Where Penn State athletes rank in EA Sports’ College Football 27

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Penn State was facing an uphill battle after firing James Franklin, facing a wave of decommitments and transfers. Luckily, Matt Campbell has been able to steady the ship, mainly with the help of some of his players who followed him over from Iowa State.

EA Sports’ College Football video game series rates everything you can think of, from players to coaches to how hard it is to play in each stadium. While these ratings aren’t the end-all be-all, they bring national attention to more players and give fans a general sense of how good their roster is.

Despite the Nittany Lions’ difficult climb back to being a stable program, they still have a handful of players who are rated in the top ten at their positions. Some are returning players looking to make one final splash in college and others are Cyclones players looking for an opportunity to become a household name at a bigger school. Let’s look at Penn State’s five best players according to EA Sports.

Offense — Anthony Donkoh, Benjamin Brahmer

Anthony Donkoh was one of Penn State’s highest-profile recruits, joining the team a few years back as a four-star athlete who was one of the highest-rated offensive linemen in the nation. He hasn’t reached his full potential yet in his two seasons on the field, but he still has immense talent that has him listed as an 84-overall player and the 10th-best right tackle in the game.

The other offensive player the Nittany Lions have in the top ten of his position is tight end Benjamin Brahmer. The Iowa State transfer had 446 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, which was just his second healthy season. Now getting another year to improve his connection with quarterback Rocco Becht, he has a chance to prove just how talented he is.

The folks at EA Sports haven’t let his ability go unnoticed, though, rating Brahmer an 88 overall and naming him the fifth-best tight end in the country.

Defense — Jeremiah Cooper, Caleb Bacon

Maybe he isn’t a household name yet, but Jeremiah Cooper is one of the most talented, and one of the best, safeties in college football. Injuries limited him last season, but prior to 2025 he showed a knack for getting his hands on the ball and wasn’t afraid to get dirty in the backfield either. This relentless effort earned him a 91-overall rating, putting him right behind Georgia star KJ Bolden as the second-best free safety in College Football 27.

Caleb Bacon is another player coming over from the Cyclones whose production should be on full display with the Nittany Lions. He’s only played meaningful snaps in two seasons, in which he produced 131 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks and two forced fumbles. Bacon has proven that he’s one of the best linebackers in the sport when he is healthy, and his rating reflects that.

EA Sports gave him an 87-overall rating, good for the second-best Sam linebacker in the game.

Special Teams — Ryan Barker

Kicking is still one of the more variable aspects of college football, as kickers at this level typically don’t have the strongest legs and succumb to the raucous pressures surrounding them. Ryan Barker isn’t one of those, as evidenced by his 94.7% conversion rate on field goals in 2025, tied for the best among all kickers in the nation. He might not have the strongest leg, but he is basically automatic inside of 50 yards, which has earned him an 84-overall rating in College Football 27, good for seventh among kickers.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Where Penn State athletes rank in EA Sports’ College Football 27

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