Is EA Sports Leaving Texas QB Arch Manning Off Cover of College Football 26?

EA released their deluxe edition of the game Wednesday, featuring many players, with the redshirted sophomore nowhere to be found.

Aaron Raley | Mar 13, 2025

Jan 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up before the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Texas Longhorns

Bold move, EA Sports.

The video gaming company, most well known for producing games in the Madden NFL, FC, and Formula 1 series, released their deluxe edition cover for the upcoming College Football 26 game, which is set to be released some time over the summer.

The cover featured several standout athletes, such as Alabama wide recevier Ryan Williams, Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith, Michigan's true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, even Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and national champion Ohio State coach Ryan Day, as well as a few mascots.

Texas Longhorns edge rusher Barryn Sorrell (88) celebrates a sack on Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) during the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A notable omission from the cover? Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning and also head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Now, this is the deluxe edition of the cover, and there is still a chance that a Longhorns quarterback could grace the cover for the second year in a row, as Quinn Ewers posed with Michigan running back Donovan Edwards and Heisman winner Travis Hunter on last year's cover, but still, not including one of the most marketable players in college football on this edition's cover has a few scratching their heads.

It's tough to say that Arch doesn't deserve at least some recognition for his play. In 2024, he appeared in 10 games and even started two of them while Ewers nursed an injury. His uncles clearly passed down their accuracy to him, as he completed over two-thirds of his passing attempts for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions.

What really got analysts' attention was Manning's mobility, which was something Peyton nor Eli were ever really known for. He carried the ball 25 times for an additional 108 yards and four touchdowns.

And with Ewers now heading off to the NFL, the starting quarterback job solely belongs to Arch, who looks to take the Longhorns one step higher to the national championship after reaching the final four the past two seasons.

And maybe get a video game cover while he's at it.