Game Time

Sophomore linebacker DJ Samuels leaned forward and peered at the TV screen while sitting on a couch in the player’s lounge of Jones-Hill House — the home of Maryland Terrapins football. Things just got serious. 

Samuels wasn’t breaking down film, though. He was playing with the Terps on the newly released EA Sports “College Football 25” video game. Samuels’ actions may seem confusing to the average person, but every gamer understands. He was losing 28-14 in the second quarter and had to lock in. The next play, he returned an interception for a touchdown with a virtual version of a teammate in the secondary. 

“College Football 25” was released on July 19, marking EA Sports’ return to making a college football video game after an 11-year hiatus. Its yearly production stopped in 2013 amid lawsuits over using players’ likeness without compensation. With that hurdle alleviated, the fan-favorite series is back and here to stay. 

Student-athletes who opted into the game received a minimum of $600 and a copy of the game. They also had other opportunities to earn more money by promoting the game.

The game features the University of Maryland and all other 134 FBS schools. Upon release day, the game displayed 78 student-athletes on the Terps’ roster. Many of the student-athletes in the game, including redshirt sophomores Daniel Owens and Cameron Edge, grew up playing “NCAA Football 14,” the last college football game produced by EA Sports. 

“I played NCAA 14 a little bit, but one of my good friends got me hooked onto it about two or three years ago, trying to build my dynasty up,” Owens, a defensive lineman, said. “It was a great time. We grew up using different teams and looking forward to the future, which we're at right now with the new game. This is a full circle moment, and it's crazy that I'm in it now.”

Edge, a quarterback, said, “That was actually the first video game I played on my uncle’s PS3. I was probably six or seven. I played with Oregon all the time during the Marcus Mariota days. I always used that team, and the duck would come out on a bike. Those were really my first memories.”

Maryland’s entire uniform collection from this past season is in “College Football 25.” SECU Stadium, the Terps’ 51,802-capacity venue, is decorated with many real-life features. The stadium features the revamped video board and Mark L. Butler Tunnel — the tunnel that student-athletes exit to get on the field — with the turtle statue at the end. Of course, Testudo, the Terps’ mascot, is also in the game. 

When users load up a Maryland home game, announcers call SECU Stadium “The Shell” or “The Snake Pit.” The second nickname references Maryland alumnus and ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt’s nickname for the venue. It’s not a popular one, but over a decade ago, he shared several tweets on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to the stadium — named Byrd Stadium at the time — as such. Maryland’s fight song is even incorporated into the gameplay. 

Regarding the team’s rating, the Maryland Terrapins are rated at 80 overall, featuring a 76 overall offense and 80 overall defense. Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II and wide receiver Tai Felton are the highest-rated players on Maryland’s roster, at an 86 overall. The second-highest-rated player is running back Roman Hemby, at an 85 overall.   

“I’ve received a lot of feedback from fans and everyone, how they used me in their ultimate teams or usered me to play against other people and the success that they had,” Hyppolite said. “It's just very fun, very humbling to know that I can be an inspiration and can bring people together through a video game.”

Owens shared a similar sentiment regarding old friends texting him about their accomplishments in the video game while using his virtually. 

“People I haven't talked to since high school are hitting me up,” Owens said. “It's good just to reconnect with them. It's fun all around just seeing yourself in the game.”

The student-athletes were satisfied with “College Football 25” and its gameplay. However, as with every sports video game, the student-athletes nitpicked individual ratings and attributes. The majority’s gripe was Maryland’s team overall. 

“They did a good job with how the game feels,” Owens said. “It doesn’t feel like Madden. It feels like a different game, but they could have done a little more research with the ratings. I don't mean to name anyone, but a certain team that we beat with the same team we have right now, and the same team they have is seven overalls higher than us, even though it was 31-13.” 

Still, the players admitted that seeing themselves in a video game is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Those who weren’t happy with the Terps' ratings view the minor inconvenience as a motivating factor ahead of the 2024 season. 

“It's definitely a privilege seeing yourself in the game,” redshirt freshman linebacker Neeo Avery said. “It's fun at the end of the day, getting to do stuff you do in practice with yourself in the game. It's just amazing.”