Last summer, we eagerly waited for the release of EA Sports College Football 25 — a video game 11 years in the making, brought back to shelves thanks to the passing of NIL legislation.
While the fanfare of the game returning after an 11-year hiatus can’t be matched, there is still palpable hype for the sequel. EA Sports College Football 26 was released to the public on July 7, and the game is equipped with new features, roster updates, and most notably, two new teams.
Delaware and Missouri State enter the picture this year as teams 135 and 136 in the FBS. Both Conference USA additions will certainly be popular picks in the game’s “Dynasty Mode,” and Delaware is already capitalizing on this by offering a challenge to fans. Any fan who submits proof of winning a national championship with the Fightin’ Blue Hens enters a drawing to win a VIP gameday experience and a prize pack.
So what does EA Sports CFB 26 look like from a Conference USA perspective? Let’s check out each team’s overall and the highest rated players from the conference in the video game:
Team Ratings
Team
Overall
Offense
Defense
Team
Overall
Offense
Defense
Liberty
77
73
74
FIU
74
73
68
Western Kentucky
73
71
70
New Mexico State
73
67
74
Sam Houston
72
73
66
Louisiana Tech
72
69
68
Middle Tennessee
72
69
68
Kennesaw State
72
67
70
UTEP
70
71
64
Jacksonville State
70
69
66
Delaware
70
67
64
Missouri State
69
66
64
Liberty is the highest rated CUSA program by three overall points. FBS newcomer Missouri State is the lowest at 69 overall.
Program Prestige
Each program is assigned a “prestige” value on a star system. The highest rated programs including perennial playoff contenders Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State are labeled 5 stars. The lowest rated programs, such as recent FBS additions Kennesaw State and Delaware, are 1 star, and in EA Sports CFB 26, a 0.5 star rating was added for Akron and Kent State.
Program prestige plays a key role in recruiting in the game’s “Dynasty Mode.” Below is each CUSA program’s prestige rating. No CUSA program is rated higher than 2 stars — a rating which belongs to Western Kentucky.
Program Prestige
Team
Prestige (☆)
Team
Prestige (☆)
Western Kentucky
2
Liberty
1.5
Louisiana Tech
1.5
Middle Tennessee
1.5
Sam Houston
1.5
UTEP
1.5
Delaware
1
FIU
1
Jacksonville State
1
Kennesaw State
1
Missouri State
1
New Mexico State
1
Player Ratings
The 10 highest rated players by overall are listed below for each CUSA program.
Delaware
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Jo’Nathan Silver
HB
81
KT Seay
FS
81
Anwar O’neal
LT
78
Hasson Manning Jr.
FS
77
Saeed St. Fleur
HB
76
Jake Thaw
WR
76
Jake Bredell*
TE
75
Keontae Jenkins
CB
75
Dillon Trainer
WILL
74
Steven Demboski
C
74
* Jake Bredell is not a real person
FIU
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Brian Blades II
CB
85
Kejon Owens
HB
83
Julius Pierce
LT
82
Dallas Payne
TE
79
Keyone Jenkins
QB
79
Keegan Davis
LEDG
77
Johnny Chaney Jr.
MIKE
76
Jaheim Buchanon
RT
76
Quaylen Hill
DT
76
Dante Anderson
REDG
75
Jacksonville State
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Cam Cook
HB
84
Andrew Paul
HB
81
Gavin Wimsatt
QB
80
Trevor Woods
SS
80
Michael Pettway
WR
78
Khurtiss Perry
DT
77
Jawaun Campbell
LEDG
77
Talan Carter
DT
77
Isaac Walker
LEDG
77
Garrison Rippa
K
76
Kennesaw State
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
JeRico Washington Jr.
CB
84
Donelius Johnson
MIKE
83
Tyler Hallum
CB
78
Coleman Bennett
HB
77
Joshua Huiet
P
76
Isaac Paul
FS
76
Dexter Williams II
QB
76
Gabriel Benyard
WR
76
Milon Jones
SS
75
Christian Moss
WR
75
Liberty
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Joseph Carter
MIKE
85
Brylan Green
SS
85
CJ Bazile Jr.
REDG
84
Julian Gray
HB
83
Vaughn Blue
HB
82
A’Khori Jones
CB
81
Reese Smith
WR
81
Elijah Canion
WR
79
Aaron Fenimore
C
79
Austin Henderson
TE
79
Louisiana Tech
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Kolbe Fields
WILL
83
Omiri Wiggins
HB
82
Eli Finley
TE
80
Cedric Woods
CB
80
Fred Robertson
HB
79
Andrew Burnette
HB
77
Noah Biglow
CB
77
Michael Richard
FS
77
Landon Nelson
C
76
Ashanti Cole
RG
75
Middle Tennessee
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
John Howse IV
FS
83
Jaiden Credle*
HB
83
Rickey Hunt Jr.
HB
82
Jekail Middlebrook
HB
81
Shakai Woods
DT
79
Anthony Bynum
LEDG
79
Nicholas Vattiato
QB
79
Myles Butler
WR
77
Brendon Harris
SS
77
Tyquan Yates**
HB
77
* Jaiden Credle is ineligible for the 2025 season; ** Tyquan Yates is not a real person
Missouri State
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Shomari Lawrence
HB
81
DJ Wesolak
REDG
80
Josh Joyner
HB
79
Jacob Clark
QB
78
Connor Lair
HB
76
Yousef Obeid
K
75
James BlackStrain
WR
75
King Davis
HB
74
J.J. O’Neal
FS
74
Jmariyae Robinson
WR
74
New Mexico State
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Tyler Martinez
WILL
85
Dakerric Hobbs
CB
82
Kadarius Calloway
HB
82
Dijon Stanley
HB
80
Sone Aupiu
MIKE
80
Nick Session
SS
79
TJ Pride
WR
78
Gabe Peterson
LEDG
78
Josiah Charles
CB
77
PJ Johnson III
WR
77
Sam Houston
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Shane Porter
HB
83
James Dawn II
RG
81
Elijah Green
HB
80
Alton McCaskill
HB
80
Qua’Vez Humphreys
WR
79
Hunter Watson
QB
77
Rhett Larson
LG
77
Thomas Jewett
TE
76
Christian Pavon
K
76
Jalen Stevens*
C
76
* Jalen Stevens is not a real person
UTEP
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Xavier Smith
SS
85
Hahsaun Wilson
HB
84
Kenny Odom
WR
84
Kam Thomas
WR
83
KD Johnson
DT
78
Skyler Locklear
QB
76
Malachi Nelson
QB
76
Joseph Immediato
RG
76
Ivan Escobar
LG
76
Jayden Wilson
SAM
74
WKU
Player
Position
Overall
Player
Position
Overall
Matthew Henry
WR
82
Al-Ma’hi Ali
FS
82
Marshall Jackson
LT
80
Demarko Williams
CB
80
Jaylen Wester
WILL
79
Maverick McIvor
QB
78
Cole Maynard
P
78
George Hart III
HB
78
Kody Epps
WR
77
K.D. Hutchinson
WR
76
Top Players in the CUSA
Five different players from four different schools are tied for the highest rated in the CUSA at 85 overall.
CUSA Players with Overalls 85+
Player
Team
Position
Overall
Player
Team
Position
Overall
Brian Blades II
FIU
CB
85
Joseph Carter
Liberty
MIKE
85
Brylan Green
Liberty
SS
85
Tyler Martinez
New Mexico State
WILL
85
Xavier Smith
UTEP
SS
85