EA Sports College Football 25 is confirmed for a summer release, and as everyone gets excited, it’s time to take a look at some of the things that might be in the game. Due to Name, Image, and Likeness, the game will feature the names of the actual players.
There will be thousands of players in the game, but will any make the the exclusive 99 club? Here, we’ll look at players who could debut with a 99 rating in EA Sports College Football 25.
Which Players Could Earn a 99 Rating in EA Sports College Football 25?
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
A do-it-all former five-star, Travis Hunter tops our list of potential 99-rated players in EA Sports College Football 25. Hunter signed with Deion Sanders at Jackson State in 2021 and followed Sanders to Colorado last offseason after a stellar freshman campaign.
Last season, he was arguably the best player on the Buffaloes and in the Pac-12, racking up 721 yards receiving and five touchdowns and adding 31 tackles and three interceptions on defense, all despite missing three games due to injury.
He averaged an absurd 119 snaps per game, and his stamina could be near a 99 rating.
Hunter’s speed might hold him back as he’s just slightly above average for the position, meaning he could come in around a 90 or 91. However, his awareness and acceleration — both traits that greatly impact a receiver’s overall rating — could be as high as 95.
It will be interesting to see if Hunter is rated more highly as a defensive back or a receiver, as his greatest asset is his versatility, and he does not necessarily have truly elite play at a single position.
He’s solid at both positions, but I’m not sure anyone would call him the best receiver or defensive back in college football. Instead, he’s “one of the best” at both positions as an all-around footballing weapon.
Prediction: Hunter is an elite prospect, but he hasn’t yet shown the consistency at either of his positions to be 99-rated. He’ll likely slot in as a 95 overall corner and 93 overall receiver, giving the Buffaloes one of the top players at both positions.
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
Quinn Ewers is regarded by most to be the best returning quarterback in college football and, as such, is a candidate to be a 99-rated player in EA Sports College Football 25.
Ewers has the arm talent, poise, and accuracy to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, he was regarded by some as a top quarterback in the 2024 class if he had declared.
Ewers doesn’t throw the ball deep all that often in Texas’ offense, but when he does, he’s a fairly accurate deep ball passer.
Ewers should have one of the higher intermediate accuracy grades as well. He has plus-arm strength and should have one of the highest ratings for throwing power in the game.
With very few turnovers in his college career, Ewers will likely have an extremely high awareness rating.
However, Ewers will likely get dinged on the physical side of his play. While he’s not a statue in the pocket, he isn’t the fastest quarterback in college football. Meanwhile, his injury and toughness ratings will also pull down his overall.
Prediction: Ultimately, I don’t quite think Ewers will project as a 99-rated player, but he’ll rate as one of the best quarterbacks in the EA Sports College Football 25 game. I’d guess he’ll have a rating of 96 — due to the lack of elite accuracy and some physical injuries and limitations.
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Ollie Gordon II will likely be the highest-rated running back in EA Sports College Football 25, but can he reach the elusive 99 club?
The Oklahoma State Cowboys standout burst onto the scene last season and has several traits that could push him closer to the game’s top rating.
Gordon shows good power, regularly forcing missed tackles last year and adding yards after contact for fun during the 2023 season. He runs through arm tackles, so his trucking rating will be more than decent.
Players don’t spin much anymore, and that rating likely won’t have a large impact on the overall rating. However, his stiff arm and elusiveness should be excellent, as will his carrying, with just two fumbles in 324 touches.
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His catching might hurt him, as he dropped nearly 10% of his catchable targets last season. However, he showed good route-running ability and made a few tough catches.
His best traits are his vision and acceleration, two categories that hold significant weight in his overall rating. His ball carrier vision should be in the high 90s.
While he doesn’t have elite track speed, he’s extremely hard to track down from behind when he gets up to full speed. His speed might not be in the high 90s, but it certainly won’t be so low as to hurt his overall rating.
Prediction: Gordon’s weaknesses as a receiver might be enough to ding him and keep him out of the club, but expect him to be one of the highest-rated skill players in the game, probably in the 97-overall range.
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Of anyone who could join the elusive 99 club, Caleb Downs might have the best chance.
Just a true sophomore, Downs had a stellar freshman year at Alabama as a starting safety, earning SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC awards.
Downs also has a style of play and strengths that align with what the game values in its overall safety ratings.
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To start, Downs is a versatile and productive playmaker in the secondary, being equally comfortable in both man and zone coverage schemes. In his first season playing at the self-proclaimed best conference in the sport, the now-Ohio State safety snagged two interceptions and logged four pass breakups.
Furthermore, he tackled extremely well and was more-than-adequate against the run.
His highest traits will likely be his awareness, pursuit, and man coverage ratings, three of the most important traits in terms of overall weighting for the safety position in the game. He’ll also score highly on tackling, speed, acceleration, and play recognition.
Finally, the biggest “weakness” in his game is his size, which doesn’t factor into a player’s overall rating in EA Sports College Football 25.
Prediction: With all of the above in mind, Downs is the likeliest candidate for a 99 overall rating, which I believe he fully deserves. If he’s not rated a 99, he will be rated as a 97 or 98 as a true sophomore and will quickly develop into a 99 overall after a year in Dynasty Mode.
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