Evaluating EA Sports College Football 26's Top 10 Player Rankings

After a long, painful hiatus, EA Sports has released a college football game for the second consecutive year.

Thank you, EA Sports. Thank you for College Football 26.

Real players, real coaches, real rivalries. All the glorious elements that make college football the best sport in the world can be consumed and enjoyed, and we will enjoy it as media days ramp up and the start of fall camps inch closer.  

Now, let's get down to business. Ratings.

No matter how hard EA Sports tries and no matter how many eyeballs assess attributes, we will always agree to disagree—at least in some instances. And that is what we'll do, at least in part, today.

We're looking at the top 10 players rated highest in the game, and whether that placement is warranted or not.

Let the countdown commence.

In many regards, this placement is off twice. For starters, Kadyn Proctor should move up the rankings slightly (more on that in a moment). And the No. 10 spot should have gone to someone else, perhaps Clemson QB Cade Klubnik, who is poised for another monster season.

Proctor, however, does deserve a spot in the top 10. While his first few seasons have been filled with commitments, commitments and transfers, the talent and the size are undeniable.

At 6'7" and nearly 360 pounds, the 20-year-old, who is entering his junior year, has better tools than any offensive lineman in the country. And when he puts it all together, he will be truly special.

No major issue with the ranking, although he could have crept a tad higher.

In short: Bravo.

No wide receiver at the end of the regular season had as much positive momentum as Jordyn Tyson, who finished his year with five touchdowns and more than 500 yards receiving in his final five games.

Although he's not blessed with enormous size, the 20-year-old is a playmaker. Blessed with big play ability—along with a head coach who knows how to scheme him open and a quarterback who can get him the ball—he could have an even bigger year now that running back Cam Skattebo has moved on.

He's not a household name...at least not yet. But that is poised to change quickly. His inclusion at this spot is well-deserved. Invest in the stock while you can.

First and foremost, let's just hope Jermod McCoy is healthy for the season.

Tennessee's star cornerback tore his ACL in January, and the road to recovery has been underway since. The timeline is a bit complicated, but the talent is not.

A transfer from Oregon State, McCoy became a force in the SEC last season. He intercepted four passes and broke up nine passes. He also finished third on the team in tackles.

This ranking feels (perhaps) slightly high, especially with questions coming into the year, although it isn't off by much.

If McCoy is healthy, and we hope he is, every SEC quarterback should be on notice.

One of the most coveted requests of last year's class looked the part in 2024, racking up a slew of freshman awards and accolades.

In terms of pure potential, there might not be a defensive player in college football with a higher ceiling. At the very least, Dylan Stewart is in that conversation.

Sure, the numbers were solid but not electrifying: 10.5 tackles for loss, six-and-a-half sacks and three forced fumbles. But the moments, the athleticism and the potential jump off the screen.

One could easily argue Stewart could be at least a few spots higher and inside the top five. At least this writer could. 

Well done, EA Sports.

While we can debate certain ratings and placement pretty much at any time, this one feels just right.

In short, T.J. Parker is a production machine. Through two seasons, he has accumulated 32 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three pass breakups. Despite weighing nearly 270 pounds, he has produced pretty much everywhere on the field.

And the 20-year-old is only getting better.

If this next season goes as expected, Parker will enter elite company at a school that has produced its fair share of defensive standouts in the past decade.

EA Sports nailed this one.

Now, this one isn't quite right.

Sure, being a top-five player as a true sophomore is a great honor. Ryan Williams delivered an avalanche of spectacular moments, and he did so right out of the gate.

So much so that he should be ranked even higher than he is. While the production wasn't overwhelming in terms of pure numbers, he still delivered on that front. He also created more exciting individual moments than any wideout in the sport, including one he is rightfully ranked behind.

With that in mind, Williams should be the No. 2-ranked player in this game. He will gladly settle for No. 5, but he's worthy of something more.

The potential here is simply off the charts.

One doesn't have to search long and hard to see why Jeremiyah Love is the second-highest ranked offensive player in the game. Just look at some of the plays he produced in the College Football Playoff.

Although he carried the ball more than 15 times in a game only once in 2024, that is destined to change in 2025. He will be the centerpiece of an offense breaking in a new quarterback, and he will likely fit the part.

And still, this ranking seems a tad high. Love is worthy of a place in the top 10, but being ranked above Williams—even if it's ever so slightly—feels a touch off.

In a matter of two years, Anthony Hill Jr. has emerged as the centerpiece of the Texas defense, at least for the time being.

In those two years, he has become a defensive force deserving of this recognition. He was excellent as a freshman, and he emerged as one of the best defensive players in the country as a sophomore.

Hill finished with more than 100 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He was a do-everything player for the Longhorns, and he's likely to be that (and that much more) in 2025.

The only question? Will soon-to-be-sophomore Colin Simmons surpass Hill's standing one year from now? What a luxury question to have.

So, Ryan Williams would be the player we'd have here. But please don't let that take away from what Caleb Downs has done.

At worst, he's the best safety in college football; at best, and we when lean toward that, he is one of the best defensive players over the past decade.

He started at Alabama, landed at Ohio State and won a national championship before he hit his junior season. Only he didn't just win a national championship, he was also a major factor in the title run.

Simply put, he's a stud. Whether he's No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3, it really doesn't matter. He's the most accomplished safety in recent memory, and there isn't much debate about that.

We can't argue with this. Enjoy Downs while you can.

No drama. No suspense. No questions about ratings or rankings.

Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football, and he has yet to play a single down as a sophomore. He came in as the best recruit in college football, and he heads into his second season as the best player in college football.

He won a national championship, had more than 1,300 yards receiving and scored 16 touchdowns. He regularly made opposing defensive backs look foolish, and that trend is destined to continue in 2025.

Simply put, Smith is the best player in the sport. The only question surrounding his present and future is whether a 98 rating will do.

For now, it'll suffice. Come next season, it might not be enough.