EA Sports College Football 26: Cover Stars, Mascots, and Leaked Hype

The excitement surrounding EA Sports College Football 26 continues to College Football 26 Coins build as new leaks paint a clearer picture of what fans can expect from the next major entry in the beloved college football video game series. While EA has yet to make a full announcement, recently leaked photos from a promotional shoot have fueled speculation—and confirmed several long-standing rumors about the game's cover athletes and possible game modes.

Leaked Photos Reveal Cover Athletes and Mascots

In March, Sports Illustrated journalist Anthony Miller shared details of a behind-the-scenes photo shoot involving multiple high-profile college athletes, coaches, and mascots. This event appears to be directly tied to promotional content for EA Sports College Football 26—particularly the Deluxe Edition cover art.

Among the featured athletes were Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. These three rising stars represent some of the most talked-about names in college football, and their inclusion in the photo shoot all but confirms their status as cover athletes.

The presence of well-known coaches and fan-favorite mascots, such as Big Al from Alabama and the Stanford Tree, also points to a return of one of the series’ most entertaining and nostalgic features: Mascot Mode.

Mascot Mode Could Make a Comeback

Mascot Mode was a fan-favorite feature in earlier iterations of NCAA Football, where players could pit teams of mascots against one another in exhibition games. Imagine the Florida Gator taking on the Notre Dame Leprechaun or NCAA 26 Coins a squad of LSU Tigers facing off against USC’s Trojan warriors—it was all fun, lighthearted chaos.