards, including the incredible 75-yard go-ahead touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. He finished the season with a team-high 865 yards and eight touchdowns. Smith proved he was a star immediately in his time in Columbus, but he came up big in the postseason for the Buckeyes. He had six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the College Football Playoff first-round win over Tennessee, and he followed it with a monster performance in the Rose Bowl victory against Oregon. He had seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns against the then-undefeated Ducks en route to the season ending with a national championship. He had 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. 'A dream come true' With the stellar start to their college careers, finding out they were selected was another thrilling moment for the young receivers. "Pretty much it's a dream come true," Williams told USA TODAY Sports. "Just growing up and playing the game is something that you always dream about, so it definitely is super exciting." Williams added it's one of the best accomplishments of his career so far, and it's a tough one to rank for Smith; he did just win a national championship five months prior to the announcement. "Both is something special," he said. "I put the natty then the cover of the game because natty is something you've got to experience." Not only is it special to be a video game cover athlete, but it means a little more when it's a game both stars frequently play. Both receivers said it was surreal to see themselves in a game and all of the little traits, like hometown and gear, be accurate in their presentation. Even if they're in a real life Road to Glory, it doesn't stop them from doing it virtually as well. The game was positively received and extremely popular as EA Sports College Football 25 was the top-selling video game of 2024 and became the best-selling sports game in U.S. history, according to Inside Gaming. So popular that Williams said if he and his teammates weren't at practice, meetings or class, they were playing the game in the team facility. Now they get to have some swagger when the next installment is released since the teammates of Williams and Smith will be playing a game with them on it. Being a video game cover athlete is a great honor, but it also comes with some pressure. Prime example is the infamous "Madden" curse from the NFL video game. But in college football, it might be a blessing. Hunter went from cover star to Heisman Trophy winner, and Smith and Williams hope there's some good juju awaiting them for the 2025 season. It's hard to top a freshman season like they had, but they're ready for the expectations that come with being the face of college football's iconic franchise. "Going into the season, you know there's going to be expectations because we're cover athletes, we had good freshman seasons," Williams said. "Whatever the expectation, or whatever they think, pretty much I believe it's going to happen on its own just because of the way we play football."
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
EA Sports College Football 26 cover showcases superstar WRs Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams
Is there a world in which the two most talented receivers in college football could have played on the same team? Alabama's Ryan Williams says he tried to make it happen. Williams and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith crossed paths during their recruiting process, including at a Georgia event, they both said. It was there that Williams broached the idea of the two five-star prospects joining forces. Advertisement 'I tried to get him,' Williams told The Athletic. 'I was like, c'mon, let's team up. He was like, hmm. We thought about it.' 'It would've been crazy,' Smith said. 'I don't know how you stop that.' 'You can't,' Williams replied. The duo don't share the same uniform, but they will share the cover of EA Sports College Football 26, which was revealed on Tuesday. Smith and Williams are alone on the standard edition of the cover, while the Deluxe Edition includes more than 20 current players, former players and coaches. College Football 26 will be released on July 10, EA also announced Tuesday. The Deluxe Edition cover matches the photos leaked from a shoot at the Rose Bowl earlier this spring. Other cover stars include Penn State running back Nick Singleton, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Michigan true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart, Penn State coach James Franklin, Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Oregon coach Dan Lanning, ASU coach Kenny Dillingham, Ohio State coach Ryan Day and former cover stars Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow and Denard Robinson. The game's details will be fully revealed on Thursday. Smith and Williams don't know their rating in the game yet, though both feel they should be at least a 95 overall. Both received ratings boosts as their freshman seasons played out. Smith began as an 84 overall but was elevated to a 90. Williams began as an 82 and was elevated to a 90 overall, with a 96 speed, 99 agility and 98 acceleration. So The Athletic asked both Smith and Williams which real-life, on-field skill of the other they would like to have. Advertisement 'That speed,' Smith said of Williams. 'His speed is different. I've got a little speed, but I'd take his speed for sure. I need that.' What would Williams like from Smith? 'He's a big dog,' Williams said. 'I wish my hands were bigger. If I had his hands, oh my goodness, it'd be crazy.' Smith and Williams have developed an unlikely friendship for two players who didn't play against each other much at camps and don't play in the same conference. But they've seen each other's highlights and the comparisons others make about them. The video game cover shoot was another chance to come together. The two text after big games; Smith texted Williams after the latter's acrobatic game-winning touchdown in Alabama's win against Georgia last September. Williams' favorite catch by Smith was his one-handed touchdown against Iowa. 'Iron sharpens iron,' Williams said. 'We're at two very prestigious programs and want each other to succeed. We met during recruiting and worked out together. Seeing another guy like myself that's just about the work and wants to win — and he did win — all I can do is pay my respects and be excited for him.' Smith and Williams were in the unique position last year of being among the best players in the country as true freshmen. They're required to spend at least two more years in college football before becoming draft-eligible. It's an NFL rule that was unsuccessfully challenged two decades ago by Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams. The Athletic's Dane Brugler said in December that Smith would've competed with Travis Hunter as the top non-quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, if he were eligible. Hunter was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 2 pick. If he were eligible, Jeremiah Smith would be competing with Hunter to be the first non-QB drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. — Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 22, 2024 The idea of a college player sitting out a full season to avoid injury has been talked about for more than a decade. Former South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said some people advised pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to do it in 2013, but Clowney played his third college season before going No. 1 to the Texans the following spring. LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase did sit out the 2020 season before being selected fifth overall, though that was a unique situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Asked if there was any chance they wouldn't play out their next two years before becoming NFL Draft eligible, Smith and Williams said they're planning to follow the normal path and stick to college. That also could mean they become multi-time video game cover athletes. 'I'm enjoying college,' Smith said. 'I'm in no rush to go to the NFL.' (Cover art courtesy of EA Sports)
