According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, more than 10,000 college football players have already agreed to participate in EA Sports College Football 25 this summer, marking a big step for the company as it brings back the once-popular video game.
However, one notable holdout appears to be Texas redshirt freshman Arch Manning.
According to Rivals.com's Anwar Richardson, Manning did not want to participate in the video game. Instead, he concentrates “on playing football on the field.”
Several people have told me that Texas redshirt quarterback Arch Manning won't be choosing EA Sports College Football 25. I was told that Arch is focused on playing football on the field. pic.twitter.com/dCFHdAuMZ1
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) March 5, 2024
Manning, the son of Cooper Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, spent last season as a redshirt at Texas, playing behind Quinn Ewers – who helped lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff. Manning was a five-star recruit out of high school and is expected to start at Texas once Ewers leaves for the NFL Draft after next season.
Although Manning won't be in the game, several other big-name players have already signed on. According to ESPN, Ewers, Colorado's Travis Hunter, Georgia's Carson Beck, Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel have all signed.
Arch Manning will not be participating in the new EA Sports College Football 25 game this summer. (Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The upcoming release this summer marks the first edition of the game since NCAA Football 14 was canceled on July 9, 2013. EA Sports has launched a new NIL deal to compensate players for appearing in the game. They will reportedly receive $600 and a free copy of the game if they agree to participate.
By reaching the 10,000 player mark, EA Sports says it has reached 87% of its goal for the game.
“The response to athlete opt-in for EA Sports College Football 25 has been phenomenal,” said Daryl Holt, senior vice president and group general manager of Tiburon Studios and EA Sports’ American football division, in a statement told ESPN. “In just over a week, over 10,000 athletes across the FBS have opted in and the number is increasing every hour. We look forward to welcoming more athletes in the coming weeks and showcasing this world-class class of athletes for the first time in the game when it launches this summer.”
Although EA Sports has not yet announced a specific date, the game is expected to release later this summer. Even though Manning won't be there this time, Texas fans will certainly have the opportunity to create a fake version of him to start a new dynasty mode. That's almost reality.