Lagway, Tebow on Leaked NCAA Video Game Cover
EA Sports’ College Football 26, the second edition of the revamped video game, had the apparent cover for its Deluxe Edition leaked on Wednesday night, and two prominent Florida Gators quarterbacks are on the cover.
Current starting quarterback DJ Lagway and two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow were two of many current and former college football stars to be seen on the cover, which gained traction after being shared by On3’s Hayes Fawcett.
Should the apparent leaked cover end up being what EA Sports uses, Lagway will be the third UF quarterback to appear on the game’s cover after Tebow in NCAA Football 11 and Danny Wuerffel in NCAA Football ’98.
This would also mark Tebow’s second appearance on the game’s cover, making him the first person to appear multiple times on the game’s cover.
By having Lagway on the cover, the University of Florida is now tied for the third-most appearances on the game’s cover with USC, Texas and Ohio State, which had two players in the leak with Smith and safety Caleb Downs. Alabama has the second-most with four, and Michigan now has the most appearances with five after true freshman Bryce Underwood was included in the leaked cover.
Prior to the leak, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that EA Sports held its photoshoot for the game at the Rose Bowl while listing all of the players seen in the leak in his initial report.
Other notable members of the college football world seen on the cover are Alabama receiver Ryan Williams, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Penn State head coach James Franklin and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
Smart’s, Franklin’s and Kiffin’s inclusions also indicate that the game will feature real college football head coaches, a first in the game’s history.
EA Sports’ College Football video game first returned in the summer of 2024 after an 11-year hiatus. The game’s last edition came with NCAA 14 in the summer of 2013, but the game would soon be cancelled after issues regarding what would eventually become NIL.
College Football 26 does not have an announced released date but will be available sometime this summer.
