Which roster is the strongest heading into the 2025-26 college football season, Iowa or Iowa State?
Well, if you’re basing the upcoming season on the average ratings of each team’s top 11 players in EA Sports College Football 26 — like all reasonable sports fans do — the edge might go to the Cyclones.
On July 1, EA Sports unveiled the top 100 players overall and the top players at select schools, including Iowa and Iowa State. Out of the overalls for the top 11 players on each Iowa team, Iowa State scored slightly better, with the average overall being 86.8, compared to Iowa’s 86.5.
Who are Iowa football’s top players in EA Sports College Football 26?
Here are the Hawkeyes’ top 11-rated players. Five players are on defense, four on offense and two on special teams.
Who are Iowa State football’s top players in EA Sports College Football 26?
Here are Iowa State’s top 11-rated players. Four of Iowa State’s top 11-rated players are on the defensive side of the ball, while the remaining seven are on offense.
While Iowa State may have more depth based on the average overall ratings of its top 11 players, Iowa is slightly more top-heavy. The Hawkeyes boast four players rated 90 or higher and have two (Aaron Graves and Gennings Dunker) ranked in EA Sports’ top 100, compared to just one (Jeremiah Cooper) for the Cyclones.
How are players rated in EA Sports College Football 26?
In College Football 26, every player is graded on a 1-99 scale for attributes relevant to the sport. Categories include speed, agility, strength, blocking, catching ability, tackling and many more. Attribute categories can also go much deeper, like short-throw accuracy and deep-throw accuracy ratings for quarterbacks, or reflect a cornerback’s man-coverage or zone-coverage abilities.
Ratings are updated regularly throughout the season, according to EA Sports.
When does EA Sports College Football 26 come out?
EA Sports is releasing the 23rd installment of its popular college football franchise on July 10, with early preorder access available starting July 7. The standard edition of the game costs $69.99.
Des Moines Register reporter Eugene Rapay contributed to this report.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: EA Sports College Football 26: Who are the Iowa Hawkeyes’ top-rated players?
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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