Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams were selected to be the headline athletes featured on the cover of the EA Sports College Football 26 video game, coming out this summer. Smith and Williams will be the only two athletes featured on the cover of the standard edition of the game, while the Deluxe Edition will feature several other coaches, former college football greats, and university mascots.
Last year, EA Sports launched College Football 25 after an 11-year hiatus that followed the release of NCAA Football 14. In the first week after the launch of College Football 25, EA Sports said that the game recorded five million unique players, according to Sports Business Journal.
EA COLLEGE FOOTBALL 26 COVERS JUST DROPPED 🔥🏈
Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith headline the cover 👏
(📸: @easportscollege) pic.twitter.com/XzNzFY0RFb
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 27, 2025
“Last year, when we brought back the pride, pageantry, atmospheres, and traditions of College Football, the response from fans was overwhelming,” said Evan Dexter, the vice president of Franchise Strategy and Marketing for EA Sports College Football. “With College Football 26, we’re celebrating our sophomore season with two generational sophomore wide receivers on the cover, and we can’t wait for the world to experience even more heart and authenticity across athletes, stadiums, coaches, and fans.”
Jeremiah Smith was the number-one receiving option for the National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes, leading the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He easily broke the freshman receiving record previously held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter by catching 76 passes for 1,315 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. Not only was he named to the 2024 Freshman All-American Team, but he was also named a 2024 First-Team All-American.
“Being on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 is a tremendous privilege, and I’m proud to represent Ohio State alongside Coach Day while carrying the Buckeye legacy forward, celebrating the passion of our fans and the tradition of this incredible program,” Smith said.
A rising sophomore, Ryan Williams joined Alabama after being ranked as the number-one wide receiver in the nation by ESPN and the number-three overall recruit on the ESPN300 list in 2024. As a true freshman, Williams caught 48 passes for 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. On top of that, he added another two touchdowns on the ground. His performance earned him a spot on the 2024 Freshman All-American Team.
Behind the scenes with @Jermiah_Smith1, @Ryanwms1 and the full cast of #CFB26 📸🌟 #BehindTheCover #ItsInTheGame pic.twitter.com/GCMOTij0R0
— EA SPORTS (@EASPORTS) May 27, 2025
“As a lifelong fan of EA Sports games, being on the cover of College Football 26 is a dream come true,” said Williams. “It was incredible to see myself in College Football 25 last year, and now to represent Alabama and share this moment with fans who’ve played EA Sports games for years is unreal.”
EA Sports College Football 26 is scheduled for a worldwide release on July 10th, 2025 on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S.
