How Alabama's players would rate in NCAA Football 16 video game
Who misses the NCAA Football video game?
If you’re like me, it was a right of passage every August amongst friends who were waiting for fall practice to end and the college football season to begin — a necessary space-filler and quality appetizer for the main course only weeks away.
From building dynasties as a head coach by recruiting five-star prospects to becoming the next superstar on Road to Glory, EA Sports did it right and for that, I’ll be forever grateful.
In lieu of the franchise’s two-year absence following Ed O’Bannon class-action lawsuit relating to use of likenesses, we’ve combed through fanatical forums (one 535 pages long and counting) to find the most accurate 2015 season roster update available, downloadable for free on the NCAA Football 14 main menu.
This is what SEC rosters would look like if NCAA Football had released last month. For those playing on Playstation 3, use vikesfan059’s roster for an entire, well-put together FBS update.
Editor’s note: This is a first in a series of team-by-team articles revealing 2015 SEC player ratings in the most recent EA Sports college football video game, NCAA Football 14.
How Alabama players would rate in ‘NCAA Football 16’
- A’Shawn Robinson, DL, 96 OVR (overall)
- Reggie Ragland, LB, 96 OVR
- O.J. Howard, TE, 93 OVR
- Derrick Henry, RB, 92 OVR
- Ryan Kelly, C, 91 OVR
- J.K. Scott, P, 91 OVR
- Eddie Jackson, SS, 90 OVR
- Kenyan Drake, RB, 90 OVR
- Cyrus Jones, CB, 88 OVR
- Jonathan Allen, DL, 88 OVR
Looking at Alabama’s top 10 player based on overall rating, surprisingly defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson is the Crimson Tide’s top player at 96 overall thanks to a 93 strength rating, 92 tackle rating and 93 block shedding rating.
Reggie Ragland’s 96 rating at middle linebacker is second-best on the game at the position behind Arizona’s Scooby Wright.
Tight end O.J. Howard is the Crimson Tide’s highest-rated offensive player, followed by Derrick Henry (92) and Ryan Kelly (91). Punter J.K. Scott is one of the game’s best punters at 91 overall.
Taking Henry as an example, here are his individual attributes/skills using in determining his overall rating (according to the roster update we downloaded):
Another interesting nugget is that NCAA Football 16 (remember, this is a current roster update on the 2014 game) would likely deem Jake Coker (84 OVR) as Alabama’s starting quarterback, followed by David Cornwell in the No. 2 spot.
Here’s the full quarterback depth chart:
The rest of the overall ratings for the Crimson Tide’s projected starting lineup would look something like this based on the most accurate roster update:
OFFENSE — X-WR Robert Foster (85); H-WR Chris Black (83); Z-WR ArDarius Stewart (84); LT Cam Robinson (86); LG Ross Pierschbacher (83); C Ryan Kelly (91); RG Alphonse Taylor (85); RT Dominick Jackson (85); TE O.J. Howard (93); FB Michael Nysewander (74); QB Jake Coker (85); RB Derrick Henry (92)
DEFENSE — DE Jonathan Allen (88); NT Jarran Reed (86); DE A’Shawn Robinson (96); SLB Denzel Devall (87); MLB Reggie Ragland (96); WLB Reuben Foster (87); JACK Ryan Anderson (86); CB Tony Brown (86); CB Cyrus Jones (88); FS Geno Smith (85); SS Eddie Jackson (90)
SPECIAL TEAMS — P J.K. Scott (91); K Adam Griffith (77); PR/KR Cyrus Jones (88)
This wouldn’t be an NCAA Football post without a season-opening preview … Coker find Howard on the 3rd-and-Goal playaction fake:
