Top 5 candidates for College Football '26 cover ft. Jeremiah Smith

A year ago, EA Sports sent joy rocketing across the video gaming landscape with a new edition of its series of successful College Football games. College Football '25 was the first EA collegiate gridiron game since NCAA Football 14. But with CF '26 now looming, who will be this season's cover boy?

EA has a long history of choosing top players to grace the game's cover. The long-awaited CF25 cover featured a trio of players-- Texas's Quinn Ewers, Colorado's Travis Hunter and Michigan's Donovan Edwards. It'll be interesting to see if CF26 opts for a similar strategy or picks one standout. In any case, here are some likely cover guys.

Top 5 possible cover candidates for College Football '26

Michigan's Bryce Underwood could be an outside-the-box cover pick for EA Sports' CF26. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

5. Bryce Underwood, Michigan

In some ways, the choice of Underwood seems strange, but in others, it's brilliant. The true frosh QB for Michigan who was among the most recruited players in the nation, Underwood figures to see significant playing time in 2025. If he ends up as one of the top freshman QBs in memory, which is entirely plausible, EA would look silly to have left him off the cover.

4. Carson Beck, Miami

A superb quarterback at Georgia, Beck made the transfer portal move to Miami in the off-season. The combination of Beck as a recognizable face (he passed for 7,912 yards and 58 touchdowns at Georgia) in a new uniform makes him a likely candidate for cover status. The chance to see a college football star in his new uniform would be a big deal.

3. Ryan Williams, Alabama

EA Sports likes to feature game-breaking wide receivers and Williams fits the profile. The Alabama standout had an explosive freshman year with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. Williams is a dynamic player at a big-time position for a college football powerhouse. He checks off several of the potential cover player boxes.

2. Arch Manning, Texas

For that matter, the SEC's new golden boy, Texas QB Arch Manning, would be a solid cover pick. If the efficient but less flashy Quinn Ewers was featured a year ago, why not Manning? A year ago, Manning completed 68% of his passes, throwing for 939 yards and nine TDs in two starts after Ewers had a minor injury. He's a likely star with a big family name. Sounds like a cover pick.

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Probably the most exciting player returning to college football is the all-everything Smith. His otherworldly freshman season (76 catches, 1,315 yards, 15 TDs) already has him in the OSU record books. He's also a defending national champ, which makes his candidacy even stronger. Smith seems like the best bet to end up on the cover.

What do you think of our list of possible EA cover players? Share your thoughts (and picks) below in our comments section!