Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith are the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 26, the video-game developer announced Tuesday.
The electric sophomore wide receivers were picked for the second edition of the franchise’s reboot. Last year’s game was the first in 11 years and was among the best-selling video games in 2024.
Williams and Smith are posed together on the standard cover, while the deluxe edition also includes other players, coaches, mascots and former cover stars Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow and Denard Robinson.
The ‘26 edition will test if the franchise still has the same staying power it had when it was released annually in the early 2000s.
For the players who are featured in the game, it will certainly remain popular. Williams said in a statement released by EA Sports that the cover was “a dream come true,” and Smith called it “a tremendous privilege.”
“I’m proud to represent Ohio State alongside Coach (Ryan) Day while carrying the Buckeye legacy forward, celebrating the passion of our fans and the tradition of this incredible program,” Smith said.
Williams and Smith broke onto the national scene in 2024 with their miraculous catches on the biggest stages.
Williams’ spinning TD grab to help beat then-No. 2 Georgia looked like it belonged in a video game. It was one of many wowing plays from the young receiver. Williams finished his freshman season with 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.
Smith was a major part of the Buckeyes’ run to a national championship. He regularly hauled in one-handers that decimated the confidence of his defenders. In a CFP quarterfinals win over top-seeded Oregon, Smith had seven receptions, 187 yards and two touchdowns. He finished his freshman year with 76 catches, 1,315 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns.
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