After a demanding day of summer workouts, Mississippi State offensive lineman Albert Reese IV was eager for some downtime on Tuesday. Instead of hitting the gridiron, he dove into the virtual world with the newly released EA Sports College Football 25 video game. Reese spent hours on the game, enjoying the thrill of seeing his digital self in action. He mentioned that while he wasn’t a big Madden fan, this new college football video game felt special. It gave him a glimpse of what it’s like to be featured in a sports video game, an experience he found both amusing and cool.
Now, the excitement for the upcoming 2024 season is building, but for now, Reese and his teammates are enjoying their virtual victories.
The Return of EA Sports College Football: A Historical Overview
EA Sports first released a college football video game back in 1993, originally named Bill Walsh College Football. Over the years, the game underwent several name changes, such as College Football USA and later NCAA Football in 1998.
For many years, the game couldn’t use real player names or images because college athletes weren’t allowed to be paid or sign endorsement deals. Players were simply identified by their position and jersey number. The game series was discontinued after the 2014 version, much to the fans’ disappointment.
However, everything changed in 2021 when the United States Supreme Court ruled that college athletes could benefit from their name, image, and likeness. This led to a renewed demand for the game, and EA Sports responded by bringing back the beloved series, now including real player names and images for the first time. The new College Football 25 game launched on a Monday, with the standard version set to release on Friday.
Fans and players alike, including Mississippi State’s quarterback Blake Shapen, are excited about this update. The Mississippi State Bulldogs odds of winning their games might even become a hot topic among gamers and team supporters alike.
MSU’s Roster Turnover and Player Ratings in EA Sports College Football 25
Mississippi State (MSU) had a tough 2023 season, finishing with a 5-7 record. This year, there have been a lot of changes in the team’s lineup, with many new faces on both offense and defense. Despite this, only three players have been given ratings higher than 80 in the new EA Sports College Football 25 game. Center Ethan Miner leads the way with an 89, followed by wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi at 84 and running back Davon Booth at 82.
During media days in Dallas, three MSU players got the spotlight. Reese is rated 73, quarterback Blake Shapen received an 80, and linebacker John Lewis has a rating of 78. Reese hadn’t played against any teammates by Wednesday morning, but Lewis pointed out that Ty Cooper, a fellow linebacker, is a great player in the game. He also mentioned other fun players like safety Kelley Jones, wide receiver Kevin Coleman, and defensive lineman De’Monte Russell, even though none of them have a rating above 77.
John Lewis expressed his enjoyment of the game, saying he often plays with Mississippi State’s virtual team despite his personal rating of 78. He gave a shoutout to teammates like Javae Gilmore and Chris Keys, who he feels perform exceptionally well in the game.
While the players are currently enjoying their virtual matches, head coach Jeff Lebby reminded everyone that the focus will shift to real football once fall camp begins. Lebby made it clear that the video game fun is for now, and soon, it’s back to the serious business of preparing for the upcoming season.
