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LOOK: Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman, RB Jeremiyah Love grace CFB 26 cover

IMG_7504by: Jack Soble05/27/25jacksoble56
cfb26 deluxe edition cover
The Deluxe Edition cover of College Football 26 (Photo Courtesy of EA Sports)

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and star running back Jeremiyah Love appear on the deluxe edition cover of EA Sports College Football 26.

Here’s a look at the cover, which was released Tuesday morning:

Love appears front-and-center, right behind Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Freeman appears in the row behind Love, slightly to his right.

Williams and Smith are the featured athletes on the standard cover of the new game, which comes out July 10. Those who pre-order the deluxe edition, with Love and Freeman on the cover, will have access starting July 7.

Real coaches will be featured in the game for the first time ever. Seven of them — Freeman, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Penn State’s James Franklin, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham — graced the deluxe edition cover.

Love shares the cover alongside the following players: Smith, Williams, Penn State running back Nick Singleton, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and South Carolina defensive end Dylan Stewart.

More on Notre Dame football: Where the Irish land in The Athletic’s post-spring top 25

One more post-spring top-25 ranking came out late last week, this time at The Athletic. Notre Dame landed at No. 5, behind Texas, Penn State, Clemson and Ohio State, respectively.

Notre Dame was No. 3 in The Athletic’s way-too-early top 25, which came out the day after the national championship game in January. Since then, the Tigers and Buckeyes jumped the Irish.

“Coach Marcus Freeman’s QB competition seemingly resolved itself in the spring as redshirt freshman CJ Carr seized control of the race, prompting veteran Steve Angelito portal his way to Syracuse,” The Athletic college football senior columnist and editor-in-chief Stewart Mandel wrote. “Love is a Heisman contender, TE Eli Raridon is poised for a breakout and former Virginia WR Malachi Fields arrives this summer.”

While it’s important to note that junior quarterback Kenny Minchey is still very much alive in Notre Dame’s quarterback competition, Mandel is not alone among national writers assuming Carr will start for the Irish on Aug. 31 at Miami.

Mandel is, however, the first prominent national columnist to mention Raridon as a potential breakout player. The senior tight end looked more athletic than ever this spring — his first healthy spring in South Bend — after catching 16 passes throughout his first three seasons at Notre Dame.