Nine Mysterious Players Appear on Ohio State’s Roster in EA Sports College Football 2026 as Incoming Class Faces Creative Substitutions
With the highly anticipated release of EA Sports College Football 2026, fans of the virtual gridiron are finally able to step into the shoes of their favorite college teams once again—this time with unprecedented realism, NIL integration, and a fresh layer of authenticity that had long been missing since the franchise’s hiatus. Ohio State, as one of the most storied and recognizable programs in the sport, naturally holds a marquee spot in the game’s return. But with the rollout comes a flurry of curiosity surrounding a handful of players—namely, nine mysterious figures who appear on Ohio State’s in-game roster despite not being officially listed in real-life materials, and the curious omissions of 11 notable incoming freshmen from the Buckeyes’ 2025 recruiting class.
The mystery is not so much in their existence, but in who these nine players are meant to represent. Due to the complex legal nature of player licensing, not every college athlete agreed to appear in EA Sports College Football 2026. While EA secured likeness rights from over 11,000 student-athletes across the FBS, a handful of players either opted out or were not included due to various legal, timing, or personal reasons. This left game developers with a unique challenge: how to preserve competitive balance and realism without violating agreements or omitting positions entirely. As a result, these mystery players were created—custom placeholders, in essence—using randomized or anonymized names and appearances while subtly replicating the traits and statistics of the real-world counterparts.
For Ohio State, this meant nine players appearing on the roster whose identities are not directly attributed to real athletes. Yet, when digging into the numbers, positions, and context, it’s not hard for die-hard Buckeye fans to connect the dots.
Some of the nine mystery players seem to align perfectly with real players who likely opted out of the game’s licensing deal. These include a few high-profile returners as well as members of the incoming class who have yet to officially appear in EA’s roster system. For example, one of the mystery wide receivers listed at 6’3″, 215 pounds with elite speed and spectacular catch ratings is clearly modeled after incoming five-star freshman Jeremiah Smith—even if the name and likeness have been changed. Another “generic” linebacker with a 6’2″, 230-pound frame, elite pursuit, and a No. 6 jersey likely mirrors Arvell Reese, a real-life Buckeye who hasn’t yet appeared with full licensing in the game.
This tactic allows EA Sports to keep team strength and composition fairly accurate without breaking licensing protocol. And while these placeholders might not have their actual names or faces, their stats, tendencies, and depth chart positioning all point directly toward who they are meant to be. It’s a compromise born from the evolving landscape of NIL and digital rights—a balancing act between realism and legality.
Meanwhile, the situation becomes even more intriguing when it comes to the 11 incoming freshmen who are missing entirely from the base roster. These players, all part of Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting class, were expected to be early-impact contributors. Fans quickly noticed their absence and took to social media to express both confusion and frustration. Names like Na’eem Offord (elite cornerback), Zahir Mathis (defensive end), and DeJuan Gamble (offensive tackle) were nowhere to be found in the default depth chart or roster files. So what happened?
The answer lies in timing and eligibility. According to EA Sports, players must have enrolled in school and cleared all eligibility and licensing requirements before a specific cutoff point to be included in the release version of the game. Because many incoming freshmen had not yet finalized these details by that deadline—or in some cases, were still finishing high school—they were excluded from the final build. In other words, it wasn’t a deliberate snub—it was a timing issue. However, EA has confirmed that roster updates, patches, and community-created files will be supported and encouraged, allowing fans to manually add missing freshmen or download shared rosters that reflect real-time changes.
What makes Ohio State’s situation so unique is how much impact these incoming players were expected to have. Jeremiah Smith, for instance, was widely regarded as the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation and a near-lock to start at wide receiver. Mathis and Offord were both considered Day 1 contributors to a defense already stacked with NFL-caliber talent. Their absence in the game has led many Buckeye fans to immediately dive into customization tools to recreate them or wait for updates from dedicated online roster creators.
In the meantime, the game’s AI has filled the gaps with the aforementioned “mystery” players—designed with skill ratings, jersey numbers, and physical builds that bear an uncanny resemblance to their real-life inspirations. It’s EA’s way of maintaining immersion without violating legal guardrails. While some purists might find the generic names jarring, the majority of players will quickly come to see them for who they’re really meant to be. In fact, within days of launch, entire communities had formed around decoding which anonymous players represent which real-world Buckeyes.
For example, “WR #81,” a 6’2″, 205-pound deep threat with 95 speed and elite route-running ratings, is widely believed to be a stand-in for Mylan Graham, another top-tier incoming freshman. “CB #32,” who runs a 4.35 in-game and is listed as a true freshman from Alabama, is almost certainly a placeholder for Na’eem Offord. In each case, the evidence is compelling: same high school hometown, similar attributes, and identical depth chart placement.
There’s also a business side to this mystery. EA Sports’ decision to omit certain incoming freshmen until after launch may also stem from a desire to keep roster additions behind their live update system, which will keep players engaged long-term and connected to EA’s ecosystem. As part of this, the company plans to release roster updates that reflect real-life performance, starting positions, and mid-season changes—likely including officially licensed versions of these missing freshmen once eligibility is confirmed.
From Ohio State’s perspective, the presence of these mystery players doesn’t diminish their strength in the game—it actually highlights just how deep and respected the Buckeyes’ program is. Even without the official names, their roster boasts one of the most dangerous combinations of offensive firepower and defensive depth in the game. Quarterbacks like Julian Sayin and Devin Brown provide elite arm talent; backs like TreVeyon Henderson and Jordan Lyle are matchup nightmares; and wideouts, even the unnamed ones, have the skills to dominate.
On defense, players like JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, and Sonny Styles anchor a front seven that can wreck any offensive line. Add in the “mystery” newcomers who are clearly inspired by elite prospects, and it’s no surprise Ohio State ranks near the top in every team-based metric within the game.
Still, for longtime fans, there’s an emotional layer to this too. They want to see their team represented accurately—names, faces, and all. And for the players themselves, being left out can be a source of motivation or disappointment, depending on their personal view of video game representation.
As NIL continues to evolve, and as more players embrace their digital personas, we can expect future iterations of the game to become even more complete and accurate. But for now, Ohio State fans will have to settle for a mix of real stars, placeholders, and speculation—all while knowing their team remains one of the most formidable forces in EA Sports College Football 2026.
In the end, the presence of nine mysterious players and the absence of 11 real-life freshmen doesn’t diminish the excitement—it enhances it. It reminds fans that college football, both in reality and in virtual form, is constantly in motion. Names may change. Rosters may evolve. But the Buckeyes will always be at the center of the conversation, digital or otherwise.
