It’s finally here! For the first time in 11 years, there is an official, brand new college football video game as EA Sports’ “College Football 25” early access drops Monday, July 15. Fans of the franchise have been playing “NCAA Football 14” on emulators or older generation systems for a decade, and the new game has received more hype than any other game in recent memory.
A lot can change in over a decade. The graphics and rosters aren’t the only things expected to get an update, as the Dynasty and Ultimate Team modes are both due to take a big step forward. EA Sports has continued making the “Madden” franchise, and hearing the term Ultimate Team may make fans of the pro football series cringe. It has developed into a micro-transaction-heavy, team-building mode utilizing NFL players from over the decades.
Madden’s Ultimate Team mode has gotten stale over the years because it tends to be the same players getting great cards. For example, there is always a great Deion Sanders or a broken Mike Vick card that is the best passer and runner in the game. There is a special intrigue with the return of a college football Ultimate Team because we don’t know who all EA Sports has the rights to. The company revealed that the mode will include a Todd Gurley card and a Joey Bosa card, which are available to begin earning at launch.
Thinking back over the last 11 years and beyond, any number of exciting cards could appear in the revival of the mode. With that in mind, here are the top 10 cards we want to see added to CFB 25’s Ultimate Team Mode.
No. 10 — Ed Reed, DB, Miami, 2001
Reed has been in the Madden games for years, so EA should still have the rights to him, although I don’t know their arrangement with their pool of players and putting them in this game. A Reed card from 2001 would be incredible if they could come to terms. The Miami Hurricanes defensive back remains tied for the fourth-most interceptions in a career more than two decades later.
Reed came down with 21 interceptions during his tenure at Miami, six fewer than the all-time leader Martin Bayless. While it would be cool to have Bayless in the game, Reed is more likely a household name. Bayless would give Bowling Green State fans a player to work towards adding to their squad, but Reed would likely crack more lineups. I added in the year because it was not only the final year of Reed’s career but was his best with nine interceptions, including two pick-sixes.
No. 9 — Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina, 2012
This one will be purely personal as a South Carolina fan, but it also depends on what route they take with Ultimate Team. Usually, there are players that you can unlock by completing moments. 2012 was the year that Clowney had a career-high 13 sacks but also delivered the famous hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith. Imagine you are playing the moment, and you are player-locked as Clowney. You burst through the line and lay an absolutely brutal hit on Smith from Clowney’s perspective and see the helmet fly off.
Even though I am biased with the choice, Clowney was the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft. Even if he isn’t included in a moment of the hit, Clowney could be in a set of former No. 1 draft picks. EA enjoys creating broad sets that include several players so that gamers must collect all of them to get the ultimate reward they want.
No. 8 — Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin, 2011
Many of these choices will be from over a decade ago, so you may not be as fresh with their dominance. Ball was at Wisconsin when quarterback Russell Wilson helped them to an 11-3 record in 2011, but the quarterback was easily overshadowed by the running back. Ball played in 14 games that season and carried the ball 307 times. He picked up 1,923 yards and added 33 touchdowns, the second-most rushing scores in a season ever. Ball’s 77 career rushing touchdowns are also the second-most of all time, behind only Navy’s Keenan Reynolds.
No. 7 — Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech, 2007
Crabtree perfectly blended physicality and speed when playing for the Red Raiders. He was a talented receiver already, but his game-winning touchdown over Texas was always included in his highlight reels as he was going to the NFL. Crabtree only played two seasons at Texas Tech, which makes his numbers even more impressive. In total, he picked up 3,127 yards and 41 career touchdowns.
While Crabtree left the Red Raiders as the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Even though he only played in 26 college games, he still has the third-most receiving yards, sixth-most receiving touchdowns and ninth-most receptions in a single season. Crabtree put up video game numbers in college, so it makes sense that he would be a highly sought-after ultimate team addition.
No. 6 — Gerod Holliman, DB, Louisville, 2014
While Lousiville isn’t considered a powerhouse college football program, Holliman is the first of three Cardinals on this list. The defensive back may not be a well-known name, but considering the idea of sets that EA could go with, he is a record holder. Holliman had a record 14 interceptions in 2014 for Lousiville. He didn’t have a single other pick in the other two seasons he played for the Cardinals, so he could double in a “one-hit wonder” set or card collection.
No. 5 — Timmy Chang, QB, Hawaii, 2004
Case Keenum will likely have a card in the game since he is still active in the NFL. He has the record for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a career. Keenum’s 19,712 yards over 57 career games was enough to vault past Chang, who set the record from his career with the Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii was never a big-name program, but Chang helped to put them on the map. He played in 53 career games from 2000-2004 and finished his college tenure with 17,072 yards. At the time, he broke a record set by Ty Detmer at BYU from 1988-1991 by 2,000 yards. Chang would be a fun card to see in the game that has maxed-out passing stats.
No. 4 — Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma State, 1988
Even at the start of a game cycle, it is fun to try to predict which cards could be end-game cards. These cards you get throughout the cycle stay in your lineup until you finish playing the game. There’s a lot of turnover throughout the year, but that special card could force its way into your lineup even if it isn’t the highest-ranked.
We don’t know what progression cards will be available in the college Ultimate Team mode. But it would be shocking if there wasn’t a broken Barry Sanders card released, which is the epitome of a power back. Sanders only had one dominant season, but boy, was it a big one. In 1988, he played in just 11 games but picked up 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns on 344 carries. Sanders’ yardage and scores remain single-season records that have held up for over 30 years, and his card referencing that season should be fun to use.
No. 3 — Elvis Dumervil, DE, Louisville, 2005
While offensive players are typically the most highlighted and sought after, a strong defender can help keep your ultimate team competitive. You need a well-rounded squad if you are trying to take on other players or play the computer on higher difficulties. When thinking about dominant defensive linemen, it’s hard not to think of the dominant season that Dumervil had in 2005. Offensive linemen couldn’t stop him, and he finished the season with 63 total tackles, including a record 20 sacks.
No. 2 — Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M, 2012
You had to know he was coming. Johnny Football is perfect if EA brings over its A.K.A. card collection to ultimate team. This series usually has players listed by the nicknames they were given while playing and this card could either be Money Manziel or Johnny Football. Manziel won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 as a freshman and his collegiate legacy grew from there.
If EA does go the route of playable moments, Manziel has plenty to choose from. He was constantly scrambling away from pressure and one of his most memorable plays actually had him stripped of the ball but he caught it before it landed and then proceeded to throw a touchdown pass. This could be the second-best dual-threat QB in the game behind the player we are most looking forward to seeing in ultimate team.
No. 1 — Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville, 2016
Scrambling quarterbacks are overpowered in football video games. Just when you think your defender is going to sack them in the pocket, they escape and can either scramble for yardage or extend the play until a receiver gets the option and then hit them for a big gain. I’m going with Jackson as my top option here because EA should have his rights making it highly likely we get several iterations of a Jackson card.
The best should be a 2016 version from when he won the Heisman. Dual-threat quarterbacks are all the rage now, but Jackson turned heads at Louisville. He played in 13 games that year and threw for 3,543 yards with 30 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Jackson added 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground giving us a preview of what would eventually lead him to being named the NFL MVP twice so far in his pro career.