EA Sports College Football 25 Cover Athlete Predictions

After a decade of absence, EA Sports College Football 25 is bringing the collegiate gridiron back to gaming with a bang. With a 2024 release looming, fans are already wondering which star will grace the cover of this iconic return as their first cover athlete in years.

With more official reveals on the way this May, there are already standouts for the honor of being the EA Sports College Football 25 cover athlete. We'll take a closer look some potential picks in these predictions, and there are several ways they could shake things up with the franchise reboot.

Updated April 5, 2024: In a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Kirk Herbstreit stated he believes EA Sports College Football 25 will release in July, which does align with our release date prediction below. 

EA Sports College Football Cover Athlete Predictions

After announcing the game many months ago, the EA Sports College Football 25 release date is targeted for Summer 2024. We recently got to see the official teaser trailer, and that confirmed more announcements are scheduled for May 2024.

Here are our top predictions for EA Sports College Football 25 cover athlete, including one exciting name that's already rumored to be a lock for the honor.

Shedeur Sanders - Colorado Buffaloes QB

The first potential pick for EA Sports College Football 25 cover athlete is actually a star that was reported as a possibility just a few weeks before the end of 2023. According to Blue Bloods Bias, Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders could be the face of the franchise when it arrives in Summer 2024.

At just 21 years of age, there were already rumblings that Shedeur Sanders could've transitioned to the NFL. However, he's officially declared he will return to Colorado next season. As a star alongside Coach Deion Sanders and the exciting start of his tenure in Colorado, even a middling finish to their season might not prevent Sanders from being chosen.

The National Champion Michigan Wolverines

After another hard-fought season, the College Football Playoff has once again crowned the kings of collegiate gridiron competition. Alabama and Texas found their way into the final four, but were toppled by Michigan and Washington. Finally, it was the University of Michigan Wolverines that seized the title. There are some definite stars on that team, but

We haven't seen a group cover for the franchise since the University of Wisconson Marching Band joined Tommy Trojan and some generic players on the cover of College Football USA 96. It would be a strong choice to bring the franchise back, but EA Sports loves having a singular star to focus their marketing on.

Blake Corum - Michigan Wolverines RB

If EA Sports isn't interested in trying a combination cover again, the best option from the reigning National Champions would definitely be Blake Corum. He's had a monster season with 1,245 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns, and it followed a 2022 season with 1,463 rushing yards but (just) 18 rushing touchdowns.

After a big championship win, both Corum and Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy have declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. As EA Sports has made a habit of cover stars who were heading to the NFL in the past, it seems a very likely choice this time around. Of the two, Corum had a bigger night at the National Championship and was named Offensive MVP.

List of Every NCAA Football Cover Athlete

We'll hopefully see a new and exciting face as the EA Sports College Football 25 cover athlete, but there's a rich history for this franchise. After a decade away, many newer fans may not even remember some of the eventual NFL standouts who were first seen as an NCAA Football cover athlete.

Here's a list of every cover athlete before the EA Sports College Football revival:

• Bill Walsh College Football ('94)- Stanford Coach Bill Walsh
• Bill Walsh College Football '95 - Stanford Coach Bill Walsh
• College Football USA 96 - USC's Tommy Trojan, the University of Wisconsin Marching Band, a generic Kansas State wide receiver, a generic Michigan running back, and a Florida State helmet
• College Football USA 97 - Nebraska Quarterback Tommie Frazier
• NCAA Football 98 - Florida Quarterback Danny Wuerffel
• NCAA Football 99 - Michigan Cornerback Charles Woodson
• NCAA Football 2000 - Texas Running Back Ricky Williams
• NCAA Football 2001 - Alabama Running Back Shaun Alexander
• NCAA Football 2002 - Florida State Quarterback Chris Weinke
• NCAA Football 2003 - Oregon Quarterback Joey Harrington
• NCAA Football 2004 - USC Quarterback Carson Palmer
• NCAA Football 2005 - Pittsburgh Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald
• NCAA Football 06 - Michigan Wide Receiver Desmond Howard
• NCAA Football 07 - USC Running Back Reggie Bush
• NCAA Football 08 - Boise State Quarterback Jared Zabransky
• NCAA Football 09 - California Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson (PS2 Cover), Boston College Quarterback Matt Ryan (PS3 Cover), West Virginia Fullback Owen Schmitt (PSP Cover), Michigan State Mascot Sparty (Wii Cover), Arkansas Running Back Darren McFadden (Xbox 360 Cover)
• NCAA Football 10  - Texas Linebacker Brian Orakpo (PS2 Cover), Utah Quarterback Brian Johnson (PS3 Cover), USC Quarterback Mark Sanchez (PSP Cover), Texas Tech Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree (Xbox 360 Cover)
• NCAA Football 11 - Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow
• NCAA Football 12 - Alabama Running Back Mark Ingram II
• NCAA Football 13 - Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffin III and Oklahoma State Running Back Barry Sanders
• NCAA Football 14 - Michigan Quarterback Denard Robinson

That officially wraps up everyone we've seen before, but only time will tell who becomes the first EA Sports College Football cover athlete as the series opens a new chapter. If the past is any indication, no one has a better chance than a top college quarterback.