After 11 years, EA Sports will return its NCAA college football video game with its 2025 edition in July. This past week, fans got a first look at the game, and the Orange made an appearance in the official trailer. Let’s look at where SU’s stars should rate.
Quarterback Kyle McCord (85 overall)
An Ohio State transfer QB is going to be a hot pick. McCord should have one of the higher arm strength ratings after throwing for 3,170 yards last year. The New Jersey native’s run ability will lower his rating after -65 rushing yards last season. But with good receivers around him, the lack of speed shouldn’t a problem.
Tight End Oronde Gadsen (82 overall)
Syracuse’s top receiver two years ago starts low but could blossom. There are a lot of question marks surrounding the redshirt junior after he missed most of the 2023 season due to a Lisfranc injury. But the skill is there. Gadsden was First Team All-ACC as a sophomore with 969 receiving yards. And with his wide receiver-like speed, if can be lined up as a tight end, he will be lethal in the game.
Defensive Lineman Fadil Diggs (85 overall)
The SEC will almost certainly have the highest ratings, so a Texas A&M transfer like Diggs should get a nice boost. The senior started every regular season game last year and had eleven tackles for loss. A 6-5, 260 frame makes Diggs imposing. But he never was able to break out as a star while the Aggies finished .500 or below in SEC play each of his last three seasons with the team. This keeps him from the upper-80s.
Linebacker Marlowe Wax (86 overall)
The senior has a good chance of starting at SU’s highest-rated player with four years worth of film to show for it. Wax is a magnet to the ball while on the field. The Baltimore native is second in program history for career forced fumbles and has led Syracuse in tackles for two-straight seasons. If the game takes into account leadership, Wax was a captain this past season. EA Sports should have taken notice when Wax decided to return for his senior year.
While Syracuse football has plenty of hype for the 2024 season, the release of College Football 25 may have even more. Fans will get a chance to play around with SU’s roster on July 19 when the game releases.
