College football fans received early access to EA Sports College Football 26 on Monday, with the video game’s official release set for Thursday. The game returned last summer for the first time in more than a decade. 

Electronic Arts has now brought the game back for a second consecutive year. Among the changes from last year’s game is an updated Road to Glory, coaches are now in the game and a revamped gameday experience, on top of tweaks to Dynasty Mode.

And for the second time in EA Sports College Football’s history, athletes are being compensated for having their name, image and likeness. That also means on-field performances are being factored into the player ratings update for the first time. EA released the top-100 ranked players in EA Sports College Football 2026. Here’s the full breakdown:

1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith – 98 overall
The top-ranked player in this year’s video game, Jeremiah Smith, emerged as one of the top players in college football as a true freshman in 2024. He showed out on the big stage, too, finishing the season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging over 17 yards per catch. Smith capped off his standout year with a game-clinching, 3rd-down catch against Notre Dame in the national title game.

2. Ohio State S Caleb Downs – 96 overall
Viewed as one of the best defensive players in college football and a possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Caleb Downs finished his first season at Ohio State with 107 tackles, three pass deflections and two interceptions. A former Alabama transfer and SEC Freshman of the Year, Downs did not miss a beat in his first year at Ohio State, earning unanimous All-America honors.

3. Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. – 95 overall
The top returning linebacker in college football is Anthony Hill Jr. The third-year linebacker has played in 30 games with 22 starts, registered three double-digit tackle performances last year, finishing 2024 with 113 tackles, eight sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception. He will anchor a defense that will look to push Texas over the top in its hunt for a national title.

4. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love – 95 overall
Self-described as an “all-around back,” Jeremiyah Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024. That included a 98-yard touchdown run in the first round of the College Football Playoff in December while dealing with the flu. Love is already appearing in way-too-early 2026 NFL mock drafts as a first-round pick. The 6-foot, 206-pound running back flashed his versatility throughout 2024, pulling in 28 catches for 237 yards.

5. Alabama WR Ryan Williams – 95 overall
Ryan Williams didn’t turn 18 until after the college football season, but his age did not impact what he was able to do on the field. The former five-star recruit closed out the 2024 season with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown against Georgia. He’s on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith

6. Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker – 95 overall
T.J. Parker’s 12 sacks in 2024 lead all returning Power Four EDGEs. He’s also just one of three EDGEs returning who posted an 80.0-plus PFF grade as a pass rusher and run defender. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Parker is projected as a top-10 NFL draft pick entering the season.

7. South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart – 94 overall
Dylan Stewart was no secret on the recruiting trail. With a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, it was clear that the Five-Star Plus+ recruit was built to wreak havoc on Saturdays in college football. Last season at South Carolina, Stewart posted 6.5 sacks, falling just shy of Jadeveon Clowney’s freshman record of eight. This offseason, Stewart is up six pounds and now weighs 256. A source said that the EDGE has also ripped off 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

8. Tennessee DB Jermod McCoy – 94 overall
Still recovering from an ACL injury, Jermod McCoy came up big for Tennessee on its run to the College Football Playoff. McCoy logged four interceptions and nine pass breakups in 2024. He tied for the SEC lead in interceptions, too. His 13 passes defended were the most by a Volunteer since Theo Jackson also had 13 in 2021.

9. Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson – 94 overall
Arguably, the top returning quarterback-wide receiver duo in college football is Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver evolved into Leavitt’s top target during last year’s run. But Tyson was not available in the Big 12 title game or CFP loss, dealing with a collarbone injury. He finished the season with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns.

10. Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor – 94 overall
Viewed as one of the top offensive tackles on the board for the 2026 NFL draft, Kadyn Proctor has had an eventful college career. Proctor spurned Iowa as a high school recruit, picking Alabama. But after just a year with the Crimson Tide, he entered the portal and transferred to Iowa. That only lasted a few months, as he headed back to Tuscaloosa in the spring of 2024. He earned second-team All-SEC honors last year

11. Clemson DL Peter Woods – 94 overall
12. Utah OL Spencer Fano – 94 overall
13. Texas A&M OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams – 93 overall
14. Duke CB Chandler Rivers – 93 overall
15. Texas EDGE Colin Simmons – 93 overall
16. Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey – 93 overall
17. Oregon S Dillon Thieneman – 93 overall
18. Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers – 93 overall
19. Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt – 93 overall
20. Miami OL Francis Mauigoa – 93 overall

