As college football players eagerly awaited their rankings in EA Sports College Football 25, Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson had a pretty good intel source.
Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards, one of three players on the cover of the much-anticipated video game, started playing College Football 25 before its release this month, and he hinted that Johnson projected well in the game. Johnson is one of three players to receive an overall rating of 96, but he is slotted ahead of LSU Tigers offensive tackle Will Campbell and Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II. Edwards ranks 49th overall, while Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is No. 8 and tight end Colston Loveland is No. 33.
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"[Edwards] was just saying I was really good and he was showing me my overall," Johnson told ESPN. "And another dude there was like, 'You're probably the highest-rated player in the game.' There are only a few 96s, and it's either me, Will Campbell or Ollie Gordon. I wasn't on the cover, so I thought I wouldn't be higher than people on the cover. So when they said that, I was surprised."
Johnson was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023 and earned defensive MVP honors in Michigan's national championship game win over Washington. He finished with four interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and 27 tackles. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound junior is ESPN's top-draft eligible cornerback for 2025 and No. 7 overall on Jordan Reid's mock draft.
After player ratings were released, Johnson's phone constantly buzzed with text messages.
"It kind of kicked in right there," Johnson said. "It's just a blessing, the first game to come back out, everyone's been waiting on it, everyone's been playing it, and I'm the highest-rated player."
Johnson said he expected a strong rating despite playing most of last season at around 75-80% healthwise, due to a lower-leg injury. He has played the game extensively since its release, noting it's the team's top activity during free time weeks before preseason camp begins.
After playing Madden NFL games for years, Johnson likes the challenges and nuances that College Football 25 offers.
"Madden can be super video-gamey, where you can just find hacks to it and it makes it really easy, once you figure out how to play," he said. "This one, there's probably some things that have to adjust, but it's harder to tackle, harder to make throws, it's just different animations. It's more personal, the details to it, just with the celebrations, the stadium, the fans, the culture, the teams, all that stuff. They capture it well."