Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter featured on 'College Football 25' video game cover

The much-anticipated reboot of EA Sports’ college football video game – the first new edition in more than a decade – will be released July 19, according to the game maker.

EA Sports also unveiled the cover for “College Football 25,” which features Colorado two-way athlete Travis Hunter alongside Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards.

Some on social media criticized the choice of Hunter, whose CU Buffaloes went just 4-8 in his first season after following Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Boulder. Hunter, though, is a former No. 1-overall recruit and is likely to be taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the college game’s most gifted players.

Hunter’s covermates carry a winning pedigree. Ewers, also a former top-ranked high school recruit, leads Texas into its first season in the SEC fresh off of a College Football Playoff berth in 2023. Edwards is expected to lead the backfield of the defending-champion Wolverines.

“College Football 25” returns 11 years after EA Sports discontinued its “NCAA Football” series in 2013 due in part to a name, image and likeness (NIL) lawsuit by former players. Players in the game’s new edition will receive a $600 check and a copy of the game, with additional NIL opportunities available, according to ESPN.

ESPN reported in March that more than 10,000 collegiate players had opted in to appear in “College Football 25.” Perhaps the most notable to opt out was Arch Manning, Ewers’s backup and nephew of Broncos legend Peyton Manning.

EA Sports teased both a basic and deluxe version of the game, with the deluxe cover featuring Hunter, Ewers and Edwards along with several other players from powerhouse football programs. More promotional material, including in-game footage, was expected to be released later.