Which Badgers would’ve been EA Sports’ NCAA Football cover athletes since 2014?
The last time that EA Sports released their NCAA Football game was 2013 and the game is set to return in 2024. Many have speculated which college football athletes would’ve been selected as cover athletes for the game over the last decade and for the sake of it, I’ve compiled a Badgers only list.
Wisconsin has had many “star” players in the Big Ten and many hometown favorites, but the program has also churned out some of the absolute best players in the country over the last 10 years.
Listed below, I selected the Wisconsin players that I felt most deserved to be on the cover for each of the Badgers’ last 10 seasons, choosing to go without any repeats.
2013 Season: James White (RB)
James White was the Badgers’ lead back in 2013, producing 1,444 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 221 carries while also reeling in 39 passes for 300 yards and two scores. Operating as Wisconsin’s replacement for Montee Ball, the 5-foot-10 athlete filled in admirably in the Badgers’ 9-4 season which ended with a 34-24 loss to South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl.
2014 Season: Melvin Gordon (RB)
No surprise here, Melvin Gordon’s 2014 campaign was as good as any in the history of college football. The running back turned 343 carries into an all-time record 2,587 rushing yards with 29 touchdowns while compiling 153 receiving yards and three scores on 19 catches. Additionally, Gordon finished second to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the Heisman Trophy voting. Wisconsin finished season 11-3 and beat Auburn 34-31 in the Outback Bowl.
2015 Season: Joe Schobert (LB)
The 2015 season is the first one on the list that’ll have a defensive player as the cover athlete. Schobert finished second on the Badgers with 76 total tackles while recording a team-high 9.5 sacks. On top of that, the linebacker snatched an interception, forced four fumbles, recovered two fumbles and deflected two passes over 13 games. Wisconsin went 10-3 and beat USC 23-21 in the Holiday Bowl that season.
2016 Season: T.J. Watt (LB)
T.J. Watt burst onto the scene in 2016, cementing himself as one of the best edge rushers in the country. The linebacker produced 62 total tackles, including 11.5 sacks, while recording a pick-six, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. The sacks were the highest in the Big Ten and finished 10th overall in the nation. The Badgers finished the season 11-3 and defeated Western Michigan 24-16 in the Cotton Bowl.
2017 Season: Jonathan Taylor (RB)
The next greatest, potentially best ever, running back in Badgers history arrived in 2017. Jonathan Taylor exploded in Year 1 with Wisconsin, setting an NCAA Freshman record with 1,977 rushings yards on 299 carries while producing 13 touchdowns on the ground. The previous record was held by Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson and his performance on the campaign was good enough to land him at sixth place in the Heisman voting. Although it was hard to choose from Taylor’s three spectacular years in Madison, the Badgers went 13-1 and beat Miami (FL) 34-24 in the Orange Bowl, making this the most impactful campaign for the running back.
2018 Season: T.J. Edwards (LB)
After what was a magical 2017 season, the Badgers took a step back in 2018, but linebacker T.J. Edwards did no such thing. Edwards racked up 112 total tackles, including three sacks, while intercepting three passes, deflecting two others and recovering a fumble over 13 games in his senior season. The linebacker finished his UW career with 366 total tackles, which is good for ninth most in school history. Wisconsin ended the year 8-5 and won the Pinstripe Bowl 35-3 over Miami (FL).
2019 Season: Jack Coan (QB)
After many years of mostly mediocre quarterback play following Russell Wilson’s 2011 season, Jack Coan stepped up to the plate in 2019. The signal-caller carved out 2,727 passing yards (third most in program history) and 18 touchdowns (eighth most) in the air in 2019. The junior sat behind Alex Hornibrook for two years before getting his shot to lead Wisconsin and he looked the part in his only campaign under center. Coan led the Badgers to a 10-4 record, losing to Oregon 28-27 in the Rose Bowl that year.
2020 Season: Jake Ferguson (TE)
The 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but tight end Jake Ferguson led the Badgers through the air. Ferguson caught 30 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns, all of which were the highest totals on the team. Additionally, the memes about him being the grandson of Barry Alvarez really took off, making him an internet icon. The Badgers finished the campaign 4-3, winning the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Wake Forest by a score of 42-28. Y’all may remember quarterback Graham Mertz breaking the trophy in the postgame celebration.
2021 Season: Braelon Allen (RB)
After barely playing in the first three games of the season, running back Braelon Allen was sprung into a prominent role in the Badgers’ backfield. The freshman was able to ramble and bamble his way to 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns during the season, almost all of which came over the last nine games. The bruising back quickly became a fan favorite, operating in a two-headed monster with Clemson transfer running back Chez Mellusi. Allen rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns in Wisconsin’s 20-13 win over Arizona State in the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl, capping off a 9-4 season.
2022 Season: Nick Herbig (LB), John Torchio (S) and Badgers Defense
In what was a tumultuous 2022 season that included three different head coaches for the Badgers, one thing remained consistent, the defense. The unit allowed an average of 20.2 points per game (17th of 131 nationally). Worth noting, edge rusher Nick Herbig recorded 11 sacks and 47 tackles overall while safety John Torchio intercepted five passes, returning two of them for touchdowns. Mixed with the production of guys like Keeanu Benton (DT) and Maema Njongmeta (LB), the 7-6 Badgers were able to win the Guaranteed Rate Bowl over Oklahoma State 24-17. While the offense is expected to undergo some changes in 2023 under new head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo, the defense will likely remain relatively similar, situating themselves as one of the best units in the country.
2023 Prediction: Tanner Mordecai (QB)
With the 2023 season set to usher in a new era in Badgers football, SMU-transfer quarterback Tanner Mordecai is in a position to break the mold of Wisconsin signal-callers. Operating in the “Air Raid” offensive under new play caller Phil Longo (North Carolina), Mordecai has a real shot at putting up impressive numbers with a revamped group of receivers. The 6-foot-3 athlete combined to produce 7,152 passing yards and 72 touchdowns over two seasons as the starting quarterback with SMU after entering college as a highly-ranked recruit and committing to Oklahoma in 2018. Now in Madison, Mordecai will look to use his final year of eligibility to boost his draft stock ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Stop me if you’ve heard of another transfer quarterback taking over under center for Wisconsin in his final collegiate season. (Hint: It’s Russell Wilson)
