Arch Manning opts into College Football 25, could he be on the cover of next year’s game?

Anticipation for next week’s release of EA Sports’ College Football 25 is at a fever pitch and Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has decided to join in on the fun just in time. With the help of his uncle Eli and EA Sports, the redshirt freshman announced on Tuesday that he was opting into the game.

This comes after reports surfaced in March that Manning would opt out of being included in College Football 25, foregoing $600 and a free copy of the game in exchange for his name, image, and likeness. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported that his decision was based on his desire to wait until he was UT’s starter before appearing in the game. OrangeBloods’ Anwar Richardson also indicated that the legacy QB’s decision came from a desire to stay focused on the field. However, a lot can change in four months and Longhorn fans will be able to play with him when firing up the game for the first time.

With Manning’s announcement video being made through EA Sports, one has to imagine that this is just a precursor to him being named a cover athlete for College Football 26 next summer. He will spend the upcoming 2024 campaign backing up returning Texas starter Quinn Ewers, who just so happens to be one of the three cover athletes for this year’s game. Once Ewers presumably declares for the 2025 NFL Draft following the season, Manning will finally step into the spotlight as the starter and will enter the 2025 season with tons of hype. He will arguably be the most recognizable face in college football by that point and it would make sense for EA Sports to put him front and center on the cover of their beloved franchise.

If this were to happen, Arch would become the second member of the Manning family to grace the cover of a video game. His uncle Peyton was the cover man for the defunct NFL Fever franchise for their 2002-04 editions. Surprisingly, neither Peyton or Eli ever appeared on a cover of Madden.