Michigan State football was shown briefly in the trailer of EA Sports College Football 25, but no player ratings were. Let’s fix that.
With the cover art officially revealed and the first footage shown from College Football 25, I think it is time for one of my favorite articles. That is, it is time to make predictions for how each Michigan State football athlete will be rated in the upcoming game.
I will warn you, I attempted to be as brutally honest and realistic as possible. As much as I want the lowest player rating to be 90 overall for the Spartans, it is highly unlikely many players come close to 85 after last season. I tried for a baseline to factor in most Spartans being better than that of a Group of Five program, so you will see a lot of players wind up in the high-60s to low-70s.
Additionally, I included all players, including walk-ons, for this list. Most, if not all, walk-ons will not have their likeness included in the upcoming game. I went in order of jersey number, then transfers in, then the incoming freshman.
- DB No. 0 Charles Brantley
Projection: 71
Charles Brantley has provided a few crucial plays during his time at Michigan State, including a game-sealing interception against Michigan as a freshman, and then a pick-six against OSU his sophomore campaign. However, he has struggled with injuries and the MSU secondary he plays in is often picked on.
Projection: 68
Alante Brown is a player routinely praised for his athleticism but has yet to record a season over 200 receiving yards. I do not see the ratings guru being kind to Brown on release day.
Projection: 68
Khris Bogle enters the year with 9.5 career sacks, but only has 2.5 of those in the green and white over the last two campaigns, with both shortened from injury.
Projection: 85
Aidan Chiles enters with a ton of hype, and his limited time at Oregon State last season showed promise. He was a consensus top-five portal quarterback, and I expect his ratings to reflect that. He will be the piece keeping you sane when you start playing games for this team. I expect some throw power in the 90s, accuracy in the low-to-mid 80s, and his mobility attributes also in the 80s.
Projection: 67
- WR No. 3 Montorie Foster Jr.
Projection: 79
Montorie Foster has been a consistent name in the receiving room for 3 seasons. He returns off of a breakout 500-yard campaign, including a spectacular grab in the game against Indiana. I expect Foster to have a high spectacular catch rating for that play alone. He might be the highest-rated receiver overall on the roster.
Projection: 72
Jaron Glover put up 261 yards last season and flirted with the portal, including a Georgia visit, last offseason. I expect high ratings in the athleticism department, alongside a little bit more in the receiving attributes than others in this room.
Projection: 79
Nate Carter showed flashes last season in his first games at Spartan Stadium. However, between shoddy offensive line play, injuries, and staff issues, Carter did not see the end zone after the first few weeks of the season. I do expect him to be flirting with the 80s, though. His 798 yards are nothing to overlook.
Projection: 82
Jordan Hall enters his sophomore campaign as the de facto No. 1 linebacker on the Michigan State football roster. After making his way into the playing rotation as a freshman, he has not looked back. Hall is an enticing user linebacker, with great tackling, pass-rushing moves (second on the team in sacks last year), what should be decent-to-good coverage skills and high athleticism. That said, it is to be determined if a safety or linebacker will be the better option in the game. Don’t worry, I have my pick for user safety as well.
Projection: 67
Projection: 68
- WR No. 7 Antonio Gates Jr.
Projection: 68
Antonio Gates Jr. has yet to see much of the field in his first few campaigns, but his name and athletic numbers should see him as a receiver on the default depth chart in the game.
Projection: 77
Jordan Turner was a highly coveted transfer with over 120 tackles and five sacks between his last two campaigns in Wisconsin. He should complement Hall nicely as the other linebacker to your “user” pick.
Projection: 67
Projection: 77
Jalen Thompson provided a few nice plays down the stretch for MSU last season, and his game against Nebraska put teams on notice for the future. Between that and his four-star rating as a recruit, I expect him in the high 70s.
Projection: 77
Tommy Schuster should provide great depth at the quarterback position if Chiles ever goes down in-game. That said, it is a major if, as I know I would rage quit if EA tried to tell me that my QB1 would be missing major time. Or, if you are electing to do a full commit rebuild, some of you may start Schuster for a year and redshirt Chiles and pray that the video game Chiles stays at your school.
Projection: 67
Projection: 72
- DB No. 12 Justin Denson Jr.
Projection: 68
Projection: 80
Jack Velling is going to be a great safety valve if the blocking breaks down when playing. He also provides a lot of production, and he will likely be a player I target eight times a game. I have seen him as a potential Day 2 NFL draft pick, so do not be surprised if he surpasses my expectations and is rated in the mid-80s.
