Which Sooners could have been on the cover of EA Sports NCAA football during its absence?
EA Sports did what many thought was impossible by announcing it would bring back its college football video game series. After a hiatus that will have spanned at least 10 years come July, the newest version of the beloved game series will return sometime in the summer of 2024.
The last one to drop before the series ended came out in July 2013. NCAA 14 is one of the most iconic sports video games of all time because of the attachment many have to it. Its resale value has never been higher.
The reason for the original cancellation of the series? Name, image and likeness — a hot-button topic that eventually led to NIL being accepted into collegiate sports.
EA Sports couldn’t figure out how to compensate players because it wasn’t legal in that era of collegiate athletics. That hurdle has been cleared and the game looks headed for a summer release date.
Who gets the distinction of being the game’s cover athlete in its resurrection? It’s always a fun and exciting debate when new sports games come out. Former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson graced NCAA 14’s cover. Since the last game, college football has had iconic athletes that would’ve been perfect fits to be cover athletes.
Our friends at College Wire went through and named which players they thought would have been great fits as cover athletes for the years we didn’t have a game. We decided to do the same, but only with Oklahoma players for those years. Take a look below.
2015 Edition
No player had a more impactful season for Oklahoma in 2014 than outside linebacker Eric Striker. Striker, named a captain for the Sooners before the season, started all 13 games for Oklahoma in 2014. He led Oklahoma in sacks with nine, had two fumble recoveries, five pass breakups and 17 tackles for loss. He was the heart and soul of Oklahoma’s defense and ended up a third-team AP All-American for his efforts.
Also Considered: Samaje Perine, RB
2016 Edition
Baker Mayfield may find himself on this list three times in a row. His career is one of college football’s most memorable and also one of the most impressive. During his first year at Oklahoma, he came up big in monumental moments that helped propel Oklahoma to their first College Football Playoff berth, a loss to the Clemson Tigers.
Mayfield was instrumental in a significant win on the road in Knoxville against the Tennessee Volunteers and showed up big time against the Baylor Bears on the road in a prime-time Saturday night showdown.
Little did we know he was just getting started
Also Considered: Samaje Perine, RB
2017 Edition
The 2016 season for Oklahoma was marred by its early season nonconference losses to Ohio State and Houston. It took the sails out of a team that entered the season ranked third in the 2016 preseason AP and Coaches polls. The Sooners bounced back and reeled off a 9-0 conference record to win their second consecutive conference championship.
Baker Mayfield took a natural step forward at quarterback, and his top option, Dede Westbrook, turned in a magnificent season that earned him a Heisman trip and Biletnikoff award. Westbrook went nuclear as the number one option in Lincoln Riley’s offense posting totals of 80 catches for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 19 yards per catch.
As electric as he was, Westbrook certainly would deserve to be on a video game cover after putting up video game numbers.
Also Considered: Baker Mayfield, QB
2018 Edition
The first two years of Baker’s career in Norman were an appetizer for his Heisman-winning 2017 season.
And for that reason, he definitely would be the cover athlete for the 2018 edition of NCAA football. His final season in college saw him complete 70.5% of his passes for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions. He also had five rushing touchdowns, breaking his own NCAA FBS record for passing efficiency rating of 198.9.
No player was more instrumental to his team, and Oklahoma ran through its schedule en route to another College Football Playoff berth.
Also Considered: Rodney Anderson, RB
2019 Edition
It’s hard to talk about video game cover athletes and not mention Kyler Murray. Kyler Murray’s lone season as the starter in Norman was indeed something one would imagine a create-a-player would accomplish.
The numbers go like this: 4,361 passing yards, 1,478 rushing yards and 54 combined touchdowns. All in one season. Murray could throw a bomb one drive and rip off a 75-yard run the next. On top of being the best player, he was also the most exciting — a tailor-made combination for a video game.
Also Considered: Marquise Brown, WR
2020 Edition
For the third consecutive year, we went with a quarterback. Jalen Hurts transferred from Alabama and landed with the Sooners, where he put together a dynamic 2019 season. The combination of his arms and legs allowed Oklahoma to win another Big 12 title, and in the process, Hurts set numerous Oklahoma records with his running ability. He earned a trip to New York as a finalist for the Heisman trophy.
Also Considered: CeeDee Lamb, WR
2021 Edition
Oklahoma entered the season with a fresh face at quarterback in five-star Spencer Rattler. Oklahoma also had to replace arguably the school’s best receiver, CeeDee Lamb.
An explosive true freshman from Frisco was up to the task and led the Sooners as a freshman in receiving. Our pick: Marvin Mims would be the cover athlete for the 2021 edition thanks to his penchant for adding a big-play ability to the Oklahoma offense that year.
Also Considered: Nik Bonitto, Edge
2022 Edition
Oklahoma’s 2021 season was draining because the Sooners failed to live up to the lofty preseason hype placed on them. Once considered national championship contenders, the Sooners didn’t even make it to the College Football Playoff and lost their head coach hours after the season. One constant remained steady despite the in-season QB battle.
Kennedy Brooks had the best season of his career as the lead back for an often anemic Oklahoma offense in 2021. He rushed for his third consecutive 1,000-yard season, posting 1,253. He added 13 touchdowns, including his legendary game-winning score in an all-time Red River Rivalry where he ran for over 200 yards.
Also Considered: Nik Bonitto, Edge
2023 Edition
As part of a soft reset on the program, Oklahoma brought in a familiar face in Brent Venables as its new head coach. His first year was imperfect, but Oklahoma stabilized from the shock of Lincoln Riley’s exit. This team had considerably less hype than others on the list, and to be fair, it also had less talent.
However, the athlete we chose is Dillon Gabriel. His QB play was much better than Oklahoma’s 6-7 record indicated, but the team and the coaching staff struggled to find the synergy to win more games. Gabriel was a bright spot after he decided to transfer in to follow offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby who he had known since their days at UCF together.
Also Considered: C.J. Coldon, CB
2024 Edition
If Dillon Gabriel was the consideration for the 2023 version of the game, then he most certainly would be the selection for the Sooners in 2024. He had a career year with the Sooners, helping them win 10 games.
Gabriel’s game-winning drive against Texas will be remembered long after he’s gone. It was a huge moment in the growth of a player and a program coming off its worst season since 1998.
Also Considered: Billy Bowman, S
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