On Feb. 2, Electronic Arts (EA) announced that it was rebooting its much-beloved NCAA Football series, rebranding it as EA Sports College Football.
With the announcement came speculation as to whether certain features, such as Road to Glory and Dynasty Mode, would make their long-awaited returns, and whether new game modes and features would be added. One feature that is treated as a staple of sports video games is the cover athlete — that is, the athlete EA chooses to be on the cover of the game.
While the traditional powerhouses such as Alabama and Ohio State will get first looks for cover athlete selection, I’d like to think that NC State has an argument to sneak someone in. With the exception of 2019, the football program has been ascendent under head coach Dave Doeren and looks to continue that upward trajectory in the future. And that’s why I decided to ask, if for some reason EA decided to give NC State a cursory look or the buyer gets to choose the cover athlete, who would be the Wolfpack’s best chance at landing a spot on the cover?
Sophomore RB Zonovan Knight
Knight’s overall stats don’t jump off the page with just 788 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, but they look more impressive when considering he split the backfield with junior Ricky Person Jr. last season. Assuming he shoulders more of the workload next season, Knight’s stats may look even gaudier than they were this season and may even earn him some Heisman consideration, depending on how well the Wolfpack play.
Not only will Knight have the numbers to justify a cover appearance with a sizable workload, but he has an appealing play style that would resonate with fans of college football video games. Knight is just as likely to run through a defender as he is to run past them. He’s an excellent choice to be on the cover.
Senior WR Emeka Emezie
With Emezie deciding to return for another season with the Wolfpack, NC State has another great player to potentially contend for the EA cover. Like Knight, Emezie’s stats last season don’t blow people away, as he collected 47 catches, 738 yards and five touchdowns. But part of that is due to the rotating carousel of quarterbacks the Wolfpack employed last year, with redshirt sophomore Devin Leary, freshman Ben Finley and now-Middle Tennessee quarterback Bailey Hockman all making appearances. A full season with Leary should help establish some chemistry between the pair and help make 2021 Emezie’s best year yet.
While acknowledging this sounds blasphemous, it’s reasonable to say Emezie is the closest thing NC State has to a Calvin Johnson. At 6 feet, 3 inches and 220 lbs, Emezie has the size to play at tight end and grab contested 50-50 balls over defenders. He’s the kind of guy video game players would continuously chuck the ball toward to move down the field, which is why I think he’d be a great choice to be on the cover.
Redshirt sophomore QB Devin Leary
With all due respect to Hockman, the NC State offense looked at its most dangerous with Leary at the helm. He deserves a mention on this list, if for no other reason other than the fact he plays the most important position on the field. But even so, Leary’s statistics prove he’s in line for a breakout year.
In 2020, Leary came close to matching his passing yard total in 2019, despite only having half as many pass attempts. He also matched his passing touchdown total and only threw two interceptions, signs he’s ready to make the leap in the upper echelon of ACC quarterbacks, perhaps even the upper echelon of college quarterbacks. If that happens, don’t be surprised to see Leary’s likeness on the cover of the game sooner or later.
Redshirt sophomore LB Payton Wilson
The chances of making it onto the cover of a college football video game are slim as it is, and they’re much slimmer for defensive players. Only Charles Woodson and Brian Orakpo made it onto an NCAA Football cover as primarily defensive players — even then, Woodson played some wide receiver in college and Orakpo only made it onto the PlayStation 2 cover. But if there’s anyone on NC State’s roster that could buck that trend, it’s Payton Wilson.
He’s already a first-team All-ACC player as a redshirt sophomore and led the ACC in tackles per game with 10.8, including 19 against Duke. He threw in 3.5 sacks and two interceptions as well, making him the perfect all-around linebacker who can tackle, pass-rush and catch passes. There’s a word for players like Wilson: He’s a playmaker,and when looking at all the criteria you need to meet to be a cover athlete, being a playmaker is the most important qualification.
