EA Sports College Football 26 Player Rankings: Top 10 Defensive Players

The release of EA Sports College Football 26 is nearly here. Information regarding the game has begun to be released and now, we are getting an inside look at who some of the game’s best players will be.

On Tuesday, EA Sports released the top 10 defensive players in the upcoming game. Unsurprisingly, seven of the 10 reside in either the Big Ten or SEC. Two from the ACC feature, while everyone’s favorite independent gets in there as well.

Some time will still have to pass before the masses get their hands on the game. For the time being, let’s check out the top 10 players in EA Sports College Football 26 by ratings.

1. Ohio State S Caleb Downs, 96 overall

Some have considered Downs the best defensive player in college football for quite some time. Going back to his days at Alabama, Downs has been elite from the get-go.

And if you need any more confirmation, he holds EA Sports’ top overall spot by himself. Ohio State gets one more year of his services, hoping to cash in another national championship.

2. Clemson DE TJ Parker, 95 overall

Clemson will be among the favorites to hoist the College Football Playoff trophy in Miami next January. A big reason why will be the defensive line, headlined by Parker.

Few can claim to be the best defensive lineman in the country. Parker is certainly one of them and EA Sports made their stance quite clear.

3. Texas LB Anthony Hill, 95 overall

Hill features as the only pure linebacker inside the top 10. Another guy who will likely make his way to the NFL after the 2025 season in Austin.

Texas will continue to use Hill in multiple ways. Traditional linebacker duties, plus being able to get after the quarterback, makes him one of the best out there in college football.

4. Clemson DL Peter Woods, 94 overall

Parker’s partner in crime, Woods, is not rated too much lower. There might be a little bragging going on since Woods will start the game with a 94 overall.

Just like they will in real life, people should be able to wreck opposing offensive lines with Woods in the game. He kicks off the 94-rated tier of players in EA Sports College Football 26.

5. South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart, 94 overall

Making the type of impact Stewart did as a true freshman in the SEC is quite difficult. He exploded onto the scene and stayed there, now ready to be the top guy for South Carolina.

Fans in the Palmetto State will likely argue who deserves to be ahead of whom in these rankings. Stewart slides in at No. 5, just behind a couple of Clemson stars.

6. Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy, 94 overall

Finally, a cornerback appears on the list. And he is just the latest from the SEC to appear in McCoy, entering his second season on Rocky Top.

In real life, McCoy is still rehabbing from a torn ACL, and the hope is to be ready in early portions of the fall. Tennessee fans will still have the option to use him in the game, likely finding a good amount of success.

7. Texas EDGE Colin Simmons, 93 overall

The numbers for Simmons last year were incredible, playing in a role where he was not always considered the starter. Upside continues to be high for someone who has produced in a big way.

Simmons has been rewarded with a 93-overall rating from EA Sports. He might be competing for the top overall spot in next year’s game, alongside Stewart.

8. Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore, 93 overall

Moore was given an opportunity when Benjamin Morrison went down with an injury. Notre Dame is thankful Moore took it and ran, turning into a seamless replacement.

Entering his sophomore year, Moore will have at least two more years in college. Opposing wide receivers won’t be able to shake a top cover corner until then.

9. Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk, 93 overall

Hugh Freeze feels as if Auburn is primed to have a major season in his third year in charge. Having one of the top pass rushers in all of college football certainly plays into his logic.

Faulk is already being projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. If NFL scouts are thinking highly of him, EA Sports is going to join the party.

10. Oregon S Dillon Thieneman, 93 overall

Thieneman was the top-rated defensive player to enter the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, per the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings. Staying in the Big Ten but moving over to the West Coast was a massive win for Oregon.

While sharing a 93 overall rating with four other players, Thieneman will round out the list. Duck fans will be hoping he can help out Dan Lanning just as much as he will in the upcoming game.