On June 2, Electronic Arts released the cover athletes for College Football 27, starring Miami Hurricanes receiver Malachi Toney in the center of the cover art throwing up the U.
With video game speed and shiftiness, Toney was a surefire pick to be one of the three highlighted athletes alongside Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.
Toney is the first Hurricane to be featured on the game’s cover art and the sixth wide receiver to hold the mantle. This is the third title to be released by EA Sports since it brought the game back after an 11-year hiatus. The game will be released on July 9, 2026, starting at $69.99 for the basic version and $99.99 for the deluxe.
After his video game-like sophomore season posting 1,324 yards from scrimmage with 11 touchdowns to boot. These numbers include a memorable playoff run with 219 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Toney’s projected rating is estimated to be a 96 overall, the third-highest rated player in the game after Indiana lineman Carter Smith (97) and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (99). The actual game ratings aren’t going to be released until early July, ahead of the game’s release.
Miami had eight players with a rating 90 or higher in the previous edition, and the team should be able to maintain its high-end the new additions like Duke transfer quarterback Darien Mensah, Missouri transfer defensive end Damon Wilson II and freshman offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell. Hurricane fans can expect another elite roster to play with in-game.
Toney isn’t the only Hurricane to be featured in the game. The game is bringing back a fan-favorite gamemode, Mascot Mashup, where Sebastian the Ibis makes his long-awaited return after being excluded from the previous two editions.
Players will start with 10 unlocked mascots with the ability to unlock an additional 75 over the course of a story-like gameplay catered to the player’s desired experience.
It will be left up to the user as to which mascots they want on their roster and how they want to go about the experience. There will also be special celebrations, plays and animations available for the mascots, so expect to see Sebastian do his iconic C-A-N-E-S breakdown as well as the other popular emotes that Canes fans have grown to love.
