Texas Longhorns' Jahdae Barron Among Top Rookies in Madden NFL 26

"Madden NFL 26," the latest edition in the premier football video game series, is just weeks away from release, and EA Sports is preparing for launch by unveiling player ratings en masse. On Wednesday, it was the rookies' time to shine, which means the many former Texas Longhorns stars that entered the professional ranks this offseason got their first ratings.

Chief among those players is cornerback Jahdae Barron, the No. 20 overall pick by the Denver Broncos in April's draft. Barron, the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner, will play opposite reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, so he's in pretty much a perfect situation to start his career. He may not have signed his rookie deal until this month, but now he's fully ready to show what he's got.

Clearly, EA Sports thinks the same.

Jahdae Barron Cracks Top 10 Madden Rookies

Barron received a 78 overall rating in his Madden debut, which ties him for seventh among all rookies. He's also tied for the second-highest rated rookie cornerback behind Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who also plays wide receiver.

Notably, Barron received a 93 speed rating, 91 change of direction rating and 88 agility rating. His strength rating of 54 leaves something to be desired, but defensive backs typically don't rank very highly in that category.

While a 78 overall rating doesn't seem too high, it's actually quite impressive for a rookie, and if what Barron's coaches are saying about him is true, then it's a well-deserved rating.

"He's extremely smart, and he played both [inside and outside cornerback] at Texas," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said in June. "His instincts are real, real high. You can give him more than maybe some other younger player at the same position. Some guys you might say, 'Let's just leave him at left corner or right corner.' I think he's one of those players that can handle volume."

Of course, other former Longhorns received their ratings as well. Offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and wide receiver Matthew Golden - the Longhorns' other two first-round picks who are now with the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers, respectively - both received 76 overall ratings, placing them just outside the top 10. Defensive tackle Alfred Collins, a second-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers, received a 75 overall rating.

"Madden NFL 26" launches on Aug. 14 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Windows.