Who are SMU’s highest-rated players in CFB27?

The Mustangs that will be dominating on the field and in the video game

SMU Mustangs offensive lineman PJ Williams lines up during the game between the SMU Mustangs and the Baylor Bears at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

EA Sports officially announced its team and player ratings ahead of College Football 27’s release. 

The SMU Mustangs are tied with the likes of Auburn, Penn State, and Houston with an 83 overall rating, the 20th-best in the game. SMU received the same ratings as multiple ACC schools as well, including Clemson, Louisville, and Virginia. 

The Mustangs do have one of the top-rated offenses in the video game at 87, bested only by Miami in the ACC. Of the 67 Mustangs in the game, 17 received an overall rating of 80 or higher, while two joined the rare 90+ club. 

Here are the Mustangs that received the top launch ratings in the new video game, which comes out July 9.

HM: Alexander Kilgore, Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder, Theo Melin Ohrstrom, Yannick Smith (82 OVR)

All four of the above players opened the season with an overall rating of 82. Kilgore is a proven leader at linebacker for SMU, while the other three will all play their first snap with SMU in 2026. Alcorn-Crowder transferred in at defensive tackle from Kansas State, Melin Ohrstrom is a six-foot-six-inch tight end from Texas A&M, and Yannick Smith will line up at wide receiver after two years at East Carolina University.

8. Jimmy Wyrick (83 OVR)

Like three of the honorable mentions, Jimmy Wyrick is yet another transfer for the Mustangs. A Dallas native, Wyrick came to Dallas after two seasons at UTSA. Wyrick is one of the smaller safeties on SMU’s roster, standing just five feet ten inches and weighing 185 pounds, but proved his tenacity in 2025 with eight pass breakups and 62 tackles. 

Tackling is not his best attribute in the game, with a tackle stat of 72 and hit power of 74, but EA Sports rewarded Wyrick’s elite speed. The redshirt junior has 90 Speed and 92 Acceleration. Paired with 93 Stamina and 87 Change of Direction, Wyrick may be a user-favorite on defense for SMU. 

7. Joshua Bates (84 OVR)

Bates is the first of three offensive linemen to make the list. He received an 84 overall rating after anchoring the offensive line at center in 2025. The redshirt junior made 13 starts in 2025, during which time SMU surrendered just 19 sacks. He received an All-ACC Honorable Mention for his efforts and will return to one of the best offensive lines in the ACC.

His best attributes in the video game are his pass block power (92) and impact blocking (91), but across the board his blocking stats are strong. His lowest skill in the blocking category is lead blocking, a stat usually dominated by guards, but he still posted an 84.

6. Marques White (84 OVR)

Marques White, a transfer pass rusher from the University of Massachusetts, tied with Bates at an 84 overall. White will love playing for a team that wins a lot more games after an 0-12 season at UMass, and SMU will love his production after losing Isaiah Smith and Cameron Robertson. 

Even as UMass struggled, White recorded 50 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. CFB27 favors his Finesse Moves (91) to his Power Moves (83), but White still possesses a commendable 82 in Strength. His high tackle numbers as a defensive end likely contributed to the 88 he got for Pursuit, one of the best ratings in that category across the SMU defense.

5. Yamir Knight (85 OVR)

After a stellar 2025 campaign, Knight enters 2026 as the top-rated wide receiver for the Mustangs. Knight is expected to lead the receiving room, with Jordan Hudson and Romello Brinson having graduated.

To little surprise, Knight stands out in the video game for his agility, spectacular catches, change of direction, and speed, which earned him a 90. His best attribute is acceleration at 94, something he utilized frequently to turn short passes into much bigger plays.

His jukes and spin moves will be great, but don’t bother trying to stiff arm (35) or truck (40) defenders with the five-foot-eight receiver. 

4. Kendrick Raphael (87 OVR)

Raphael is the highest-rated transfer player in CFB27 for SMU. As one of the best running backs in the ACC, Raphael recorded 14 total touchdowns and 943 rushing yards in 2025 and will start the season as an 87 overall.

One look at Raphael’s attribute page on EA Sports shows a lot of green. Raphael is a well-rounded player, securing ratings of at least 76 in every notable ball-carrier stat. Due to his 245 receiving yards last year at Cal, Raphael also has 70 catching and 71 short route running, making for an ideal checkdown target in CFB27. 

Raphael is not the fastest running back at SMU, according to the video game. Though he has an excellent 90 Speed, Derrick McFall beats him out with a 91. However, Raphael’s consistency across all attributes makes him the clear lead back in both the video game and the opening-week starting lineup.

3. Kevin Jennings (89 OVR)

In the new College Football game, SMU’s leader and star quarterback received an 89 overall, tying him for the tenth-best quarterback in the game.

Jennings has a 92 Throw on the Run stat and 89 speed, both among the best in the nation, which is expected given his proven ability to extend plays. He also possesses strong accuracy and throwing power in the game after a 2025 campaign in which he passed for 26 touchdowns.

All of Jennings’ attributes under Passing are at least an 82, and the majority of his ball carrier stats are above 84. Whether you’re drawing up pass plays or QB runs in CFB27, Jennings will be a fun quarterback to use.

Addison Nichols (91 OVR)

Similar to Bates, Nichols was a key contributor to a strong offensive line in 2025, starting in all 13 games. He’ll line up to the right of Bates for his redshirt senior season.

The six-foot-five, 320-pound right guard scored a 96 in awareness and a 92 in strength, both among the best on the Mustangs. A pass block grade of 94, pass block power of 92, and pass block finesse of 95 means you shouldn’t expect too many rushers coming through the right side of the line if you play as SMU in CFB27.

Nichols is the sixth-best offensive guard by overall rating in the game.

PJ Williams (92 OVR)

SMU no doubt feels good about having three highly regarded offensive linemen protecting Jennings this year. None are as highly touted as PJ Williams, one of the top right tackles in the country and a projected first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. 

A team captain in 2025, Williams made the All-ACC second team in 2025 and has allowed just four sacks in 1,171 career pass blocking snaps. Phil Steele has already named him a preseason second-team All-American.

CFB27 showed Williams the same praise, making him the highest rated Mustang and the sixth-highest rated offensive tackle in the game. Williams received an impressive 94 in Toughness and doesn’t have a stat lower than 85 in the blocking category. He excels above all in Block Power, where he scored a 93 for run plays and 92 on pass plays. 

See the full list of SMU player ratings here.

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