EA Sports College Football 25: A look at Akron Zips' video game roster, player rankings

More than a decade ago, there was a collective cry from sports gamers and fans after NCAA Football was punted from store shelves.

One landmark Supreme Court case — O’Bannon v. National Collegiate Athletic Association — sent the game from EA Sports to the sidelines in 2013 after the court ruled that EA Sports, the game’s publisher, had no right to use the likenesses of former college football players.

SCOTUS opened the door to change in 2021 with a case that affected name, image and likeness in college sports, ruling that the NCAA violated anti-trust laws by not allowing players to make money.

The NCAA pivoted and changed their archaic rules regarding NIL and now allow players to profit from their image and name.

And with it comes a return to video game consoles across the country as EA Sports invested $6 million, according to a New York Times report, in NIL rights alone for the rebirth of one of its premier game titles, consistently ranking in the Top 10 in sales until its demise.

It’s easy to get lost in a competitive game on the console whether against a computer or that beer-swilling buddy who treats it as if each game is a win-or-die imperative.

“College Football 25” takes what was a somewhat customizable experience and takes it to another level — a level that includes University of Akron football players, who were among the 11,000 nationwide who received $600 and a deluxe version of the game for appearing in the game, a fun payday made possible by that 2021 SCOTUS decision.

Customization is at the heart of what makes “College Football 25” compelling to gamers along with a host of other features.

Team Builder, however, is key:

“Create your own college football program with customization tools on the Team Builder website. Design uniforms, helmets, fields, and upload your own logo, then upload your program to use in Play Now and Dynasty. Check out the download center to browse teams created by the entire community.”

No, it’s not just the likes of TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State running back) who can get the limelight, but potential starting UA quarterback Tahj Bullock and Ben Finley, along with a significant number of their teammates getting their moments in the spotlight — if a player so chooses.

Such a feature has the ability to expand the game’s reach. And, yes, there exist diehard Zips fans.

For them, a list of UA players and their “College Football 25” overall ratings which average nine factors on a scale of 100 within the game:

Akron Zips offense

Quarterbacks

Ben Finley (76 overall rating)

Tahj Bullock (74)

M. Griggs (67)

Brayden Roggow (67)

Johnny Brookhart (62)

Running backs

Jordon Simmons (74)

Charles Kellom (74)

Marquese Williams (71)

C. Bullock (65)

Wide receivers

Alex Adams (78)

Phaizon Wilson (73)

Bobby Golden (72)

Justin Campbell (68)

Adrian Norton (68)

Myles Walker (66)

Jarvis Rush (62)

Paul Davis (61)

J. Goodwin (57)

T. Fletcher (57)

Jean Louis III (53)

Tight ends

Max Whisner (77)

A. Pierce (68)

Jake Newell (68)

D. Reece (68)

C. Cravack (64)

Aiden Diaz (49)

Left tackle

Josh Blanchard (69)

Eli Fields (64)

Delvin Morris (64)

F. McClelland (51)

Left guard

Colin Lyons (74)

Da’Quan Thomas (72)

Nick Stopiak (52)

Center

Tyhler Williams (69)

Right guard

Dayne Shor (79)

Keylen Davis (71)

Right tackle

K. Kindred (72)

Jayvin James (62)

Jonas Mann (60)

AJ George (54)

Akron Zips defense

Left end

Bennett Adler (75)

Kam Cheatom (64)

E. Sheppard (62)

Jon’Trell Mixon (51)

Right end

CJ Nunnally IV (79)

L. Jackson (75)

J. Taylor (64)

Z. McGhee (64)

Kabbash Richards (62)

Defensive tackle

Lama Lavea (71)

Marcus Moore Jr. (69)

Nathan Kapongo (67)

C. Jayman (60)

A. Fenderson (60)

Andre Proffitt (57)

Kiawan Murphy (56)

Left outside linebacker

Jason Hocker (57)

Austin Wondolowski (51)

Rich Benenge (50)

Middle linebacker

Antavious Fish (73)

C. Davidson (68)

Melvin Spriggs (60)

Gage Summers (55)

Right outside linebacker

Shammond Cooper (77)

Byran McCoy (77)

Cornerback

Darrian Lewis (82)

Devonte Golden-Nelson (76)

Joey Hunter (72)

Justin Anderson (71)

Terence Thomas (71)

I. Jarmon (70)

D. Jennings (54)

Free safety

D. Jester (68)

Noel Roach (67)

A. Bellingham (67)

T. Wallace (64)

Strong safety

D. David (75)

Paul Lewis III (75)

Z. Laing-Taylor (65)

R. Hunter (62)

S. Conroy (58)

Kicker

C. Bradshaw (67)

D. Wiley (64)

Punter

E. Carlton (66)

D. Jackson (65)

George M. Thomas covers sports and pop culture for the Beacon Journal.