EA Sports College Football 26 is about to drop, and the popular video game has released some of its player ratings.
The game comes out July 10, and is notable for how it goes through team-by-team and ranks players on a 0-100 scale based on 54 attributes from A to Z, literally acceleration to zone blocking. Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith tops the ratings this year with a 98.
Not surprisingly, UTEP didn’t crack their top 25 as a team, which was led by Alabama (89), then Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Clemson, and Texas A&M with 88s. UTEP didn’t have players in the top 100 (that ends with a 91 rating) but a few individual player rankings have been released for the Miners, and they have two quarterback ranked in their top 11 players.
So who are the top UTEP players in College Football 26 as they head to the 2025 season?
Xavier Smith, SS, 85 rating
The 6-foot, 195-pound junior strong safety is rated highest in stamina (95), acceleration (91), awareness (91) and toughness (91).
Hashaun Wilson, HB, 84
The 5-11, 195 senior transfer from Charlotte rated a 93 in acceleration and a 90 in speed.
Kenny Odom, WR, 84
At 5-10, 170, the junior ranks highest in acceleration 94 and also got a 90 in agility.
Kam Thomas, WR, 83
The 5-7, 184 senior Miner back (a receiver/running back hybrid) rates 94 in acceleration and 92 in agility. He rated a 91 in speed and change of direction.
KD Johnson, DT, 78
One of three defensive players ranked in UTEP’s top 11, the 6-1, 275 senior defensive tackle rated a 99 in injury (least likely to get them), the highest ranking in any area by any UTEP player. Perhaps on a related note, Johnson rated a 90 in toughness.
Malachi Nelson, QB, 76
The five-star transfer sophomore quarterback, who is 6-3, 193, has a 95 score in pass accuracy, 92 in throw power and a 91 in stamina.
Skyler Locklear, QB, 76
EA Sports isn’t taking a side in UTEP’s looming quarterback battle. Locklear, the 5-11, 195 junior incumbent, ranks 93 in stamina, 92 in toughness and 88 in injury. He ranked 81 in awareness to Nelson’s 69.
Ivan Escobar, LG, 76
The 6-2, 305 senior from Montwood High School in El Paso ranked 90 in stamina and an 88 in toughness.
Joseph Immediato, RG, 76
The 6-4, 318 Eastwood alum rated 96 in injury, the second-highest score by any UTEP player in any category. He scored 89 in strength and somehow got a 4 in deep snap rating, which is fine since he won’t deep snap.
Jaden Smith, WR, 74
The 5-10, 195 senior score 89 in acceleration and 88 in injury.
Jayden Wilson, LB, 74
At 6-1, 218, the junior rates 88 in injury and 86 in agility.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