21. Louisville RB Isaac Brown – 93 overall
22. Washington RB Jonah Coleman – 93 overall
23. Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk – 93 overall
24. Pitt LB Kyle Louis – 93 overall
25. Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore – 93 overall
26. Penn State RB Nick Singleton – 93 overall
27. Ole Miss EDGE Suntarine Perkins – 93 overall
28. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy – 92 overall
29. Kansas State LB Austin Romaine – 92 overall
30. Clemson CB Avieon Terrell – 92 overall

31. Clemson OT Blake Miller – 92 overall
32. Duke OT Brian Parker II – 92 overall
33. TCU S Bud Clark – 92 overall
34. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik – 92 overall
35. Missouri OL Cayden Green – 92 overall
36. Georgia DL Christen Miller – 92 overall
37. Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds – 92 overall
38. Penn State EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton – 92 overall
39. Cincinnati DL Dontay Corleone – 92 overall
40. Drew Allar – 92 overall

41. Auburn WR Eric Singleton Jr. – 92 overall
42. Georgia Tech WR Eric Rivers – 92 overall
43. Arkansas OL Fernando Carmona – 92 overall
44. Illinois LB Gabe Jacas – 92 overall
45. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier – 92 overall
46. Alabama OL Jaeden Roberts – 92 overall
47. Florida OL Jake Slaughter – 92 overall
48. Colorado OL Jordan Seaton – 92 overall
49. Penn State RB Kaytron Allen – 92 overall
50. Oregon RB Makhi Hughes – 92 overall

51. Texas CB Malik Muhammad – 92 overall
52. Indiana DL Mikail Kamara – 92 overall
53. Penn State OL Vega Ioane – 92 overall
54. Michigan S Rod Moore – 92 overall
55. Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. – 92 overall
56. Houston TE Tanner Koziol – 92 overall
57. Duke S Terry Moore – 92 overall
58. Alabama DL Tim Keenan III – 92 overall
59. Penn State CB A.J. Harris – 91 overall
60. Notre Dame OL Aamil Wagner – 91 overall

61. Iowa DL Aaron Graves – 91 overall
62. Oregon State RB Anthony Hankerson – 91 overall
63. LSU CB Ashton Stamps – 91 overall
64. Alabama S Bray Hubbard – 91 overall
65. Georgia LB C.J. Allen – 91 overall
66. Northwestern OL Caleb Tiernan – 91 overall
67. Ohio State WR Carnell Tate – 91 overall
68. Miami QB Carson Beck – 91 overall
69. Minnesota RB Darius Taylor – 91 overall
70. Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne – 91 overall

71. Washington WR Denzel Boston – 91 overall
72. Alabama LB Deontae Lawson – 91 overall
73. Michigan EDGE Derrick Moore – 91 overall
74. Pitt RB Desmond Reid – 91 overall
75. Iowa OL Gennings Dunker – 91 overall
76. Michigan OL Giovanni El-Hadi – 91 overall
77. LSU LB Harold Perkins – 91 overall
78. SMU S Isaiah Nwokobia – 91 overall
79. Oregon OL Isaiah World – 91 overall
80. Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez – 91 overall

81. Missouri S Jalen Catalon – 91 overall
82. Old Dominion LB Jason Henderson – 91 overall
83. Iowa State S Jeremiah Cooper – 91 overall
84. Oklahoma QB John Mateer – 91 overall
85. Kentucky OL Joshua Braun – 91 overall
86. Georgia S KJ Bolden – 91 overall
87. Minnesota S Koi Perich – 91 overall
88. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers – 91 overall
89. Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields – 91 overall
90. Oregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei – 91 overall

91. Ohio State TE Max Klare – 91 overall
92. Texas S Michael Taafe – 91 overall
93. Alabama OL Parker Brailsford – 91 overall
94. Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner – 91 overall
95. Michigan DL Rayshaun Benny – 91 overall
96. Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt – 91 overall
97. Washington CB Tacario Davis – 91 overall
98. Virginia Tech OL Tomas Rimac – 91 overall
99. San Diego State EDGE Trey White – 91 overall
100. Arizona State S Xavion Alford – 91 overall

MORAGA, Calif. — Due to an increasing interest in Division I Mid-Major Softball, D1Softball.com has released their first ever “D100” Mid-Major Softball player rankings following the 2025 season. Checking in on the list at #98 is a familiar face to Gael fans, sophomore third baseman Sam Buckley. Buckley was one of just two WCC Players to make the list, joining reigning WCC Player of the Year Cairah Curran of Santa Clara, who checked in at #94. 

