'All I've Been Playing!' Aggies Captains Speak on Playing Newly-Released College Football 25

Even the Texas A&M Aggies' captains can't get enough of the new College Football 25 game that's taken the country my storm since its release Monday afternoon.

Sep 3, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner (5) celebrates his sack on Sam Houston State Bearkats quarterback Jordan Yates (not pictured) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Even the Texas A&M Aggies' captains can't get enough of the new College Football 25 game that's taken the country my storm since its release Monday afternoon.

When asked about how often they've played it at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Trey Zuhn III — a returning junior offensive lineman — kept it short and sweet.

"That's all I've been playing the past couple of days," he admitted. "Playing against my buddies on the team. Everybody is trying to get each other on their ultimate teams. There's been a great time playing that game, so it's been awesome."

EA Sports has long been in the driver's seat as far as sports video games go. Between Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, and even NHL Hockey, avid gamers have the simplistic circle logo — and iconic voice of the announcer — engrained in their heads.

The latest addition to the family, however, is another football game, but for college.

It took some groundwork for the game to finally make its return since it was pulled from the shelves back in 2013 under the moniker of "NCAA Football," but ever since it was announced to be coming back, the anticipation surrounding it has been palpable.

"It's fun," Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner said of the game. "To me, personally, it's way more realistic than Madden, so that's one thing I did love ... I love NCAA. (I play it) every day."

Sure, it's new. But what exactly makes the game so intriguing to fans and players alike?

Jul 18, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III speaks to the media at Omni Dallas Hotel. / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

Another defensive captain, linebacker Taurean York, made that a simple answer as well from the athletes' perspective.

"It's a blessing to be in the video game," he explained. "To play as yourself, to be on the front page as A&M, and to have my teammates and friends back home to be able to play as me as well, I feel like it's a full circle moment."

For the fans, seeing the stadium of the team they root for every Saturday might be the kicker. Perhaps it's the uniforms — modeled with different options to look as realistic as possible — or the small details, like the War Hymm or the Corps of Cadets in uniform during the game's intro.

Whatever it might be, there's a reason for the excitment.

In the game, a feature designed to emulate the difficulty of playing on the road in certain environments has added to the overall realism. A ranking system determines which stadium is the hardest to play in, and at the top of that list is none other than Kyle Field.

Unsurprisingly, that seemed appropriate to the players.

"I truly do feel like it's the hardest place to play in college football," York said. "The 12th Man is real, especially when they're rocking. The atmosphere is there. ... A lot of games I lose my voice just trying to communicate to my teammates. It's a special place to play."

"The 12th man, they're the best fans out there," Zuhn III added. "They always come rain or shine. Walking onto that field, it never gets old. I remember the first time walking on there as a freshman, it's still the same feeling walking on there as a junior or senior. "

As the Aggies prepare to take Kyle Field for another year, and the first under new coach Mike Elko, they'll imagine the fans cheering. When Notre Dame comes to town, they'll be ready.

They'll probably have played the Fighting Irish in College Football 25 countless times already — as some of the players have already done against Appalachian State as a "get back" — which could help them be even more ready. It might not.

If one thing is for sure, though, the players will be playing as much as they can.

Arguably, they've earned it.