EA Sports did Maalik Murphy so dirty in its official trailer for the College Football 26 video game. Oregon State’s $1.5 million quarterback got absolutely crushed and threw a pick.
Pretty much every other player in the two-minute video gained positive yardage during their brief moment of inclusion. Not Murphy!
No sports video game in history was as hyped as EA Sports’ first college football video game since 2013. College Football 25 grossed over $500 million in sales in just two weeks. I don’t know if the 2026 edition will be quite as big of a deal but it will do crazy numbers in sales regardless of the buzz around its release — or lack thereof. People want the updated rosters. People want the latest edition.
Some of the new features include:
- 2,700 new plays
- “authentic college football like never before”
- Over 300 real-world coaches
- Dan Lanning, Lane Kiffin, Ryan Day, etc.
- More real-world players
- The number of opt-outs are even less than last year
- Revamped Stadium Pulse system
- Clock distortion
- Screen shake in rivalry and playoff games
- Road to Glory update
- Player careers begin in high school
- Wear & Tear system
- Dynamic in-game substitutions
- no pause screen needed
- Dynamic in-game substitutions
- Foundational football advancements
- Improved blocking
- Enhanced hit stick
- Pass rush stunts and twists
- New menu music
- “We know how much people loved drumlines from the menu last year… we are going to change it up for College Football 26. We’re bringing new Marching Band covers of popular songs to our menus for players to enjoy.”
- Updated Broadcast & Commentary
- Trophy Room
- College Football Ultimate Team
EA Sports released its first (and only?) official trailer for the game on Thursday. Maalik Murphy, who will get paid $1.5 million in NIL money at Oregon State this fall, gets absolutely hammered by the younger brother of former Beavers quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei at the 1:15-mark. The big hit causes him to throw an easy interception to Oregon’s sitting linebacker.
Other than Murphy, I only see one other instance where a player gets crushed during the first official trailer for College Football 26. A Vanderbilt ball-carrier also gets rocked by Tennessee.
I don’t know if EA Sports has a vendetta against Maalik Murphy or if he just so happened to draw the short straw, but you absolutely hate to see it. Everybody else on offense succeeds. He does not.