The recently launched website for NCAA Football 08 included a statement from EA Sports that the cover athlete is going to be officially announced in the near future.
Given the history of the NCAA Football series, in all likelihood it will be the biggest "name". Many times that ends up being the Heisman winner but it isn't always the case. Only one defensive player has ever graced the cover, Charles Woodson in 1999. Comparatively there have been five Quarterbacks, three Running Backs, one Wide Receiver, and toss in Desmond Howard in 2006 as well.
So unless EA decides to go with a theme similar to Howard representing the 'Race for the Heisman' mode, the most marketable player coming out of the draft will probably be it. There aren't any real possibilities coming from defense this year, especially considering how much more difficult it is for a defensive player to break through to that level and be a consideration for the NCAA Football cover.
Here are the most likely candidates for this year's cover selection
Calvin Johnson - WR - Georgia Tech: This would probably be the most interesting possibility, with Larry Fitzgerald having been the only other receiver to make the cover of an NCAA Football game coming out of college. Johnson is arguably considered the best overall player in the draft and is prepared to make an immediate impact. His nine catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the Gator Bowl opened more eyes to him. Coming from Georgia Tech he didn't get the same coverage as some of the other candidates, however he is very well known with anyone who follows college football.
Brady Quinn - QB - Notre Dame: One of the biggest selling points for Quinn is coming out of Notre Dame. Its impossible to ignore how marketable a player coming out of there is and Notre Dame is well known across the country. Its possible more people have seen him on TV than any other player due to the NBC contract that the Irish have. The year that started with Heisman hopes never materialized, ending by getting outplayed by JaMarcus Russell in the Sugar Bowl. Those two performances combined probably switched their respective draft positions. If an early decision on who would get the cover was made, Quinn may have been already chosen. If it wasn't made until more recently, he may have lost out on it to someone else.
Adrian Peterson - RB - Oklahoma: Peterson is as big a name as any in this year's crop of players. He missed a significant portion of this last season though, and injury issues have become commonplace. He is still going to be drafted early in the 1st round and is the clear choice if a running back is taken. The NCAA Football series has hasn't had any problem in the past putting players from the same position on in consecutive years, so Reggie Bush's 07 appearance won't preclude Peterson from possibly being the guy.
JaMarcus Russell - QB - LSU: Now widely considered the most likely to be drafted by the Raiders with the #1 pick in the draft, its hard to deny that Russell would make a nice fit for the cover. He shot up the draft boards and became a national name with his performance in the Sugar Bowl where he completely outplayed his counterpart Brady Quinn. He may have come on strong too late in the process though, as before the Sugar Bowl he probably would not have been in the cover discussions.
Troy Smith - QB - Ohio State: Smith's name enters the discussion due to winning the 2006 Heisman trophy. However he is not expected to be drafted until a few rounds in, and his team got embarrassed in the BCS Championship game in which he had an absolutely dreadful performance. Statistically he had a great regular season and led the Buckeyes through as the #1 team. He seems to be the least likely of the 5 profiled candidates.
- Who do you think will make it onto the cover of NCAA Football 08? Make sure to leave a comment or discuss it in SportsGamer's NCAA Football forum
