Reviewed by: Pat Byington
EA Sports releases first cover for College Football 25—who made the cut?
Reading time: 4 minutes
Jalen Milroe is certainly no stranger to the spotlight. That comes with the territory when you’re the starting quarterback at the University of Alabama.
And after a strong first season in that role, the spotlight is brighter than its ever been for the young quarterback. Now, he’s making an appearance on one of the most anticipated sports video games of all time.
Milroe is one of the players highlighted on the first official cover of EA Sports College Football 25. He’s sharing that spotlight with several other players but his name can clearly be seen on the Deluxe Edition, which is currently listed in the PlayStation Store.
Keep reading to find out more about who else made the cover + more about the new video game set to be released this summer.
Tide, Tigers + Pike Road make appearances
Milroe may be the most recognizable name for people in Alabama but he’s not the only one on the cover with ties to the state. To the right side of the screen is former Ole Miss and current Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins—a former Pike Road star.
Both players are on the second row of stars just behind:
- Michigan RB Donovan Edwards
- Texas QB Quinn Ewers
- Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is the other name represented. Those six stars are in a group of players running out of a tunnel at a stadium.
Further down the field, you can see flags for several different schools including Auburn on the right side, just under the number 25.
Alabama’s history on video game covers
Milroe is the third player from Alabama and first Crimson Tide quarterback to get on the cover of an EA Sports college football game.
The first Alabama player was Shaun Alexander when he got on the cover for the NCAA Football 2001. The cover was released after his college career ended, just a couple of months after he was drafted in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks.
Just over a decade later, Alabama’s first ever Heisman Trophy winner got the Tide back on the cover. Mark Ingram was the main cover star for NCAA Football 12, released in the summer of 2011.
What to know before the release of College Football 25
In case you are not familiar with the video game franchise, the college football video game dates back to 1993 before it was acquired by EA Sports in 1998. Every year after that, the company released an NCAA Football game in the summer, dated for the year that season’s championship game would be played.
However, after NCAA Football 14, the company stopped making college football games. Licensing issues and rights over players’ likeness sparked a messy debate that would eventually lead to EA stopping the franchise.
Now, after a complete renovation of rules surrounding college athletes’ name, image and likeness (NIL), the video game is returning.
EA Sports College Football 25 is set to be released in July. Pre-order information has not been released yet but there is a countdown on the EA website saying more information is expected next week.
Want to see more of our college football coverage? Check out some of our other recent stories:
- 23 players with ties to state of Alabama selected in 2024 NFL Draft
- Nick Saban stars on first night of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage
- Alabama offense + Nick Saban appearance highlight first A-Day of Kalen DeBoer era
- Local stars shine brightest during Auburn’s A-Day game
Who would you want to see on a cover featuring only college football players in our state? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
