Gators icon Tim Tebow gets 100% real after featuring on College Football 2026 cover

After the much-awaited return of EA Sports College Football 2025 last year, the release date of the 2026 game was announced on Tuesday. The game will be released on July 10 on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, but the buyers of the MVP bundle will have early access from July 7.

The full reveal for the game will be released on Thursday, but the cover stars for this year's game were announced on Tuesday. Popular Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams and Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will grace the 2026 EA Sports College Football cover.

While Smith and Williams will be on the cover of the standard edition, past football stars, including Heisman winners Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow, will grace the deluxe edition alongside famous coaches and mascots.

Tebow, a Florida Gators icon, celebrated his inclusion in the deluxe cover after the announcement of the news with a post on X on Tuesday.

"Honored to be featured on the Deluxe Edition cover of College Football 26! #CFB26 #ad," Tebow tweeted.

Also featured on the cover of the deluxe version of the game are Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart, Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and the Oregon Ducks mascot.

EA Sports College Football cover stars celebrate feat

Last year's EA Sports College Football game's cover stars were Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Quinn Ewers and Donovan Smith, all of whom departed for the NFL via the draft.

This year's cover stars, Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith, revealed their excitement during a Tuesday interview with "USA TODAY" at being given the honor of gracing the popular cover ahead of their sophomore seasons.

"Pretty much it's a dream come true," Williams said. "Just growing up and playing the game is something that you always dream about, so it definitely is super exciting."

Smith led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national championship win with dominant performances during the college football playoffs five months ago and he ranked being a CFB 25 game cover star just below winning the natty.

"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."

The EA Sports College Football 2025 game was the best-selling video game last year and the top-selling game of all time in the U.S., showing just how well-received it was.

For Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith to be featured as cover stars so early in their careers is a big accomplishment.