Predicting the EA Sports College Football cover athlete: 11 stars fans would love

6. Jayden Daniels

Jayden Daniels faced stiff competition from fellow Heisman finalists Marvin Harrison Jr., Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr., but the LSU star still ran away with the award, both literally and figuratively. The dual-threat quarterback was a human highlight reel, accounting for 50 touchdowns while somehow only throwing four interceptions on the season.

Like Dart, Penix, and the next twosome on this list, Daniels is a transfer, having begun his career at Arizona State. With the new game sure to feature the transfer portal, his selection as College Football 25's poster boy would be both symbolic and consequential, as his transformation from a lightly regarded prospect in Tempe into a probable top-five NFL draft pick in Baton Rouge is proof positive for what a change of scenery can do.

5. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter

You know what? Let's throw Coach Prime in there, too. Colorado was the talk of the college football world as the season began, riding a tsunami of hype after beating defending national runner-up TCU in a Week 1 thriller, 45-42.

Deion was part head coach and part hype man, but his son Shedeur and fellow Jackson St. transfer Travis Hunter quickly grabbed the public's attention once play began. Shedeur shot up future draft boards with a strong arm and an ability to make plays out of the pocket, while Hunter was the Shohei Ohtani of the college gridiron, playing both cornerback and wide receiver.

The Buffaloes fell off a cliff in the second half of the year, but you know when summer rolls around, so too will the hype train again. As Deion said after Colorado's loss to Oregon, "This is the worst we're going to be. You better get me right now." EA Sports could do a lot worse than hitching itself to that wagon.