EA Sports College Football 26 cover athletes Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams are already among college football’s best and most popular stars.
And because of NFL rules, the pro-ready talents will be the sport’s gain for the next two years.
Due to eligibility guidelines, players must be three years removed from high school to declare for the NFL Draft, making Smith and Williams, who were announced as the cover stars for this year’s edition of EA Sports’ wildly successful College Football video game series on Tuesday, ineligible until the 2027 draft.
Williams was only 17 during his freshman season last year at Alabama, where he had 48 receptions, 865 receiving yards (18 yards per catch) and eight receiving touchdowns.
During a massive 41-34 win on Sept. 28 against Georgia, Williams had six receptions for a season-high 177 yards and the winning 75-yard touchdown after Georgia had briefly taken the lead.
Smith was even better for the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The 2024 first-team All-Big Ten team member led the conference with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns on 76 receptions (17.3 yards per reception).
In the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, Smith had 13 receptions, 290 yards (22.3 yards per reception) and four touchdowns.
Both players would be first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, with Smith talented enough to be in the conversation at No. 1 overall.
If Smith or Williams excelled in another sport, they’d be able to go pro earlier.
MLB and NHL allow players to enter their respective drafts directly out of high school, while NBA requires draft entrants be one year removed from high school and at least 19 years old.
NFL rookies can benefit from the extra time in college, but talents like Smith and Williams probably don’t need three years of development to be ready for professional action.
Unlike in prior generations, Smith and Williams can earn money through name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and revenue sharing, offsetting some of the pain of toiling “in the minors” before receiving an NFL paycheck.
The two uber-talented wideouts are a glowing neon sign pointing to the NFL’s antiquated draft rules. They shouldn’t have to wait until 2027 to suit up in the pros.
At least EA Sports will be able to save money on next year’s cover.
