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Oregon Ducks' Appearances in EA Sports College Football Go Viral for All the Wrong Reasons

The Oregon Ducks may be the highest rated team in EA Sports College Football 2027, but that doesn't save several athletes from going viral for their questionable video game character look-alikes.
Ally Osborne|
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore speaks with reporters during Oregon football’s Media Day on July 28, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore speaks with reporters during Oregon football’s Media Day on July 28, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Oregon Ducks

With thousands of playable athletes in the recent release of popular video game, EA Sports College Football 2027, there's bound to be a few character models with the intention of a look-alike but land as a "yikes".

For the Oregon Ducks, which not only boast one of the games' cover models in quarterback Dante Moore but also have the highest overall team rating in the game with a 91, a few of their athletes are going viral for their in-game characters missing the mark.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore dances to the song “Shout” during a timeout at Autzen.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore dances to the song “Shout” during a timeout at Autzen. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon Ducks Look-Alikes

Released to the public on Thursday, July 9, Duck fans were quick to point out that a few of the character models for Oregon athletes felt a bit disjointed compared to their counterparts. One of the most viral comparisons, as highlighted by @BarstoolDucks on social media, is Minnesota transfer and junior defensive back Koi Perich.

The recent addition to the Ducks, ranked by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg as one of college football's top 15 non-quarterback playmakers heading into the 2026 season, appears to have a much smaller forehead than his video game counterpart.

Other character scans that are going viral because of a perceived lack of resemblance to their real-life athlete counterpart include sophomore wide receiver Dakorien Moore not having his signature twists hairstyle and senior defensive end Teitum Tuioti's and junior center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu's overall designs.

Moore's character also does not resemble the quarterback, which is an odd occurrence given he's one of the flagship athletes for this years' game.

Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; The marching bands for Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers perform before the game betwe
Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; The marching bands for Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers perform before the game between the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why EA College Football's Face Scans Matter

When it comes to being included in a massive franchise video game, players deserve to have their name, image, and likeness (NIL) correctly represented. By having some models that don't come close to their real-life counterparts, shows a potentially embarrassing moment for the athlete involved and upset reactions from the fans, like what's going on during the games' release.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is interviewed on the field after the win over Oklahoma State at Autzen.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is interviewed on the field after the win over Oklahoma State at Autzen. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Viral Fake Reports

The release of EA Sports College Football 2027 riled up fans across the college football community, as in-game transactions called "College Football Points" were installed to adjust the percentage of XP earned within the game. Fans reacted with review-bombing the game on download sites like STEAM, with some claiming the $70 price tag should not involve extra purchases.

However, a parody post circling the internet involving Moore has some fans confused regarding his stance and is a great lesson in double-checking sources.

ShaneTuttleNCAA posted a doctored screenshot of an Instagram story from Moore's account claims that the star quarterback was withdrawing from the video game due to the microtransactions within it. When checking Moore's Instagram accounts, no such story was posted.

That parody post sits at 2.6 million views with thousands of likes and reposts from fans as of launch day, with many commenting unaware that Moore had never released such a statement. It's also very unlikely Moore could be removed from the game, as he is one of the cover models and likely signed a deal that's fairly iron-clad for these types of reasons.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally Osborne has a passion for sporting events across her home state. She began writing for Oregon Ducks on SI in 2021. Currently a morning talk show host and sports reporter for KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon, Ally is engrained in her community. Finding and sharing stories that highlight the unique culture and connectivity sports creates is a part of her DNA. She frequently contributes sports content to KOIN's broadcast and streaming platforms while hosting talk show "Everyday Northwest" and video podcast "Tower Talk Live" every weekday. With Portland being her third-worked television market (second in Oregon), Osborne brings hard-news and feature-reporting experience to compliment her expertise for sports storytelling. Her journalistic endeavors and art creations (many of which are inspired by the Oregon Ducks) can be found on her social media pages. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. 

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