All-EA Sports ‘NCAA Football” team: Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney among the best in video game history
The long wait for a new EA Sports college football game is almost over. College Football 25 will be released on July 19, or July 16 for deluxe edition purchases. Before we fire up the new game and get lost in the virtual gridiron, let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the heroes from past iterations of the game. We’re talking about the all-time greats of EA Sports “NCAA Football” – the players who dominated the virtual gridiron and made us throw our controllers in frustration (or sheer delight).
Creating this All-EA Sports “NCAA Football” team was no easy feat. It was a labor of love, requiring hours of research and a deep dive into the annals of Madden Ratings. It was a bit of a challenge to track down the exact ratings for the older games, but we had to use our best judgment and tried to find players who truly captured the essence of what made the old games so special.
It’s important to note that EA Sports got a little more precise and strict with their ratings with each passing year. A player with an overall rating of 99 in “NCAA Football 2004” likely wouldn’t have received that same rating 10 years later. So, we had to take those factors into consideration as we built our team.
With all that said, here is the All-EA Sports “NCAA Football” first team – a team that embodies the spirit of the franchise and reminds us why we love the college game (both on and off the field).
- EA Sports is releasing a new college football game, College Football 25, on July 19.
- The All-EA Sports “NCAA Football” team features players who dominated the virtual gridiron in past iterations of the game.
- Creating the All-EA Sports team required extensive research and consideration of player ratings from older games.
- Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M is highlighted as a standout player in EA Sports “NCAA Football,” known for his improvisation and big plays.
- Manziel’s virtual presence in “NCAA Football 14” made him practically unstoppable, showcasing his ability to outrun defenders and make game-changing plays.
- The All-EA Sports team embodies the spirit of the franchise and celebrates the excitement of college football both on and off the field.
Offense
Quarterback
Johnny Manziel | Texas A&M | 97 overall
Johnny Manziel is the epitome of fun in EA Sports “NCAA Football.” He’s the player who embodies the arcade-like feel of the college game, where improvisation and big plays are king. He’s the player who made us all believe we could be a Heisman Trophy winner.
Manziel brought magic to the table, both in real life and the video game. When you used him and the Aggies in “NCAA Football 14,” that offense was practically unstoppable. His ability to outrun just about every defender on the field made him a threat on every play. You could wait for a receiver to come open or you could tuck the ball and run for a massive gain. And anyone who played Dynasty Mode or Road to Glory over and over again knows how hard it was to beat out Manziel for the Heisman Trophy.
Manziel was a true game-changer, and he’s a player who will forever be remembered for his brilliance on the virtual gridiron. He’s the player who made us all believe we could be a Heisman Trophy winner.
Running back
Reggie Bush | USC | 97 overall
Darren McFadden | Arkansas | 99 overall
Reggie Bush is one of the greatest running backs in college football history, and he certainly played that way in these video games. It seemed like every running back could cut on a dime, but Bush took that to another level. Between his superhuman elusiveness and speed, there was almost no need to drop back with Matt Leinart when playing with USC. Bush could total 300 yards of offense on his own. And as a punt returner? That was a blast.
On the other side of the coin, Darren McFadden was the type of running back who could make someone hurl their controller through their television. McFadden could run through tackles of all kinds, even the occasional hit stick. Think you’ve got a stop on fourth-and-short or a goal-line stand? Think again. Time to head to GameStop for some new equipment. Couple that power with breakaway speed, and defending McFadden was a nightmare.
Both Bush and McFadden were truly special players in the EA Sports “NCAA Football” games, and they were a nightmare for any opposing defense. They were the players who could make you believe that anything was possible on any given play.
Wide receiver
Calvin Johnson | Georgia Tech | 98 overall
Michael Crabtree | Texas Tech | 96 overall
The No. 1 quality of a great “NCAA Football” wideout is the ability to say, “F–k it, they’re down there somewhere,” when Four Verticals is perfectly covered by the defense. Calvin Johnson and Michael Crabtree were both that kind of receiver, and in the case of Johnson, he was usually two steps ahead of the nearest defensive back anyway. Johnson made Georgia Tech an appealing option for players looking to throw it deep, and that might be the greatest testament to how great he really was.
Speaking of chucking the ball deep, Texas Tech was a popular choice for many because of the Air Raid offense. That was especially the case with “NCAA Football 09,” when Crabtree was perhaps the best wide receiver in the game. The combination of Graham Harrell at quarterback and Crabtree at wide receiver may as well have invented the term “video-game numbers.” Plus, I probably tried to recreate Crabtree’s iconic catch against Texas roughly a dozen times.
Johnson and Crabtree were two of the most dominant wide receivers in the history of the EA Sports “NCAA Football” games. They were the players who could make you believe that you could catch anything thrown your way.
Tight end
Kellen Winslow | Miami | 97 overall
One of the best cheat codes in real football is getting a tight end who can run like a wide receiver matched up with a linebacker or safety. I’d say the same thing about the video game, except for the fact that super-linebackers had better verticals than Michael Jordan most of the time. Still, Kellen Winslow was more than capable of getting open against them. Sending Winslow on a seam route was practically a guaranteed first down every time, and even if the safety was in position to pick him up, Winslow had the acceleration to flat-out beat him.
Winslow was a true mismatch nightmare in the EA Sports “NCAA Football” games, and he was a player who could make any offense unstoppable. He was the player who could make you believe that you could throw the ball to anyone on the field and they would come down with it.
