EA Sports College Football 26 Cover Leaked: Oregon Ducks Snubbed?

The leaked cover appears to feature several players, including Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith , Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State running back Nick Singleton, Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart, and Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. 

The cover appears to also feature coaches like Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Penn State’s James Franklin, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin. This could suggest that real coaches will be featured in the game, unlike in CFB25. 

Additionally, the cover showcases mascots from Georgia, Clemson, Oregon, and Tennessee, as well as an Indiana flag. 

Although the iconic Duck mascot appears on the cover, it's surprising that neither Oregon coach Dan Lanning nor any Oregon player made the cut, especially given the program's growing prominence in college football. Oregon has become the biggest college football brand on the West Coast in recent years, not to mention the overall hype surrounding the program. 

Oregon is a powerhouse when it comes to NIL deals , ranking No. 1 at 969 million according to 247 Sports. This reflects the value of the "O" brand, which certainly is worth a pretty penny. Oregon also has a deep connection to Nike, with Nike founder Phil Knight being an alumni. The Ducks always boast the most talked-about uniforms in all of college football. 

Oregon's national reputation, high-profile recruits, and unique partnership with Nike make it surprising that EA Sports didn’t feature a player from one of the most iconic football programs. Featuring Oregon’s signature uniforms on the cover would have been a great opportunity to capitalize on the marketing power of the brand; however, there may still be an opportunity for EA Sports to do so. 

According to On3, this article’s cover is just one of many options. EA College Football plans to release multiple covers for CFB26, following the trend set by CFB25, which debuted several cover options last year.  

One of these covers will also reportedly be an only coaches’ cover, with Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Georgia’s Kirby Smart , Penn State’s James Franklin, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham reportedly participating. 

No official release date has been announced for EA Sports College Football 26, but the game is anticipated to come out sometime this summer.