Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards faced off against EA Sports College Football 25 content creator Bordeaux in EA Sports’ Gameplay First Look, and the contest wasn’t very close. The national championship-winning star proved he can be just as dominant on the virtual gridiron as he is on the real one.
The Donovan Edwards Experience in EA Sports College Football 25 Gameplay First Look
Edwards played as the 88-overall Wolverines (11th highest-rated team in the game) in “The Big House,” while Bordeaux took the controls of the visiting 92-overall Texas Longhorns (fifth highest-rated).
As the game began, the College Football 25 cover athlete reacted to the visual representation of the sport he’s played for the last three years. “Just looking at this system right now. Just being able to look at the graphics of this, it’s very spot on. They got the Big House theme song in here, so I’m very excited to play.”
It didn’t take long for Edwards to find his rhythm, scoring a rushing touchdown as himself to end the first quarter. The play demonstrated College Football 25’s enhanced ball carrier control, providing players with the responsiveness needed to turn an average run into a TD.
Later on, Edwards’ QB (Alex Orji) and RB (himself) looked to the sideline pre-snap, causing him to react, “This graphics stuff is real. They got us looking to the sideline and all that.” Recent Madden players have enjoyed new movement animations that have made the game feel more realistic over the years, but College Football 25’s attention to detail remains a major selling point.
Edwards broke off several more long runs and even threw the game-sealing touchdown to himself to win 21-14. His virtual counterpart finished with 160 rushing yards and two scores on 14 carries, exhibiting his notorious breakaway speed. But raw attributes only go so far, as it was Edwards’ vision that tormented Bordeaux’s defense.
“It felt like I was out there,” Edwards said of the rushing experience in the game. “I’m able to read the defense like how I’m playing it in the game.” Of course, stiff arms, jukes, and spin moves only complemented his decision-making behind the line of scrimmage and allowed him to break runs in the open field.
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And with EA’s emphasis on option offenses — there are three pitch types in the game: quick (fast animation with less accuracy), strong (takes longer but hits players in stride), and fake (draws read defenders to the pitch player, opening a lane for the ball carrier) — expect run-heavy attacks to be the meta early on.
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