Offensive line
OT: Sam Baker | USC | 99 overall
OG: Andrew Whitworth | LSU | 97 overall
C: Mike Pouncey | Florida | 95 overall
OG: Joe Thomas | Wisconsin | 96 overall
OT: D’Brickashaw Ferguson | Virginia | 98 overall
First of all, yes, I did cheat a little bit on the offensive line. I have one true center and four tackles in this starting lineup, but I don’t have much doubt that Andrew Whitworth and Joe Thomas could handle the interior offensive line positions just fine. Besides, before every season in Dynasty Mode, didn’t everyone just go through the depth chart and start the five best offensive linemen anyway?
There was no better feeling than lining up on fourth-and-short and knowing you’d be able to pick up a fresh set of downs because the offensive line would blow the opposing defensive line into next week. It’s safe to say that the above quintet would do just that. Baker might be the best offensive lineman in the EA Sports “NCAA Football” franchise, and having D’Brickashaw Ferguson on the other side isn’t too shabby. There’s no need for Winslow to chip with this group.
This offensive line was a wall, and they were the foundation of any successful offense. They were the players who made you believe that you could run the ball on any play, and they were the players who gave your quarterbacks time to throw.
Defense
Defensive line
DE: Jadeveon Clowney | South Carolina | 99 overall
DT: Ndamukong Suh | Nebraska | 97 overall
DT: Marcus Spears | LSU | 99 overall
DE: David Pollack | Georgia | 99 overall
Winning in the trenches is just as important in virtual football as it is in the real world, and the only defensive line that could compete with the aforementioned offensive line is right here. In the middle, Marcus Spears and Ndamukong Suh are big and nasty enough to do plenty of damage against the run and passing games on their own. Just time the snap perfectly and bull rush your way to a sack or tackle for loss.
While Suh and Spears may not need much help against the opposing quarterback, they’ve got it in the form of two elite pass-rushers. Not only are Clowney and Pollack two of the greatest sack masters ever, but they were unblockable in the video games. With that duo coming off the edge, those poor virtual quarterbacks would stand no chance. For their sake, it would be best to turn injuries off.
This defensive line was a force to be reckoned with, and they were the backbone of any successful defense. They were the players who could disrupt any offense, and they were the players who could make opposing quarterbacks feel like they were in a hurricane.
Linebackers
James Laurinitis | Ohio State | 99 overall
Paul Posluszny | Penn State | 98 overall
Brandon Spikes | Florida | 98 overall
The linebacker position might be undervalued today, but that wasn’t the case when EA Sports was churning out “NCAA Football” games on an annual basis. The list of linebackers to choose from was long with over a dozen of them boasting ratings in the mid-to-high 90s. Ultimately, these three stood out from the rest of the pack.
Laurinits was a one-man wrecking crew on defense, and you didn’t really need to lock on anyone else if you were playing with the Buckeyes. The same could be said for Paul Posluszny, and Brandon Spikes was capable of causing a fumble every time anyone used the hit stick. The best part of this trio is that they also had the built-in advantage of being able to pick off a pass thrown well over their heads, a feature of every linebacker in the old “NCAA Football” games. Hopefully that gets corrected this time around.
This linebacking corps was a nightmare for any offense, and they were the players who could shut down any running game. They were the players who could make you believe that you could control the entire field.
Defensive backs
CB: Antrel Rolle | Miami | 97 overall
S: LaRon Landry | Alabama | 99 overall
S: Eric Berry | Tennessee | 97 overall
CB: Tyrann Mathieu | LSU | 93 overall
Locking down the opposing passing game was important in “NCAA Football” because the score could quickly go from 0-0 to 42-0 if you let your opponent connect on one big play after another. That wouldn’t be a problem with this secondary, which had to include at least one member of those great Miami Hurricanes teams. With Rolle on one side, I went with Tyrann Mathieu on the other side because speed trumps everything in video game football. Mathieu had more than enough speed to keep up with any receiver, and his recovery was excellent whenever I found myself well out of position after switching players at the wrong moment.
At safety, LaRon Landry was an easy choice because the 2006 consensus All-American was one of the highest rated defensive backs in the history of the game. Good luck getting the ball over his head. Opposite Landry is the great Eric Berry, one player I used often growing up. The best part about Berry, or Landry for that matter, was baiting an opponent into throwing the deep ball before getting across the field and grabbing a pick or laying a thunderous hit on the receiver.
This secondary was a lockdown unit, and they were the players who could make you believe that you could stop any pass. They were the players who could make you believe that you could win any game.
Special Teams
K: Mason Crosby | Colorado | 99 overall
P: Brad Wing | LSU | 91 overall
KR: Justin Gilbert | Oklahoma State | 91 overall
In the sake of full disclosure, I’m fundamentally opposed to kicking of any kind in video games, but I needed to fill out this roster. Crosby was an easy choice, partially because he was in the game before EA Sports got a little more stringent with its ratings. Crosby also had the benefit of kicking in that thin Boulder air, which I don’t think was a factor in the game, but I like to think it was.
The best video game punter is one you never use, but if you were going to use one, Brad Wing was more than capable of flipping the field. In the event a punt was absolutely necessary, it was always a good feeling to nail a perfect coffin corner.
In the return game, I went with Gilbert, who was also a highly rated defensive back. Not only did Gilbert have the type of speed necessary to take kicks and punts to the house in “NCAA Football,” but his real-life counterpart returned six kickoffs for scores in his four years as a Cowboy.
This special teams unit was a game-changer, and they were the players who could make you believe that you could win any game. They were the players who could make you believe that you could score from anywhere on the field.
This is just a small sample of the many great players who have graced the virtual gridiron in EA Sports “NCAA Football”. These are the players who made us believe that we could be a champion, and they are the players who will forever be remembered for their brilliance on the virtual gridiron.
