EA Sports announced the cover athletes for College Football 27, featuring three stars from different positions who helped lead their teams deep into last season’s playoffs.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy and Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney will appear on the standard edition cover.
The announcement marks a shift from last year’s cover, which featured Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith and Alabama WR Ryan Coleman-Williams (then just Ryan Williams). This year’s cover spans three different positions and showcases talent from across the country.
Official EA Sports College Football 27 cover featuring Kewan Lacy, Malachi Toney and Dante Moore. pic.twitter.com/zuF8epaoHf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 2, 2026
Moore passed on the opportunity to be a high first-round NFL Draft pick after leading Oregon to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Lacy transferred from Missouri and became one of the nation’s top running backs, posting 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. Toney emerged as a weapon for Miami with 1,324 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns.
Deluxe Edition Features Seven Cover Athletes
The Deluxe Edition will feature five players plus Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who led the Hoosiers to their first playoff appearance.
Joining the three standard cover athletes are USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore and Texas defensive end Colin Simmons.
EA Sports College Football 27’s Deluxe Edition Cover Leaked
The Cover Includes:
– Curt Cignetti
– Dante Moore
– Malachi Toney
– Jayden Maiava
– Kewan Lacy
– Colin Simmons
– Leonard Moore pic.twitter.com/wxnYdBjYjY— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) May 30, 2026
Indiana represents the only team from last season’s final four without a player on either cover, though Cignetti’s inclusion recognizes his coaching achievement. Star quarterback Fernando Mendoza is now in the NFL.
Manning Opts Out Again
Texas quarterback Arch Manning doesn’t appear on either cover after opting out of the cover shoot process.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed he and Manning opted out of EA College Football 26’s cover shoot and presumably did so again this year. Sarkisian didn’t provide a reason for the decision.
Manning would likely have been featured prominently as college football’s most recognizable player. He initially opted out of the video game entirely when EA Sports brought it back in 2024, saying he wanted to focus on football, but reversed course later that year.
College Football Cover History
| Year | Player | School |
| 1993 | Bill Walsh* | |
| 1994 | Bill Walsh* | |
| 1995 | None** | |
| 1996 | Tommie Frazier | Nebraska |
| 1997 | Danny Wuerffel | Florida |
| 1998 | Charles Woodson | Michigan |
| 1999 | Ricky Williams | Texas |
| 2000 | Shaun Alexander | Alabama |
| 2001 | Chris Weinke | Florida State |
| 2002 | Joey Harrington | Oregon |
| 2003 | Carson Palmer | USC |
| 2004 | Larry Fitzgerald | Pittsburgh |
| 2005 | Desmond Howard | Michigan |
| 2006 | Reggie Bush | USC |
| 2007 | Jared Zabransky | Boise State |
| 2008 | Owen Schmitt (PSP)*** | West Virginia |
| DeSean Jackson (PS2) | California | |
| Matt Ryan (PS3) | Boston College | |
| Darren McFadden (Xbox 360) | Arkansas | |
| 2009 | Brian Orakpo (PS2) | Texas |
| Brian Johnson (PS3) | Utah | |
| Mark Sanchez (PSP) | USC | |
| Michael Crabtree (Xbox 360) | Texas Tech | |
| 2010 | Tim Tebow | Florida |
| 2011 | Mark Ingram | Alabama |
| 2012 | Robert Griffin III, Barry Sanders | Baylor, Oklahoma State |
| 2013 | Denard Robinson | Michigan |
| 2024 | Quinn Ewers, Travis Hunter, Donovan Edwards | Texas, Colorado, Michigan |
| 2025 | Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith | Alabama, Ohio State |
| 2026 | Dante Moore, Kewan Lacy, Malachi Toney | Oregon, Ole Miss, Miami |
Release Date Information
EA Sports hasn’t formally announced a release date for College Football 27, but it’s expected in early July based on last year’s July 10 release.
According to MUTLeaks, which has leaked accurate game information previously, gameplay access could begin as soon as July 2 for MVP+ Membership subscribers.
