Nebraska Football Lands in Top 25 of EA Sports College Football Team Ratings

EA Sports has Nebraska football rated as one of the fringe contenders ahead of the 2026 college football season.

The latest installment in the EA Sports college football video game franchise, College Football 27, released its ratings for every college football program across the sport on Tuesday as part of the game's "ratings reveal" week. The video game has been a mainstay for college football fans since its return three seasons ago after stopping production nearly a decade prior due to infringements on name, image, and likeness for collegiate athletes. EA Sports released its 'Toughest Places to Play' rankings on Monday.

Nebraska football earned the 24th-highest rating in the upcoming preseason release of the video game, earning an 83 overall rating. The Huskers' offense was listed at an 85 rating, while Nebraska's defense was listed at 82. Individual player ratings will be released later this week.

Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea looks for a receiver in the Red-White Spring Game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska's 85 offensive rating puts the Huskers as one of the better offenses in the country, placing NU tied for 16th-highest rated overall and tied for fifth among Big Ten teams in the upcoming video game. The Huskers notably lost starting quarterback Dylan Raiola and running back Emmett Johnson to the transfer portal and NFL Draft, respectively, but EA Sports appears to recognize incoming quarterback Anthony Colandrea as a top threat to replace Raiola. Attempting to replicate Johnson's 1,451 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns could come in the aggregate of Husker backs, however, as Mekhi Nelson, Kwinten Ives, and Isaiah Mozee all return after limited action in 2025.

Nebraska's offensive line could also bolster the rating, returning several starters, including tackle Elijah Pritchett and center Justin Evans. The Huskers also added Paul Mubenga, Brendan Black, and Tree Babalade from the transfer portal to overhaul Nebraska's front five under new assistant coach Geep Wade.

The Huskers' receivers once again return plenty of experience, with Dane Key the lone graduate from a group that returns six of the top eight pass catchers for the Huskers from a year ago. Nyziah Hunter and Jacory Barney each had over 40 receptions and five receiving touchdowns while Cortez Mills and Quinn Clark shined in different stretches of the season, each hauling in a touchdown with over 130 yards on the year. Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer also returns after starting all 13 games with 29 receptions and 312 receiving yards, along with two scores.

Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri (96) celebrates after a fumble return for a touchdown | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Huskers' 82 overall-rated defense is in the middle tier of the other Power Four conferences, and sits fifth in the Big Ten Conference behind Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, USC, and Michigan. Nebraska made sweeping changes on defense over the off-season, firing one-year coordinator John Butler in favor of former San Diego State defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. Terry Bradden was replaced with Corey Brown on the defensive line, and Roy Manning was brought in as an assistant for the defensive edge rushers.

Although Nebraska saw some notable transfer departures, such as defensive back Malcolm Hartzog and defensive lineman Keona Davis, the Huskers bring back several key players from a defense that was consistent until faltering late, allowing 40 or more points in the final three games of the season. The Huskers will also have to replace defensive backs DeShon Singleton and Ceyair Wright, linebackers Javin Wright and Dasan McCullough, and defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy.

Arriving from San Diego State, along with Aurich, are linebacker Owen Chambliss and safety Dwayne McDougle. Defensive end Anthony Jones joins Nebraska from UCLA, as does defensive tackle Jahsear Whittington from Pittsburgh. The new faces join a solid core of familiar names, including defensive linemen Riley Van Poppel, Williams Nwaneri, and Cameron Lenhardt, edge rusher Willis McGahee IV, linebackers Vincent Shavers Jr. and Dawson Merritt, and defensive backs Donovan Jones and Andrew Marshall.

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti during spring practice at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Big Ten Conference leads the top of college football with the three highest rated teams in the game as Oregon (91 overall), Ohio State (90 overall), and defending national champion Indiana (90 overall) are the only programs with a 90 overall or higher rating. The next Big Ten team appears at 86 overall for USC as the 15th-highest rated team, followed by Michigan at 85 overall as the 16th-highest rated program.

Nebraska's spot inside the top 25 barely nudges past Penn State and Washington's 83 overall rating. UCLA earned an 82 overall rating, followed by Minnesota (81), Iowa (80), Maryland (80), Michigan State (80), Illinois (79), Northwestern (79), Wisconsin (79), Rutgers (78), and Purdue (77). The Big Ten also earned the top three offensive team ratings (Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana), along with the top two defensive ratings (Oregon, Indiana) in the game.

The ratings schedule release week continues on Wednesday and Thursday as the top individual offensive players and defensive players in the game will be announced, with the full list of player ratings set to be revealed on Friday. The game is set for a wide release on July 9.

EA Sports' College Football 27 Top 25 Overall Team Ratings

Oregon (91 overall)
Ohio State (90 overall)
Indiana (90 overall)
Notre Dame (89 overall)
Texas (89 overall)
LSU (88 overall)
Miami (88 overall)
Ole Miss (88 overall)
Georgia (87 overall)
Oklahoma (87 overall)
Texas Tech (87 overall)
Alabama (86 overall)
BYU (86 overall)
Texas A&M (86 overall)
USC (86 overall)
Michigan (85 overall)
Missouri (85 overall)
Tennessee (85 overall)
Florida (84 overall)
Louisville (84 overall)
Auburn (83 overall)
Clemson (83 overall)
Houston (83 overall)
Nebraska (83 overall)
Oklahoma State (83 overall)

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