99 days until Notre Dame football: Which Irish should be closest to 99 overall in EA Sports College Football 25?

With 99 days until Notre Dame football, it’s time to take a look at one of the hottest topics in the sports world: EA Sports College Football 25. The video game is back, the official trailer looks awesome, the players are fairly compensated and the NCAA is not involved in any way. Wins all around.

EA has not revealed which players — if any — will be given the coveted 99 overall rating. Odds are Notre Dame won’t have one of them, but here are the four who should be closest once the game comes out July 19.

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Junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison

If someone likes to “user” a cornerback — or control the player themselves in the video game — I haven’t met them yet. That’s why a player like Morrison would be so valuable on a CFB 25 defense.

Morrison is one of the stickiest cover corners in all of college football, and over the past two years, he leads the nation in Pro Football Focus single-coverage grade at 86.8. His man-coverage rating is going to be incredibly high, so you don’t have to worry about the offense’s No. 1 wide receiver when you play as Notre Dame.

Morrison’s ball skills will be some of the best in the game, too. If someone does test him in one-on-one coverage, you can switch your user onto him at the last second and easily bat it away or intercept it.

Graduate student safety Xavier Watts

On the other hand, players love to “user” middle-of-the-field safeties who can hunt for interceptions. Enter Watts, one of the fastest and rangiest free safeties in the nation. His overall rating is going to be extremely high after winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the best defensive player in college football.

Watts tied for the national lead with 7 interceptions last season. He should be right up there with Morrison as the highest-rated Notre Dame players in the game.

Graduate student defensive tackle Howard Cross III

In terms of speed and quickness, few — if any — college defensive tackles can match Cross. Assuming College Football 25 inputs the same user pass-rush controls that Madden has implemented over the past decade, Cross’ violent hands will make those moves extremely effective, too.

Once Cross does get into the backfield, your opponent won’t run away from his as easily as they’ll run away from most interior defensive linemen. His speed rating will be one of, if not the highest in the game among DTs.

Senior tight end Mitchell Evans

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers would have had a real case for 99 overall if the game came back a year earlier. Evans isn’t as freakishly athletic, but he has several traits that should drive his rating past 90 at least.

For one, Evans moves very well for his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame. His “go-up-and-get-it” ability and soft hands allow him to make acrobatic catches against tight coverage; even if he’s not open, he’s open.

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