Guessing LSU offensive player ratings in EA College Football 25

*Story originally published on May 14, 2024

We are two days away from the official cover reveal and potentially more information about EA College Football 25, the video game that’s set to release this summer and LSU fans can’t wait. The excitement of football fans across the country continues to build as we’re likely about two months out from the game being out and something to help us get through the long summer before the real college football season begins.

Some of the biggest debates will be about player ratings once the game is out. Players will talk about them, fans will dissect them, and with over 10,000 players in the game, there’s plenty of work to do to try to get the ratings somewhat accurate. In Madden, there are less than 2,000 players with ratings.

Let’s focus on LSU, though. I went through and rated every offensive player based on what I would personally rate them, not what I think EA will rate them. There is no recent precedence on ratings since this is a new game and using Madden ratings to reference felt useless, so these are all fresh. Let’s take a look at what the ratings could be for the Tigers’ offense today — defense out tomorrow.

Quarterback

Garrett Nussmeier: 88 | AJ Swann: 74 | Rickie Collins: 71 | Colin Hurley: 68

I don’t think there’s a quarterback in America that deserves to start the year over 92 rated. Nussmeier doesn’t have the starting experience that Carson Beck and others have, which will drop him a bit, but I’m confident he puts up impressive numbers and ends the year in the 90s. Starting the year at an 88 should put him as a top 10-15 quarterback in the country. Hopefully they don’t inflate this position rating across the country in a very average quarterback year.

AJ Swann should be in the 73-75 range with his starting experience at Vanderbilt. Collins in the low 70s as a redshirt freshman and a modest prospect out of high school is fine. I have no idea how they’ll rate true freshmen upon release of the game. 

Running back

Josh Williams: 82 | Kaleb Jackson: 82 | Trey Holly: 73 | Caden Durham: 73

Williams is a do-it-all type of back who looked spry in the spring and certainly deserves credit for being a reliable back for the Tigers in his career. Jackson has the upside, but until we see his overall ability and consistency as a featured back, I think it’s fair to start him at 82 overall and go from there. 

Holly is a rugged back who maybe has some potential to show this year, despite missing the spring, while Durham is a freshman with legit track speed and was the featured back on one of the best teams in Texas last year. 

Wide receiver

Kyren Lacy: 87 | CJ Daniels: 85 | Chris Hilton: 82 | Zavion Thomas: 82 | Aaron Anderson: 76 | Shelton Sampson: 75 | Kyle Parker: 75 | Landon Ibieta: 70 | Kylan Billiot: 74 | Jelani Watkins: 73

I’m interested to see where Lacy starts the year in the game. The general population has no idea how good he’s been in the spring for LSU and I could see him coming in the mid-80s, which feels too low for me. I think he’s a 1,000 yard receiver and someone who will immediately be someone talked about on the national stage when paired with Garrett Nussmeier. Daniels gets respect since he’s coming off of a great year at Liberty, while Hilton is getting the benefit of the doubt despite just 415 career yards on 22 receptions because of his big-play ability. 

Thomas had a solid year at Mississippi State last year, while the rest of the room will have to earn its rating this year.

Tight end

Mason Taylor: 88 | Mac Markway: 77 | Ka’Morreun Pimpton: 77 | Trey’Dez Green: 77

Taylor should be one of the 10-12 best tight ends in the country this year, but after a down year statistically, I could see EA starting him in the mid-80s. I just have complete faith that Taylor will shine and prove that he’s one of the most valuable and versatile tight ends in the SEC pretty quickly. The other three are all on the same tier to me. Markway is the best blocker in the room and has some ability catching the ball. Pimpton should get more reps this year and put that massive catch radius to use, while Green is a five-star prospect.

Offensive Tackles

Will Campbell: 97 | Emery Jones: 92 | Tyree Adams: 77 | Bo Bordelon: 75 | Weston Davis: 74 | Khayree Lee: 68 | Ory Williams: 69

Campbell is considered the best offensive tackle in the country and a potential top 10 pick in the NFL Draft, which merits a 97 rating right away. Jones is a fringe first round projection, but still a top 10 tackle in the country and therefore deserves a lofty 92 rating to start the year. It’s the best tackle duo in the country and the ratings will reflect that. Adams and Bordelon are the immediate backups and both have shown some nice flashes for the Tigers in the spring, while Weston Davis is a highly-touted four-star prospect who may need a year to get filled out.

Centers & Guards

Garrett Dellinger: 86 | Miles Frazier: 85 | DJ Chester: 82 | Paul Mubenga: 73 | Coen Echols: 72 | Ethan Calloway: 69

Dellinger is a physical run blocker who is a veteran presence for LSU and an 86 feels about right. Miles Frazier is in a similar position, albeit slightly less talented. Chester is the big question mark here as a first-time starter, but he was highly regarded out of high school and looks to be a strong addition for the Tigers in the middle. The rest of the room is pieced together with young pieces.