Alex Taylor: Taylor What will UW's ratings be in College Football 25?

May 25—The last time EA Sports released a college football video game, the University of Wyoming's highest-rated player was 81 overall quarterback Brett Smith.

Smith threw for 3,375 yards and 29 touchdowns that year, leading the Cowboys to a 5-7 season in Dave Christensen's fifth and final year as the school's head coach in 2013.

Christensen was fired immediately following the season, and one week later, the Craig Bohl era began in Laramie.

Safe to say, it's been a while since college football fans have had a video game to play.

EA Sports is set to relaunch its highly popular college football series starting this summer. The game, titled "College Football 25," will be released July 19, and will feature all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, including UW.

The video game company released its first official trailer for the game last week, and the Cowboys were thrust into the national spotlight because of it.

Approximately 41 teams made an appearance throughout the short two-minute trailer, and UW made up roughly 6.6% of the screen time.

The Cowboys had the third-most time on the screen out of any school at approximately 8.3 seconds, according to Sickos Committee on X. Only Georgia and Alabama had more time at 12.4 and 11.93 seconds, respectively.

The trailer featured UW players touching the Steamboat statue on their way to the field. The bucking horse and rider sculpture sits right outside the High Altitude Performance Center leading onto Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium.

The Cowboys made another appearance later in the trailer. UW kicker John Hoyland was one of the biggest stars in the video after he booted a kickoff down the field against Appalachian State at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.

Although the Cowboys blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown against the Mountaineers last season at the War, EA Sports decided to flip the roles and have App State return the kickoff for what looked like an easy touchdown in the trailer.

Regardless of the outcome of the play, UW's appearance in the long-awaited trailer only helped intensify the anticipation for another college football video game. In two months, fans will be able to play as their favorite team for the first time in over 11 years.

UW's strong showing in the official trailer led to another question: What will the Cowboys' roster look like in the game, and how will they be rated?

The Cowboys are going into the fall with a first-year starter at quarterback in Evan Svoboda. The rising junior showed flashes last season, nearly leading an upset at then No. 3-ranked Texas in Austin through the first three quarters.

Svoboda also filled in for former starter Andrew Peasley in the fourth quarter of last year's Arizona Bowl, leading a 50-yard drive to set Hoyland up for a game-winning field goal against Toledo. Will those flashes be enough to earn Svoboda a decent rating?

Here's how I would rate some UW's key players if I was creating a video game.

Svoboda, QB, 76 overall

Svoboda's overall might seem low, but his lack of experience will likely impact his ratings when the game releases this summer. Smith was an 81 overall when the game released in 2013, and he was coming off a 2,800-yard season where he threw 27 touchdowns to just six interceptions. While Svoboda might be a well-known name in Laramie, he hasn't reached that level of notoriety on a national level yet, which should show with his rating in the game. I would expect his throwing power rating to be in the upper 80s, however.

Waylee, RB, 82 overall

Harrison Waylee made an immediate impact during his debut with the Cowboys last fall, ripping off a 62-yard touchdown against Texas in the first quarter. The Northern Illinois transfer also reached a top speed of 21.8 miles per hour on a 75-yard touchdown run against Appalachian State, according to Reel Analytics. Boise State's Jay Ajayi earned an 85 overall rating going into his sophomore season when the game last came out in 2013, and I could see Waylee's rating being in a similar ballpark. His speed and acceleration numbers should be in the low 90s, as well.

Gyllenborg, TE, 79 overall

John Michael Gyllenborg should be a busy man in UW's offense this fall, and that'll likely be the case on Cowboys fans' Xboxes this summer. The athletic tight end hauled in 23 catches for 360 yards and three touchdowns last season, and he's now No. 1 on the depth chart following the graduation of Treyton Welch. Gyllenborg averaged 15.7 yards per catch last fall, so he should be a safe pick for the high 70s overall. His catching attribute will likely be one of his best.

Bertagnole, DT, 87 overall

When he's healthy, there aren't a lot of guys in the trenches who have been better than Jordan Bertagnole over the past two years. The Casper product has totaled 108 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles over the past two seasons. The second team All-Mountain West selection shouldn't be slowing down anytime soon, and the recent transfer of fellow defensive tackle Gavin Meyer to Southern California should make Bertagnole a lock as the anchor on UW's defensive line in the game. His block shedding and pursuit ratings should be high 80s.

Suiaunoa, LB, 84 overall

Shae Suiaunoa made the decision to return for another season following the promotion of former defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel to head coach. Suiaunoa has had great mentors throughout his career, including Easton Gibbs and Chad Muma. Suiaunoa will make the transition to middle linebacker after finishing second on the team last year with 93 tackles to go along with 2 1/2 sacks, two pass deflections and an interception. Look for Suiaunoa's tackle and hit power ratings to be mid to upper 80s.

Hoyland, K, 87 overall

EA Sports has to reward Hoyland with a good rating after having him getting torched on a kickoff in the trailer, right? Hoyland's kicking numbers over the past two seasons should speak loudly enough for him to be one of the best special teams players from the MW in the game. While he struggled down the stretch last season, he's been a reliable weapon for the Cowboys for four consecutive seasons, accounting for 296 points since taking over the starting job in 2020. His kicking accuracy should be his highest trait, while his tackling — just like in the trailer — will not be.

Wyoming's overall rating:

The Cowboys garnered a 75 overall rating when the game last came out in 2013, including a 77 on offense and a 75 on defense. UW was coming off a 4-8 season, including a sixth-place finish in the MW at 3-5 in league play.

While the Cowboys are going through plenty of changes with a new head coach, defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator this offseason, the team's stability and consistency throughout Bohl's tenure should influence EA Sports' judgment on this year's group.

The Cowboys won nine games last season for the first time since Joe Tiller's 10-2 squad in 1996. Here's how I would rate UW as a team:

Overall: 78

Offense: 76

Defense: 79

Alex Taylor is the assistant editor for WyoSports and covers University of Wyoming athletics. He can be reached at ataylor@wyosports.net. Follow him on X at @alex_m_taylor22.