The release of EA Sports College Football 27 this July marks the third edition of the game in its return from an 11-year hiatus.
It means a little bit of the novelty has worn off, but considering there’s no college basketball counterpart, it remains a unique yearly experience for college footballers to witness and play as themselves in a video game.
That’s all while being compensated for it, too, as a report from On3 stated that each athlete would be paid $1,500 (an increase from $600) for their image and likeness to be used in this year’s game.
As gamers look to dive into the new edition, here’s a glance at some notable players who made their way from Oakland County programs to their respective schools and what their overall rating is in this year’s game.
Jaden Mangham, FS, Purdue – 85 OVR
The 4-star recruit out of Birmingham Groves began his career at Michigan State and was an All-Big 10 honorable mention as a freshman, then built on that with a four-interception season before transferring to Michigan, but injuries derailed his 2024 season. He got back out there last fall and finished with 30 tackles and two pass deflections. His speed (90) and agility (89) are both recognized in the game.
Koen Entringer, SS, Louisville – 83 OVR
The 3-star recruit out of Walled Lake Western initially inked with Iowa, where it took some time for him to make an impact. But that’s exactly what he did in 2025, racking up 73 tackles with four pass deflections and one forced fumble for the Hawkeyes. A two-way threat as both a receiver and in the secondary when he was with the Warriors, Entringer has transferred to Louisville and he’s one of the highest-rated players in their secondary.
Amir Herring, LG, Kansas – 77 OVR
Herring was one of the state’s top players from the Class of 2023 as a 4-star prospect out of West Bloomfield. He helped the Lakers win the OAA Red multiple times, and, of course, the 2020 D1 state title. Initially committed to Michigan, Herring finally found his breakthrough last year in Lawrence, starting all 12 games at left guard for the Jayhawks. He’s got solid speed (62) and acceleration (71) stats for an O-lineman, while his run block finesse stat (85) is judged to be his best blocking attribute.
Semaj Morgan, WR, UCLA – 77 OVR
Another West Bloomfield export, Morgan earned a 75 overall headed into last year, which he finished his last season in Ann Arbor with 20 catches for a career-high 223 yards. He’s transferred from the Wolverines to the Bruins, but it’s to no surprise that his pace remains his biggest threat with a speed rating of 93 and his acceleration rated 94.
Darius Taylor, HB, Minnesota – 87 OVR
A powerhouse of a runner at WL Western (he ran for nearly 2,500 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior), Taylor has produced every year for the Gophers, as indicated by the fact that he was named Big 10 Freshman of the Week three times in 2023. While he didn’t find the end zone as much last season as he did in 2024 when he had a dozen total TDs (and 1,336 all-purpose yards), Taylor still managed 670 rushing yards and 245 receiving yards as a junior last year. He doesn’t have one stat that’ll blow you away, but he’s a well-rounded back and tied for the fourth-best rating on Minnesota in this year’s game.
Brother Rice’s Nolan Ray fends off a tackle in the Warriors’ 30-7 loss to Detroit Catholic Central in the 77th Boys Bowl Sunday, September 9, 2021. (TIMOTHY ARRICK – MediaNews Group, file)
Nolan Ray, HB, Boston College – 81 OVR
Ray had a monster junior year at Brother Rice and translated that into a strong showing at Maryland, where he played in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman and ran for 374 with two touchdowns, then appeared in all of the Terrapins’ games last year and started three. Having transferred to BC, Dickens (90 speed, 91 acceleration ratings) is expected to compete for time in the backfield this season with Liberty transfer Evan Dickens.
Desman Stephens II, MIKE, USC – 84 OVR
Stephens was one of the highest-rated players of those that originated from the OC in last year’s game and remains as such yet again. A 4-star recruit who was a two-way threat for Clarkston from the time he was a sophomore (and a pretty good hooper, too), Stephens also got an early start for the Trojans, appearing in all 13 games as a freshman. He then built on that with 89 tackles and a forced fumble as a sophomore last year. The game grades Stephens (86 speed) as USC’s second-best defender, and he’s the eighth-best at his position of those in the Big 10.
Benny Eziuka, C, Virginia Tech – 72 OVR
A number of the other best freshman out of Oakland County aren’t here (at least not yet), but Eziuka is, and he’s given the same overall at Donovan Triplett (Western Michigan, WL Western). As to how he stacks up with his peers by a class and positional comparison, the answer is pretty good. Only five other freshmen centers are rated better than the Detroit Catholic Central state champ, who was given an 86 strength rating and a 93 toughness attribute.