What a week for EA Sports’ College Football 2025! Many gamers and media outlets were given a sneak peek at the gameplay, and it has us all riled up. I ate up all of the content out there and have even dabbled myself, writing up the top teams to play with in Dynasty mode when this game comes out.
Now, I want to focus a little on Online Play Now. This was my favorite game mode from previous versions of the game, and I almost always picked my team based on the quarterback and his athleticism/speed.
I’ve opened the Campus2Canton tools to pinpoint some of the fastest players in the game. I will discuss here the validity of using them in NCAA 2025.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama – 0.946 Speed Score
This one isn’t too much of a surprise as he’s coming off of a 531 rushing-yard season and is certainly considered a dual-threat QB who is dynamic with the football. He was featured in the trailer that dropped recently and was a top ten Heisman finalist in 2023. Considering that he plays for Alabama, it wouldn’t shock me at all if he’s one of the fastest starting QBs in the game.
Now, I don’t think Milroe is an NFL-caliber passer (yet), but he did throw for 10 YPA last season and had a TD-to-INT ratio of 23:6. Early reviews have discussed how there will be some nuances to passing and experience will matter at the QB position. Milroe checks those boxes and shouldn’t be impacted by this one bit.
All of the above makes me think that Milroe will be an absolute cheat code in this game and one you’ll hate to see across the field when playing online. The name recognition on a blue-blood team coming off a great season has Milroe teed up to be a force to be reckoned with in 2024.
Nate Johnson, Vanderbilt – 0.94 Speed Score
So, we’re going here already, huh? It makes sense to me after watching him play at Utah that he’d have this speed score rating, but it’s going to be tough sledding using him in this year’s game. He ran for 235 yards and 4 TDs on 59 attempts (eight of which were sacks), but he didn’t even crack 500 passing yards on 72 attempts. He saw strong usage against Oregon State, UCLA, and Weber State and generated just 3 TDs and 411 yards through the air.
Johnson transferred to Vanderbilt in the offseason. Considering starting QB Diego Pavia’s hard-nosed, run-hard mentality, it’s possible we’ll see Johnson in 2024. You won’t catch me using him in NCAA 2024 though. My suspicion is that he’s a top-five speed guy but has zero ability to throw the football, especially on the road. (Although you can bet I’ll try it at least once).
Dequan Finn, Baylor – 0.913 Speed Score
Finn is an interesting one here. Not often do you see MAC QBs transfer up and have success, but this isn’t your typical MAC QB. It was thought that last offseason, he’d make the jump to the P4, but he stood pat. 2024 will be his sixth season (ok, yes, that does sound like a MAC QB), but he has averaged 4.5ypc+ and 500+ rushing yards in three straight seasons to go along with improving pass numbers during that same time frame. With essentially the same amount of attempts in 2023 as he had in 2024, he improved his completion % by nearly four, his YPA by 1.2, and threw three fewer interceptions.
This is a really dynamic player who could be sneaky and really good in NCAA 2025. He had a 70-yard run in 2021 and a 56-yard run last season. Finn has the ability to break off a long run, making him a player I think EA will show some respect to with top-five quarterback speed.
Taylen Green, Arkansas – 0.913 Speed Score
Green makes for an interesting player in this year’s game. The speed that Green possesses feels like the long speed type. He’s 6’6″, 220 lbs., and once he gets going, there’s nothing stopping him. I’m very curious to see how his speed plays out in NCAA 2025 because he could be a poor man’s Jalen Milroe if gets some respect from EA.
Like Finn, he’s a G5 to P4 transfer and also like Finn, he’s had some big runs so far in his college career. In last year’s Mountain West Championship, he had a 70-yard run. Against Utah State in 2022, he had a monster run of 91 yards and a 74 yarder against Oregon State. In two seasons, he’s a 1,000+ yard rusher on just 159 carries. His legs have been quite impressive the past few seasons.
I’m not sure he’ll be a fan favorite to use in this game, but that’ll be more due to the players around him. Green will have some real speed with a decent enough arm to be a weapon for the Razorbacks in 2024.
Bert Emanuel Jr., Central Michigan – 0.892 Speed Score
As it stands, we’re not quite sure who will be the starting QB for CMU, but I presume it’ll be Emanuel at this point. He’s seen playing time in the past, and Jase Bauer has transferred to Sam Houston State. This is going to be a fun player to use against a similar level of competition. He’s built like a big RB (6’3″, 220 lbs.) and has no ability to throw the football at all. What he can do though is run and make a big play.
In 2023, Emanuel saw limited snaps, but in four games in 2022, he was extremely dynamic. Against Buffalo in his first-ever start, he ran for 293 yards and 3 TDs on 24 carries! On the other hand, he threw just three times. That is the type of player we’re looking at here. You’re going to need to be very good with the passing meter to run anything close to a real offense.
Two Others to Watch For
The speed scores from years ago disagree, but Kaidon Salter, Liberty – 0.405 Speed Score and Thomas Castellanos, Boston College – 0.854 Speed Score are guys that I expect to crack the top ten in QB speed in 2024.
Salter is my personal favorite to be the fastest signal caller. Last season, he ran for over 1,000 yards and 12 rush TDs on just 163 carries. Castellanos is another 1,000-yard rusher (1,113), but he hit his number on 215 attempts. He’s going to be fun to play with in this game, as I would be. He’s also in the top five for quarterback speed.
