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USATSI

EA Sports' upcoming College Football 25 release is right around the corner. At least, that's what multiple Friday teases would suggest. After what appears to be a deluxe edition of the game that fans can waitlist hit the PlayStation Store, EA added a countdown timer to its website, promising more news about College Football 25 within the next week. 

If the deluxe edition cover is any indication, EA is going all out for College Football 25. Stars like Michigan's Donovan Edwards, Texas' Quinn Ewers and Colorado's Travis Hunter were front and center on the PlayStation Store listing. That's the first evidence we've seen of the over 10,000 name, image and likeness deals that EA has agreed to with college football athletes around the country. 

Of those 10,000 players, only a handful will enjoy the rarefied air of a rating in the 90s. Even fewer will reach the high-90s territory. Here are early ratings projections for a few of the top players in the game. 

Projecting Highest-Rated NCAA Football 25 Players
NameProjected RatingTop SkillWhat to Know
99Break TackleCollege football's top returning running back, there's no doubt that Ollie Gordon will be an unstoppable force in the backfield later this summer when this game releases. Whether you're giving him the football on a toss, dive or well-executed screen pass on third down, just make sure Gordon gets 20-plus touches when Oklahoma State is your team selection. He'll be the Big 12's top returning player overall and could be the only 99 on the game.
97AgilityThe first of a couple Colorado starters who could be given an exemplary grade from College Football 25, Travis Hunter will start on both sides of the football. Whether he's scoring touchdowns offensively or sticking the opposition's top wideout, he's going to get some serious burn on your TV. Moreover, Colorado will be an exciting team choice for multiple reasons — uniform combinations and Deion Sanders on the sidelines.
96AwarenessYou know there's going to be thousands of Texas fans playing College Football 25 wanting to tinker with the depth chart a bit at quarterback. Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning should both be at least 90 overall and we're expecting Ewers to be one of the highest-rated gunslingers on the game. If he takes the next step in his development at Texas, he'll be a Heisman finalist in 2024 for a College Football Playoff team and potential conference champion. And if he backtracks, Manning is going to play. Few players nationally have more to build off of than Ewers, who directed the Longhorns to a semifinal appearance and was terrific down the stretch, including a career-noteworthy 452-yard, four-touchdown explosion against Oklahoma State.
95SpeedGo ahead and user-lock on Harold Perkins off the edge. The guy is a game changer on defense and should be one of the best in the game at getting after the quarterback or tracking opposing offenses in coverage over the middle. We hope that the Hit Stick makes its return, but targeting penalties need to stay out of the game. Getting trigger-happy with Perkins could results in a bunch of takeaways.
94Throw PowerShedeur Sanders is preparing for his final season at Colorado after he declined a chance to leave early for the 2024 NFL Draft . He's going to be a stud in virtual form, too. In his first year with the Buffaloes, Sanders completed 69.3% of his passes, throwing for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions with a 151.7 rating. Sanders also rushed for four touchdowns.
94HandsMarvin Harrison Jr. is gone, but Ohio State 's wealth of wideout weapons will be at your disposal a few months from now, including Emeka Egbuka . There's not enough footballs to go around in Chip Kelly's scheme at Ohio State with Egbuka, five-star freshman Jeremiah Smith and other demanding targets. The Ohio State offense, with Egbuka, Will Howard and Quinshon Judkins out front, should be one of the most potent in the game. Don't be shocked if the Buckeyes are College Football 25's top-ranked team.
94AccuracyCarson Beck , who announced his return for another year at Georgia before the Bulldogs' 60-point Orange Bowl win over Florida State , recorded the second-most passing yards (3,941) in a single season this fall in program history and his completion rate of 72.4 was one of the nation's best. Beck started with 11-straight games eclipsing 250 yards passing.
94SpeedPersonal bias here, but Kansas is due for lots of usage in the new game. Much of that revolves around the Jayhawks' sweet uniform updates and Jalon Daniels . Pick your favorite dual-threat quarterback from any previous iteration and Daniels is equally talented from a play-making standpoint. Going 5-wide with Daniels and making things happen outside of the pocket is going to be your opponent's worst nightmare.