College football fans around the nation have a little bit longer to wait until the 2025 season officially begins, but they’ve been given something to hold them over in the meantime.
EA Sports’ College Football 26 video game was released last week, marking the second straight iteration of the series after it was discontinued for more than a decade after NCAA Football 2014.
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The game offers multiple ways to play, from local and online one-off games to long-term dynasties with any of the 136 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. For Boise State fans, that means the opportunity to take the Broncos a little further than they did last year on the real field and to gun for a national championship.
But whether you’re simply playing with friends or loading up a new dynasty save, the first thing fans will want to know is, how good is Boise State?
If you’re looking to play a one-off game, Boise State has an overall rating of 82 — an 85 rating on offense, 80 on defense and 81 on special teams. In dynasty mode, which has different ratings because of the flexibility permitted to players, Boise State has a flat rating of 79 in all of the categories mentioned above.
Who are Boise State’s highest-ranked players?
There’s no one on the Broncos’ team as highly rated as running back Ashton Jeanty was in CFB25. After midseason roster updates, Jeanty was rated in a tie as the best player in the game, with an overall rating of 97 out of 99.
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But the Broncos do have one player ranked in the 90s this year, as well as several just below.
Offensive players
Even though the Broncos lost Jeanty to the NFL, the offense is still stacked with firepower after a successful 2025 campaign that saw Boise State qualify for the College Football Playoff.
Redshirt junior left tackle Kage Casey is Boise State’s highest-rated player in 2026 with an overall rating of 90. Casey ranks exceptionally high in stamina (94), strength (93) and injury (95), with a score closer to 99 indicating a player is less likely to get injured.
Casey has the potential to be a 2026 NFL Draft first-round pick, so it’s no surprise he is ranked that highly.
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Redshirt senior Matt Lauter, a player head coach Spencer Danielson lauds as one of the best tight ends in the nation, has the second-best rating as an offensive player, at 89. He has a stamina rating of 91 and awareness of 90, as well as the silver tier in the Sure Hands trait, which gives him improved standard catch success.
Boise State tight end Matt Lauter will be the go-to pass-catcher for many Bronco fans on College Football 26.
Sixth-year running back Malik Sherrod, a transfer from Fresno State, will be the Broncos’ best ball carrier in CFB26. His overall rating of 88 is highlighted by a 91 rating in speed and agility.
For those who prefer to throw the ball, redshirt junior quarterback Maddux Madsen has a rating of 86. He’s rated 92 in medium-throw accuracy and 93 in play-action situations, and is defined by the game as a pocket passer, even though he showed good scrambling ability last season.
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Other notable offensive players:
WR Latrell Caples, 84
RB Sire Gaines, 83
C Mason Randolph, 80
RB Jambres Dubar, 79
RT Hall Schmidt, 79
Defensive players
Boise State fans spent much of 2024 worried about the Broncos’ secondary — which ranked 106th in passing yards per game (241.4) allowed in 2024 — but maybe that won’t be a concern as much going forward. The CFB26 game doesn’t think so.
Some of Boise State’s best players on defense are part of the secondary, including fifth-year cornerback A’Marion McCoy (87) and junior safety Ty Benefield (86). Additionally, McCoy has the gold tier in the Ballhawk trait, which significantly improves his ability to break up passes.
Opposition offenses will want to stay away from Boise State cornerback A’Marion McCoy, who posseses the Ballhawk trait.
But the best player on defense comes from Boise State’s front seven. Redshirt junior edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan leads the defense with an 89 rating, including ratings of 94 in play recognition and 95 in power moves and pursuit.
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Virgin-Morgan also has the platinum tier in the Pocket Disruptor and Duress traits, effectively making him one of the best rushers in the game at getting to the quarterback.
Virgin-Morgan is coming off a season in which he had 10 sacks.
Other notable defensive players:
DT Braxton Fely, 85
CB Jeremiah Earby, 84
MLB Marco Notaraini, 83
DT Dion Washington, 78
CB Jaden Mickey, 76