EA Sports College Football 26 is dropping in July. One of the best parts about the game is finding out who the cover athlete(s) are, so here are the top options for every ACC school.
EA Sports CFB 26 Cover Player for Every ACC Program
Boston College Eagles- KP Price, Safety
Aside from Donovan Ezeiruaku, KP Price was Boston College’s biggest bright spot last season. In his sophomore season, he led the team with 85 tackles, had two interceptions, and one sack. He’s the clear-cut choice for the Eagles.
California Golden Bears- Jaivian Thomas, RB
Cal lost so much talent this offseason, but their best returning player is Jaivian Thomas. As a true sophomore and spitting carries with Jaydn Ott, Thomas ran for 626 yards and seven touchdowns, all while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. With Ott out the door, Thomas should play an even bigger role for Cal in 2025.
Clemson Tigers- Cade Klubnik, QB
Cade Klubnik is one of, if not the best, quarterbacks in college football next season. In his junior year, he threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. Heading into 2025, he has pretty short Heisman odds and is expected to be a top player in the country.
Duke Blue Devils- Dairan Mensah, QB
Darian Mensah was a true freshman at Tulane last season and threw for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He left Tulane to join the Blue Devils via the transfer portal and should improve his numbers even more next season.
Florida State Seminoles- Squirrel White, WR
Florida State landed a big-time transfer in Squirrel White this offseason from Tennessee. In three seasons with the Vols, White has 131 catches for 1,665 yards and six touchdowns. I expect him to take a big leap as the focal point of the Seminoles’ offense next season.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets- Hayes King, QB
Hayes King is one of the top quarterbacks in the ACC and would be the easy choice for Georgia Tech. Last year, he led the Yellow Jackets to a seven-win season, throwing for over 2,000 yards and rushing for an additional 587 with 25 total touchdowns. As he enters his final year at Georgia Tech, I expect him to have his best season yet.
Louisville Cardinals- Isaac Brown, RB
Isaac Brown ran for 1,173 yards, 11 touchdowns, and averaged 7.1 yards per carry with Louisville last season. He’s their best returning player and would easily be their cover option.
Miami Hurricanes- Carson Beck, QB
While Beck took a step back at Georgia last season, he should have a big-time rebound year with Miami, as we saw the type of numbers Cam Ward put up in that offense. Beck’s also one of the biggest names in the country, which is even more reason to have him on the cover.
NC State Wolfpack- CJ Bailey, QB
CJ Bailey was thrown into the fire as a true freshman last season after Grayson McCall went down due to injury.
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He played great, throwing for over 2,400 yards and scoring 23 total touchdowns for the Wolfpack. He should be a top player in the ACC in 2025.
North Carolina Tar Heels- Gio Lopez, QB
The Tar Heels brought in Gio Lopez via the transfer portal from South Alabama. Lopez was electric in the Sun Belt last season, racking up 3,012 total yards and 25 total touchdowns. In Belichick’s system, Lopez should flourish next year.
Pittsburgh Panthers- Eli Holstein, QB
Before injury, Holstein looked like a top quarterback in the ACC last season for Pitt as a true freshman. In 2025, that success should continue, and he is easily the best player on the Panthers.
SMU Mustangs- Kevin Jennings, QB
When Jennings stepped in for Preston Stone last year, I don’t think anyone expected the performance he put on. The young quarterback led SMU to a college football playoff appearance and proved himself to be one of the best signal-callers in the country.
Stanford Cardinal- Elijah Brown, QB
Elijah Brown was a four-star recruit in the class of 2024 for the Cardinal. In limited playing time, he struggled, but he should take a jump as we head into 2025.
Syracuse Orange- Duce Chestnut, Safety
While Syracuse has brought in some very good transfers, Duce Chestnut is still their best returning player. He was the Orange’s second tackle leader last season, broke up five passes, had one sack, and one interception.
Virginia Cavaliers- Emmanuel Karnley, CB
Emmanuel Karnley transferred from Arizona to Miami to UVA this offseason.
KEEP READING: EA Sports College Football 26 — Cover Options for Every SEC Team
As a true freshman at Arizona, he looked like the real deal at cornerback and should become Virginia’s best defensive player next season.
Virginia Tech Hokies- Kyron Drones, QB
Drones took a major step back for the Hokies last season after a fantastic sophomore year. He still has all the upside in the world and should be the best player for the Hokies in 2025.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons- Demond Claiborne RB
Demond Claiborne ran for over 1,000 yards last season and 11 touchdowns. He was a major bright spot for Wake Forest and should have a fantastic 2025.
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