The release of artwork for the Deluxe Edition of EA Sports College Football 2024 dumped gasoline into the hype train’s engine and had fans rejoicing on social media. Six athletes were shown on the cover, with plenty of room for more. Of course, there will be several other covers for future iterations of the game, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the snubs for the Deluxe Edition’s art.
EA Sports College Football 25 Cover Athlete Snubs
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri Tigers
Excluding the nation’s best WR was an interesting choice. After flashing his five-star potential as a true freshman, all Luther Burden III did last season was torch defenses (in the SEC, no less) to the tune of 86 receptions, 1,212 yards, and nine touchdowns.
With Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze off to the NFL, the Biletnikoff Award has Burden’s name written all over it.
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Speaking of trophies, the reigning Doak Walker Award winner was also left off the Deluxe Edition cover. Ollie Gordon II generated over 2,000 yards of total offense (1,732 rushing, 330 receiving) and scored 22 touchdowns.
To put it simply, Gordon was Oklahoma State’s offense last season. He had the same number of games with 200+ yards as he did with less than 100 when he carried the ball 10 or more times (two).
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Buffaloes
Having two Colorado players on the cover may have been overkill to some, but who has made more noise this offseason than the Buffaloes? Sure, it hasn’t always been pretty. Yet, Shedeur Sanders knows how to drum up engagement, and EA Sports would love to take advantage of that.
It also helps that Sanders is one of the best QBs hitting the field this season after throwing 27 TDs to just three INTs while completing nearly 70% of his passes in 2023.
Non-Travis Hunter Defenders
Colorado’s definitive dual-threat deserves a place on the cover, but he shouldn’t have been the only defender featured.
KEEP READING: 2024 Top 100 College Football Players
Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr., Michigan DT Mason Graham, Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter, LSU LB Harold Perkins, Kentucky DT Deone Walker, and Michigan CB Will Johnson all deserve consideration as some of the top defensive players returning in 2024. They may not score points, but they certainly prevent them.
Entire Group of Five
As usual, the Group of Five was shafted from recognition. Heck, only Boise State’s helmet was visible in the first few rows of athletes, and of the eight flags leading the charge in front of the players, all were from the Power Five.
And for those who believe no G5 player is good enough to be on the cover, you clearly haven’t watched these athletes on the field: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, UNLV WR Ricky White, Liberty QB Kaidon Salter, Bowling Green CB Jordan Oladokun, SMU EDGE Elijah Roberts, Colorado State WR Tory Horton, Liberty RB Quinton Cooley, SMU QB Preston Stone, just to name a few.
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