College Football 26 Ratings Update: Biggest Winners and Surprising Shifts EA shakes up the college football landscape with massive OVR boosts for standout players and a reshuffle among powerhouse programs

EA Sports has officially released a fresh ratings update for College Football 26, delivering a mix of big winners, surprising drops, and team-wide shakeups.

The biggest individual winner? Giakoby Hills, right tackle for the Temple Owls, who skyrockets by a massive +15 OVR, jumping from 54 to 69 overall. Meanwhile, Hawai‘i kicker Kansei Matsuzawa and North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker also made huge leaps, each climbing from 71 to 85 OVR.

A handful of other players joined them in the double-digit gain club — names like Harper Holloman, Landon Hron, and Brian Shane all jumped +14 points after strong midseason performances.

🚀 Top 20 Biggest Winners in the New Update

Giakoby Hills, RT, Temple Owls — 69 OVR (+15)
Kansei Matsuzawa, K, Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors — 85 OVR (+14)
Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas Mean Green — 85 OVR (+14)
Harper Holloman, RE, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers — 81 OVR (+14)
Landon Hron, C, Northern Illinois Huskies — 76 OVR (+14)
Brian Shane, TE, Miami (OH) RedHawks — 69 OVR (+14)
Rudy Kessinger, K, Eastern Michigan Eagles — 76 OVR (+13)
Tanner Rinker, K, Utah State Aggies — 76 OVR (+13)
John Holthaus, LT, Colorado State Rams — 68 OVR (+13)
Keagen Trost, RT, Missouri Tigers — 88 OVR (+12)
Parker Kingston, WR, BYU Cougars — 86 OVR (+12)
Dylan Riley, HB, Boise State Broncos — 84 OVR (+12)
Keyshawn James-Newby, LE, New Mexico Lobos — 81 OVR (+12)
Joseph Simmons, LT, James Madison Dukes — 75 OVR (+12)
Oumar Diomande, ROLB, UConn Huskies — 74 OVR (+12)
DeJuan Echoles Jr., RE, Ball State Cardinals — 73 OVR (+12)
Kewan Lacy, HB, Ole Miss Rebels — 86 OVR (+11)
Brock Riker, C, Texas State Bobcats — 77 OVR (+11)
Jason Marshall, SS, Eastern Michigan Eagles — 74 OVR (+11)
Aidan Thompson, MLB, Jacksonville State Gamecocks — 61 OVR (+11)

📉 Not Everyone Came Out Ahead

While several players saw career-best improvements, others weren’t so lucky. Hills’ Temple teammate Antonio Jones fell to 68 OVR, joining Elia Migao, T.Y. Harding, and Ethan Hubbard among the biggest losers — each dropping seven points.

Quarterbacks saw notable movement too.

Drew Mestemaker leads the pack as the most improved QB (+14), ahead of Cale Hellums (+10, 76 OVR).
Ty Simpson (+9 to 91 OVR), Fernando Mendoza (+7 to 94 OVR), Dante Moore (+7 to 91 OVR), and Julian Sayin (+6 to 91 OVR) all climbed into the top tier.
Meanwhile, D.J. Lagway (-4 to 86 OVR), Drew Allar (-4 to 88 OVR), LaNorris Sellers (-3 to 88 OVR), and Arch Manning (-3 to 87 OVR) slid out of the elite quarterback group.

🏆 New Team Rankings Shakeup

In the team standings, there’s now a four-way tie for first place between:

Ohio State Buckeyes
Alabama Crimson Tide
Texas A&M Aggies
Miami Hurricanes

All four programs now boast 89 OVR overall ratings.

On the offensive side, Ohio State, Alabama, and Indiana share the top ranking, while Alabama alone holds the No. 1 defense in the country after the update.

🔥 Final Thoughts

EA’s latest ratings update breathes new life into College Football 26, reshaping the competitive balance across programs and positions. Whether you’re coaching powerhouse programs like Alabama or developing mid-tier schools like Temple, these OVR changes could redefine your playbook heading into the next big matchup.