EA College Football 26 - So Good That I Created a Burner to Recruit Myself

After 11 years in the transfer portal thanks to fucking Ed O'Bannon (yes, I still hate you Edward), EA College Football  finally returned last year. While last year's game brought back all the nostalgia and many of the things we loved about college football, it left us wanting more. We bitched on the internet to each other, clogged up EA message boards, threatened EA's Twitter/X account, and then bitched to each other on the internet some more. Well it looks as if the good ole folks at Electronic Arts actually listened to us!

No, this isn’t a fever dream brought on by eating too many gas station chicken tenders on the way to an SEC tailgate. EA College Football 26 is real. It’s spectacular. And somehow, it might be the best football game EA has made in years — which, let’s be honest, wasn’t a high bar to clear. But they cleared it. With a hurdle animation. In a rivalry game. Under the lights.

*** NOTE*** I have a big weekend of fishing on my forecast for the official release (shoutout Blue Boot Rodeo ) so I splurged and got the Deluxe Edition/Madden bundle in order to play the game 3 days early. I've only really played 2 game modes so far (Dynasty and Road to Glory), but here are my early takes on the game as the Group Chat Pod's resident gaming expert:

🏈 Gameplay That Feels Like a Saturday in the South

Forget everything you remember from NCAA 14 — no, seriously, forget it. This ain’t just a port with sprinkles. This thing runs smoother than a 5-star recruit’s commitment video. The gameplay is fast, fluid, and full of the kind of chaotic brilliance only college football can deliver. Your freshman QB might throw 4 picks, then scramble for a 70-yard game-winner and all of a sudden hit the Griddy like he’s trying to get drafted off vibes alone.

The option offense? Chef’s kiss with quick and slow more accurate pitch options. The RPO game? Absolutely filthy. And oh yeah, Your fullback can finally matter again with the power run game. Somewhere, Mike Alstott is smiling on a fishing boat with a fat dip (or Zyn) in his GOAT lip.

🧠 Smarter AI (But Still Just Dumb Enough to Be Fun)

The CPU finally knows how to manage the clock, call timeouts, and not run a draw play on 3rd and 15 every single time. It's kinda competent now — but not too competent. You know, just the way I used to like my women. You’ll still get that occasional “WHY ARE YOU GOING FOR TWO DOWN NINE?” moment that reminds you: yes, this is still college football. Even the refs are realistic — as in, you’ll still yell “That’s targeting!” and “That’s not targeting!” or "WHERE'S THE FUCKING INTERFERENCE" in the same quarter.

🏟️ Dynasty Mode is Back, Baby

This is always been my favorite mode of game play. My go to as soon as I got the game from 2002 onward was always to take my beloved Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and turn them into an absolute powerhouse before usually bouncing around year 7-10, going to another lower tier program to either build them up and/or revive a once known powerhouse and then peacing out every 4-5 years until it ended. This year, that is absolutely what I did once again. I've already completed my first season as of last night and Louisiana is your 2025 NCAA Football National Champions. I play only offense and just simulate Defense. My first season included big time wins over MIzzou and USM before whipping up on Old Dominion in the Sun Belt title game. Then things got really fun as I matched up against LSU in the opening round of the college playoff beating them 35-30, smoked Penn St 52-31, and then squeaked by USC 17-14 before comfortably taking down Indiana for the title 28-14. Walker Howard smashed almost all UL and Sun Belt season passing records and his #1 target Shelton Sampson, Jr. did the same for yards and TDs. (A WR from SMU won the Heisman, just in case you care)

But all was not sunshine and boudin in Lafayette following this program altering win as literally 18 underclassmen fucking hit the portal after our title run for various reasons ranging from Pro Potential, to TV exposure, and even freaking "Champion Contention." Ahhh yes, the portal giveth and the portal ruin-eth. Players leaving wasn't the only crazy part as the Coach Carousel was absolute spinning off the rails. Here's a few highlights:

-- Lincoln Riley leaving #5 USC to go back to Oklahoma

-- Steve Sarkisian shuns Texas to head to Michigan (probably Portnoy related)

-- Brent Venables takes a job in the NFL

-- Lane Kiffin leaves Ole Miss to become the head honcho at Texas

-- PJ Fleck deflects Minnesota for Wisconsin

-- Greg Schiano burns Rutgers for a second time to lead Syracuse

-- Dave Aranda accepts USC's job and spurns Baylor

-- Sharrone Moore outright fired from UM and ends up at Temple

-- Luke Fickell gets the boot from Wisconsin and ends up at Mich St

Overall these stories seem cool b/c every single real life coach is in the game besides Deion and Belichick.

