Cover Candidates for the New EA Sports College Football Game

With EA Sports releasing a teaser for College Football 25, we had a conversation in the office today about who could be on the first cover of the game in more than a decade. Obviously every cover previously was one of the best departing players from college football from the prior season, but now EA has the option of going with current players, as well. They could go literally anywhere with the first cover back.

Nick Saban

This has to be the betting favorite. The best coach in college football history just walked away from the game, so he'd be an obvious choice. I'd guess at minimum there will be some special "GOAT Edition" with Saban if the regular cover is someone else.

Travis Hunter/Shedeur Sanders/Deion Sanders

I don't know if EA would go with just one of these guys or a combination of two or all three, but in terms of current players and coaches, this group definitely has the most star power. In a year where there aren't that many returning stars in college football — and the ones that there are don't have a ton of name recognition or buzz — putting someone like Travis Hunter on the cover makes a ton of sense. And then if EA wants to lean into the entire Colorado angle, you could put Shedeur and Coach Prime on there, too.

Carson Beck

This is what I mean when I say there isn't a ton of star power in known commodities returning to college football next season. Beck is the Heisman favorite entering the year and I don't know that he really gets anybody excited. He's just a really solid football player. I feel like we need somebody who inspires a little more than Beck does for the first cover back.

Every Heisman Winner Since the Game Went Away

I saw this option listed in a Twitter poll and absolutely love the idea. Eleven guys on the cover might be a little busy, but having guys like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry all on the same game would be awesome and a great reminder of how long we've suffered waiting for NCAA's return.

Anyone but Caleb Williams

This is just a personal vendetta of mine. I hate Caleb Williams. Under the old system of NCAA covers, he'd undoubtedly be on this year's game, which is the objectively defensible reason why we need someone else. This is the first cover where we can do something different, let's exercise that option.

At the end of the day, I don't really give a shit who it is. They could leave the cover blank and as long as the game is good, nobody will care. We just want to play it, man.