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EA Sports reveals top 5 QB ratings in College Football 26
By Paul Harvey
Published:
EA Sports is continuing its build-up to the ultimate release of the much-anticipated College Football 26 video game. On Tuesday, the build-up continued with some of the top player ratings available.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith claims the top overall rating to begin the campaign, coming in at a prestigious 98 overall. The only surprise is that Smith did not land the ultimate 99 overall that EA Sports had previously teased online.
As for the quarterback position, EA Sports revealed the top-5 players, including 1 from the Big Ten. The No. 1 overall spot belongs to Clemson QB Cade Klubnik with a 92 overall rating. However, LSU star Garrett Nussmeier and Penn State senior Drew Allar also tied Klubnik with similar 92 overall ratings.
Behind that trio, South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers and Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt tied with a 91 overall rating. Sellers is a fast-rising prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft after a breakout 2024 season, and Leavitt is hoping to lead the Sun Devils on a return trip to the College Football Playoff.
College football fans will notice the significant omission of Arch Manning, the rising starter at Texas. Manning certainly has a lot to prove in his first year as a starter, but he is still the frontrunner in the preseason Heisman Trophy odds produced by BetMGM, listed at +600.
As for the rest of those odds, the players from EA’s top 5 QB list feature significantly. Nussmeier (+850) is 2nd in the odds, while Klubnik (+1000), Allar (+1400), Sellers (+1800) and Leavitt (+2500) all factor in near the top, and fans can track the movement all season long through the Ohio betting apps.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.