After making its long-awaited return last year with EA College Football 25, EA Sports is gearing up for the next installment in its revived college football franchise. EA College Football 26 is expected to continue the momentum, but a recent leak has fans up in arms—this time over the game’s alleged cover.
According to reports from On3, a leaked image has surfaced showing several players including Bryce Underwood (Michigan), DJ Lagway (Florida), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), Ryan Williams (Alabama), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Caleb Downs (Ohio State), Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), and Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) all in the photoshoot.
The publication shared that the image below is the cover photo for the Deluxe Edition.
EARLY LOOK: EA Sports College Football 26 cover photo (Deluxe Edition)
— On3 (@On3sports) March 13, 2025
Athletes included: Bryce Underwood, DJ Lagway, Garrett Nussmeier, Jeremiyah Love, Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, Sam Leavitt & Dylan Stewart.
(via tubbycfb/IG)https://t.co/2alXsLk9Cj pic.twitter.com/iDfxjuaLto
One of the biggest complaints among fans was the inclusion of Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood. The freshman, who has yet to play a snap of college football, is included in this picture despite not even officially winning the starting job yet in Ann Arbor.
Bryce underwood hasn't even played a snap of college football
— ND Insider (@insider_nd) March 13, 2025
underwood on the cover & he ain’t even did nothing yet 😂
— 𝙏𝙚𝙯 (@TezFrm901) March 13, 2025
One fan noted that the inclusion of coaches on the cover might mean that we're about to see a video game where the actual coaches — like James Franklin, Kirby Smart, and Kalen DeBoer — are actually featured in the game.
Seeing coaches there. I guess this suggests no more random coach.
— DannyBTalks (Daniel Baldwin) (@DannyBTalks) March 13, 2025
Many fans say they believe this is fake, but On3 has stuck by its reporting.
EA Sports has yet to officially respond to the leak, leaving the door open for speculation. Whether this is the final cover or just an early design remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—the reaction from the fanbase has been loud, and it will be interesting to see how EA responds.
Regardless of who is — or isn't — on the cover, we expect that EA College Football 26 will still be one of the most-bought games of the year when it's released.
EA College Football 26 is set to be released this summer, but an official date has not been announced.