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Penn State football's James Franklin, Nick Singleton on College Football '26 cover

nate-mug-10.12.14by: Nate Bauer03/13/25NateBauerBWI
james-franklin-nick-singleton-grace-college-football-26-cover
Penn State head coach James Franklin. (Photo credit: Steve Manuel/BWI)

The second iteration of the revived EA Sports’ College Football franchise is expanding its horizons. And two of Penn State football’s most recognizable faces are part of the new look.

Leaked on Wednesday night via the tubbycfp Instagram account, the College Football ’26 Deluxe Edition features both Penn State head coach James Franklin and returning senior running back Nick Singleton. They appear with some of the most high-profile figures in the sport including Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, as well as players including Bryce Underwood, D.J. Lagway, Garrett Nussmeier, Jeremiyah Love, Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, Sam Leavitt and Dylan Stewart, among others.

Also included in the cover shoot are mascots from Georgia, Tennessee, and Oregon, as well as former college football stars Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

Nick Singleton branding profile builds

The appearance for Singleton follows a major splash in the NIL space last fall. Ahead of the Nittany Lions’ November White Out game at Beaver Stadium against Washington, Gatorade pasted Singleton’s image on the side of an apartment building at one of downtown State College’s most trafficked intersections.

“It was a good thing. The building is nice. It’s amazing. But I’m worried about just playing football and getting ready for the end of the seson,” Singleton said of the recognition. “It’s nice. Gatorade did a good job with it. My first reaction when I saw it, some people told me before that, so I had to go see it.

“It was crazy. Gatorade did a good job with that. I’m blessed that it happened.”

Penn State football’s next steps

Franklin and the Nittany Lions are currently in the midst of a week-long spring break taking place on Penn State’s University Park campus. Adjourning for the break, with winter workouts sandwiched around it and the start of spring practices set to begin on March 25, the program is seeking to follow up its outstanding 2024 campaign.

Finishing with a 13-3 overall record, including an 11-1 mark in the regular season, the Nittany Lions are already being discussed as one of the favorites in the sport to compete for a national championship next season. Their season ended with a 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff at the Orange Bowl in Miami in January.

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