Who are the College Football 26 cover athletes? Predictions, Leaks, & More

College Football 26 is set to release in July of 2025, and many are already curious about who the game’s cover athletes will be. There are a lot of great candidates who had incredible campaigns this past season in CFB, but with some leaked images already circulating, we may have some early clues on who to expect.

CFB 26 cover athletes leaked?

Just a few weeks ago, there was a leaked image shared across the internet of an apparent photo shoot at the Rose Bowl for the College Football 26 cover. Below is one of the leaked images from the shoot, featuring Ryan Williams from Alabama, Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State, and many others.

Leaked behind-the-scenes images of an apparent CFB 26 cover shoot (Image via Reddit)

It’s clear that this image would still be far from a final result, but it should give us some indication of who we can expect from one of the likely multiple editions of CFB 26.

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Our picks for College Football 26 cover athlete: Predictions

Based on last season’s results and strongest media narratives, here are our guesses at College Football 26 cover athletes and different editions we could expect.

• Despite not being featured, Arch Manning would be a clear choice for a cover athlete, even despite a Texas QB being on last year’s cover
• Freshman Michigan QB Bryce Underwood is the lone first-year player
• Coaches Edition is likely, as Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Penn State’s James Franklin, and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham are all featured in the leaked images
• Exciting current players like Alabama WR Ryan Williams, Florida QB DJ Lagway, Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, and Penn State RB Nick Singleton
• A GameDay Edition featuring broadcast talent like Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, and others could be a nice homage to what has become one of the most beloved broadcast features in all of sports
• Heisman Edition featuring past Heisman winners, who can be seen in the leaked images (Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow in particular)

As we get more information, we will continue to update on who the College Football 26 cover athletes could be. Stay tuned for more!

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