Star wideouts snag cover of EA Sports College Football 26

Field Level Media|published: Tue 27th May, 14:22 2025

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates following the 41-21 win over the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025.

Coming off outstanding freshman seasons, wide receivers Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Ryan Williams of Alabama will grace the standard edition cover of the EA Sports College Football 26 video game.

It marks the first time in the video game franchise's history that the cover will feature a pair of wideouts. The game will be released on July 10.

A major piece of the Buckeyes' run to the national title, Smith -- the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class -- caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in 16 games in 2024.

"Being on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 is a tremendous privilege, and 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 in a statement.

Sophomore season loading...

Your #CFB26 Cover Stars @Ryanwms1 + @Jermiah_Smith1

Coming July 10. Full Reveal Thursday.
??: https://t.co/Evtg4x97HP pic.twitter.com/AVoMYokJIr
— EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) May 27, 2025

Williams finished with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games for the Crimson Tide. He also rushed for two scores.

"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."

Along with the standard edition cover, a deluxe cover featuring coaches, current players and former stars will be released. Ohio State's Day, Georgia's Kirby Smart and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman are among the coaches featured and will also be in the game. Former stars Tim Tebow, Reggie Bush and Denard Robinson will also be on the deluxe cover.

First released in 1998, the original EA college football video game franchise ran until 2013 before returning last season. Last year's edition racked up more than $400 million in sales.

--Field Level Media