EA Sports' upcoming College Football 25 release is right around the corner. At least, that's what multiple Friday teases would suggest. After what appears to be a deluxe edition of the game that fans can waitlist hit the PlayStation Store, EA added a countdown timer to its website, promising more news about College Football 25 within the next week.
In fact, the timer is set to end on May 16 at 11 a.m. ET. Given that EA Sports previously confirmed that College Football 25 will be released sometime this summer, the countdown will likely lead to a full reveal trailer ahead of the game's release in July.
If the deluxe edition cover is any indication, EA is going all out for College Football 25. Stars like Michigan's Donovan Edwards, Texas' Quinn Ewers and Colorado's Travis Hunter were front and center on the PlayStation Store listing. That's the first evidence we've seen of the over 10,000 name, image and likeness deals that EA has agreed to with college football athletes around the country.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins were the other identifiable figures in a sea of players that includes representatives from the likes of USC, LSU, Washington, Notre Dame and many others.
College sports haven't received a proper video game title since 2013, when EA Sports released NCAA Football 14. The series was officially put on ice due in part to an antitrust lawsuit surrounding name, image and likeness. However, the NCAA's recent sweeping reforms, allowing collegiate athletes to profit off their NIL, opened the door for the series' revival.
What to know about the NCAA 25 deluxe cover stars
Michigan RB Donovan Edwards
CBS Sports Top 100 Ranking: Not ranked
Edwards might be seen by some as a curious choice to be absolute front-and-center, but reigning national champion Michigan is deserving of primo representation and it lost a trove of players to the NFL Draft. Defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson Jr. are better players, but they don't have the mass appeal of Edwards. Edwards rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries in the title win vs. Washington. He gets the backfield mostly to himself with Blake Corum gone.
It might be a surprising pick, but there's an argument to be made Edwards is an excellent choice as the cover frontman.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers
CBS Sports Top 100 Ranking: No. 15
As Texas migrates to the SEC, all eyes will be on Quinn Ewers to see if the former No. 1 overall recruit can take the final leap to an elite, national championship-winning quarterback. He has a loaded system of skill players around him. More games like his road showing at Alabama (349 yards, three touchdowns in a win) or Big 12 Championship throttling of Oklahoma State (454 yards, four touchdowns) will work just fine.
Colorado CB Travis Hunter
CBS Sports Top 100 Ranking: No. 1
The most famous dude in all of college football is Travis Hunter, who plays both ways for a Colorado team that receives no shortage of headlines. Hunter will likely stick at cornerback in the NFL, where he's a projected top-3 pick. Hunter was the No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2022 who made Signing Day shockwaves when he flipped from Florida State to sign with Jackson State and Deion Sanders. When Sanders left Jackson State for the head coaching job at Colorado in 2023, Hunter followed. He's pure dynamite and projects as one of the highest-rated players in the game.
