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EA Sports College Football Cover Reveal: Penn State Gets a Starring Role

Penn State coach James Franklin and running back Nicholas Singleton are on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26's deluxe edition.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State coach James Franklin celebrates with running back Nicholas Singleton during a Nittany Lions game at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State coach James Franklin celebrates with running back Nicholas Singleton during a Nittany Lions game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew OHaren-Imagn Images

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Turns out the leaked photos were right. EA Sports has released images of its College Football 26 game covers, one of which looks quite familiar to the photos that trickled out of the shoot earlier this spring. And Penn State football plays a prominent role on one of those covers.

Penn State coach James Franklin and running back Nicholas Singleton are showcased on the deluxe edition of the popular video game, which EA Sports revived last year to great fanfare. Singleton and Franklin appear up front on the game cover, with Singleton flanking Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and Franklin in front of Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day.

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman, Georgia's Kirby Smart and Oregon's Dan Lanning are among the coaches blended into the cover with the game's top players, including Alabama's Ryan Williams and Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love. College football fans also will spot Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush in feature spots.

Singleton posted the cover image on Instagram, saying, "From Happy Valley to the cover!! Let's make history!!"

RELATED: Here's how to get a Nicholas Singleton bobblehead at a minor league baseball game

EA Sports released images of two covers for the latest version of College Football 26. The main cover features two of college football's top receivers in Smith and Williams, both sophomores. The game will be released July 10, and EA Sports plans to unveil a trailer Thursday.

Singleton returned to Penn State for his senior season with fellow running back Kaytron Allen to form perhaps college football's best backfield. In fact, Pro Football Focus ranks Penn State's backfield No. 1 ahead of Notre Dame with Love and Jadarian Price. Singleton and Allen both rushed for 1,000 yards last season and could set Penn State's career rushing record in tandem.

The Nittany Lions went 13-3 last season, setting a school record for victories and reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Penn State has spent the offseason collecting accolades from college football's expert class, including a spring No. 1 ranking from FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt.

Franklin cut a quick video for social media with the game-maker's iconic tag line.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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