After arguably one of the best freshmen seasons in program history in 2024, Sam Buckley’s encore performance in 2025 was all the more spectacular. The Burbank, California native set new single season records for home runs (14), runs scored (47) and RBI (41), and became just the fourth Gael in program history to finish a season with a batting average better than 0.400. Buckley led the WCC in on-base percentage (0.523), slugging percentage (0.818) and OPS (1.341), and committed just two errors at the hot corner all season. 

The Gaels faced off with many players on this list, including Aaliyah Jenkins (Nevada, #4), Sophia Knight (Boise State, #12), and Makenzie Butt (Boise State, #18). There’s no question that the level of softball continues to grow at the mid-major level, and the Gaels are no exception, now back-to-back WCC champs, and looking for more in 2026, charged by Sam Buckley and company. 

#GaelsRise

As the follow-up to the most successful and celebrated sports video game in American history, gamers will predictably want to jump into College Football 26 as soon as they can and explore the new features. And, in some cases, new players from a really good freshman class. Unfortunately, not all of the highly touted fresh faces will be present in the game. At least, not at launch. And one of them hails from one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation.

Ohio State is one of the most celebrated and decorated college football programs out there. Boasting 9 national championships, 41 conference championships, and 10 division championships, the Buckeyes are among the crème de la crème of college football. In turn, many of the country’s most talented young football players commit to Ohio State each year, as being part of such a prestigious program often leads to larger media exposure and more looks from NFL scouts. Heck, this year, the two highest-rated players in CFB 26 are Ohio State players — Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs.

But one of the Buckeyes’ most publicized new acquisitions won’t be in the game at launch.

Considered the 8th-best cornerback prospect in the nation out of high school, Devin Sanchez will be making his debut as a freshman this year for Ohio State. Unfortunately, he will not be present at launch in College Football 26.

While the reason for Sanchez’s omission is officially unknown, it likely comes down to the NCAA’s eligibility rules. Even if he’s one of the country’s most promising young talents, nothing is a guarantee. Therefore, until he plays a down for Ohio State, don’t expect to see him in the game.

There is hope, though. In October last year, EA provided College Football 25 with a large roster update that added over 700 NIL players to the game. So if Sanchez gets some burn between now and the fall, Ohio State fans can definitely expect to see him added to CFB 26 as well. Depending on how EA treats him, it might give OSU one of the most deadly secondaries in the game as well (they technically already have an amazing secondary, but another highly-rated corner would put them over the edge).

On Monday, a Leon County judge denied former Florida State men’s basketball head coach Leonard Hamilton‘s motion to dismiss an NIL-related lawsuit against him, per The Athletic‘s Matt Baker. In the hearing, they set a tentative trial date of August 2026.

In December of last year, Darin Green Jr., Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Cam’Ron Fletcher, De’Ante Green and Jalen Warley alleged Hamilton promised each of them $250,000 in NIL payments from the coach’s “business partners,” per the complaint. The players reportedly never received payments from Hamilton, Florida State or any other party.

The initial complaint detailed a team-wide boycott that occurred during a practice ahead of Florida State’s game against Duke on Feb. 17. The complaint also included multiple text message exchanges between players and Hamilton and players and Will Cowen, an executive with one of Florida State’s NIL collectives.

After the players walked out of the practice ahead of the Duke game, Hamilton assured the players they would be paid the following week, per the complaint. Florida State ultimately lost to Duke, 76-67. Players were worried over taxes, rent and car notes, per the complaint.

In April, The Field of 68 legal analyst Mitch Gilfillan reported that three of the six plaintiffs were no longer pursuing the lawsuit. Nonetheless, it appears the other three plaintiffs have not had a change of heart and are pushing forward.

None of the six players who were involved in the lawsuit are still on Florida State’s roster. Four of them entered the transfer portal, while two of them had no more eligibility.

Leonard Hamilton announced his resignation in February. He is the winningest head coach in program history and the fifth-winningest head coach in ACC history.

“I am deeply thankful for the tremendous support of our fans, alumni, and everyone associated with Florida State throughout my time here,” Hamilton said. “I am proud of the quality of the young men that it was my privilege to lead, for their faith in this program and in their belief in the philosophy that we tried to instill in them over the years. I have been blessed beyond words for the opportunity and the experience we’ve had here.

“My family and I truly love this place, this institution, and its people. I’m very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets. Every head coach inherits a legacy and is obligated to leave the job better than they inherited it. I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish here over the last 23 seasons.”