Recruiting is my first love and it seems that they really did revamp a lot of the shortcomings from last year. I think the biggest thing this year is that you can get locked into head to head recruiting battles, don't need to spend as many points on interested targets, and the biggest thing is that all of your recruiting visits don't cost the same amount of points based on the recruits location to your school. (Some take 10, some take 40) so it's a fluctuation of points. They are also times when you start out knowing a recruits interest before really scouting and that seems to help. I haven't landed a 5 star yet, so I'll have to report back on exactly how easy/difficult recruiting is once I'm not a 2 start school.

Overall, Dynasty seems MUCH improved. You can now watch a 4-star wide receiver commit to Central Michigan because they offered him a free iPad and a lifetime supply of energy drinks. The immersion is so real and engaging you’ll find yourself scheduling fake visits during work meetings and yelling at a pixelated 18-year-old for ghosting your program after you just sent the house. I'm only one season into the Transfer Portal and I already hate it b/c well, it's spot on with the mass exodus that we see every year from your favorite team. Getting transfers seems to be about the same as last year but any recruit you didn't get in for a visit during the season can still get one in the offseason if he's still hanging around. Also, coaching contracts seem to be pretty realistic this season as you will get fired for going 5–7 at Michigan. As you fucking should.

🌟 Road to Glory: Now With More Glory (and More Road)

This is one I've been having some fun with during chaotic periods of toddler terrorization in daylight hours. We’re talking full-scale recruiting madness: NIL deals, transfer portal, campus visits, Twitter drama — it’s all there. You start as a humble (or in my case cocky confident) high school player, grinding through playoff games and scholarship offers — all while trying to keep your GPA high enough to stay eligible. (Or don’t. We’re not your advisor.) You can pick 10 top schools that you want to recruit you and then each "game" you have 4 main goals that you need to accomplish to increase your recruiting grade and ranking. Each specific school can then give you "bonus mission goals" which helps your standing with them and allows you easier offers. But if you don't get that 50yd pass you promised their scout, then all of a sudden they hate you. You can also verbally commit and decommit, but be careful b/c once you shun them b/c your girlfriend is going out of state and you want to follow, you might not get that offer back.

They even have RPG elements during the high school years where you make choices such as how you talk to your coach, do you workout or study, or even who you're asking to prom! In Tommy Badeaux, Jr's (my first RTG I created) situation, he hired a mariachi band to ask out the head cheerleader and then got his scholarship offer pulled from Tulane after a "unflattering video made it's way to the internet and was seen by the coaches." Also new to this year: social media followers, NIL negotiations, and making business decisions like skipping the bowl game to prepare for the draft. It’s like being Caleb Williams, but with fewer commercials, no dresses, and less stupid manicures.

🎶 The Vibes Are Immaculate

The pageantry is back — fight songs, crowd chants, mascots doing push-ups like they’re trying to get drafted by the Marines. The pregame entrances? Electric. You will get goosebumps watching Clemson run down the hill, South Carolina blasting Sandstorm, or the Gators do their chomp thing all throughout the stadium. (Sadly, no Tom Petty during the third). Even if you’re dead inside.

The soundtrack is revamped so you'll hear more modern pop/rap tunes than just "Mo Bamba" on repeat. (Swag Surf anyone?) And the crowd atmosphere changes based on momentum swings. Your kicker might start the game with ice in his veins, then miss a PAT into the 12th row after throwing a pick-six on a fake field goal. Just like real life.

Final Thoughts:

EA College Football 26 didn’t just bring back the game to it's glory years — it brought back the feeling. The chaotic Saturdays. The “ranked #5 but somehow losing to Navy” heartbreaks. The 7 OT thrillers. The students storming the field. The third-string running back becoming a folk hero because the starter had cramps.

This game is a love letter to the weird, wild, beautiful world of college football. And honestly?

It was worth the wait.

Final Grade: A- with Extra Credit for Bringing Mascot Mode Back.