- QB No. 14 Alessio Milivojevic
Projection: 73
A-Mili will likely be QB3 on the initial depth chart, and I can see him having high ratings for a three-star true freshman. That tends to happen when you put up over 40 touchdowns as a high school senior.
Projection: 78
Angelo Grose is one of the most experienced returning starters, and I expect that to reflect in his ratings.
Projection: 78
Nick Marsh enters as the top Michigan State football true freshman, and I expect his ratings to reflect that. With the lack of proven production outside of Montorie Foster in the receiver room, I doubt many of us elect to redshirt Marsh.
Projection: 68
- DB No. 16 Jaylen Thompson
Projection: 67
Projection: 71
Projection: 77
Dillon Tatum is one of the more experienced and versatile defensive backs on the roster, and I expect his ratings to reflect this. With the secondary’s struggles last season, though, I would be surprised if he cracks an 80 overall.
Projection: 71
Projection: 62
- RB No. 25 Joseph Martinez
Projection: 64
Projection: 74
I expect Chance Rucker to have a rating that puts him as a potential starter for day one of your MSU dynasty. He played well as a freshman, stepping up after injuries.
- LB No. 26 Wayne Matthews III
Projection: 77
Wayne Matthews III will likely be slotted as a third-down linebacker on the depth chart. He had an astounding 88.9 grade against the pass last season at Old Dominion. If you elect to let Jordan Hall do his thing at linebacker, or you want a player with better coverage ratings, Matthews III presents a sneaky-good user player.
Projection: 70
Brandon Tullis could be the running back of the future if you don’t recruit over him in the first year of your Michigan State football dynasty. If his spring game is anything to go off of, Tullis might be in the mid-to-high 70s by the end of the season if EA does ratings updates.
Projection: 60
Projection: 77
Cal Haladay is a hard player to gauge. He was a freshman All-American in 2021 and had a game-sealing pick-six against Pitt to cap the season off. However, his last two seasons have been underwhelming. Now, you have to pick which other backer between Hall, Turner, and Matthews if you want to start Haladay in your dynasty. Good luck, I know I will agonize over this decision in 60 days, too.
Projection: 61
Projection: 59
Projection: 60
Projection: 58
Projection: 67
- LB No. 33 Aaron Alexander
Projection: 69
Projection: 73
Khalil Majeed provided some flash in the secondary last season, but I do not know how easy his path to the field will be in both the video game and real life.
Projection: 68
Projection: 65
Projection: 58
Projection: 61
Projection: 62
Projection: 80
Here is my option at user safety. Malik Spencer is a player who is athletic, a proven starter, young (entering his junior campaign), and has the length (6-foot-1) needed to be a good “user” in-game. Spencer already has some scouts stating a good campaign from him this fall moves the safety to first-round discussion, and you can make those dreams a reality in July.
- LB No. 45 Brady Pretzlaff
Projection: 72
Brady Pretzlaff is a player who I think will be a highly-rated freshman coming in. However, with the aforementioned logjam at linebacker that I mentioned with Haladay, Pretzlaff might be a redshirt option in your dynasty mode.
Projection: 42
I doubt College Football 25 has a designated spot for long snappers, and Kaden Schickel is likely a tight end with no receiving skills in-game.
Projection: 62
- OL No. 53 Brandon Baldwin
Projection: 72
I expect last year’s starting tackle to crack 70 overall, but I don’t see much beyond that. Still, his rating should be high enough that we do not run for our lives after taking the snap. That said, my sincerest apologies for the amount of times I scream at your video game likeness when the game comes out, Brandon.
- OL No. 54 Cooper Terpstra
Projection: 64
Projection: 63
Projection: 70
Cole Dellinger was rated as a four-star by multiple recruiting services and redshirted last campaign. If you are looking to give offensive lineman experience, Dellinger might be one of the first guys you sub in to gain those reps.
Projection: 88
I know, this is a huge ratings jump and will look weird on the line, but hear me out: Tanner Miller was a second-team All-American per ESPN last year. He was second-team All-Pac-12 by the coaches and first-team by the AP. He has a very high chance of being the highest-rated Michigan State football player.
Projection: 72
Stanton Ramil has had a ton of praise dating back to high school, but we have yet to see him take a snap due to an injury. He is a guy who might start for your dynasty well before real life, as day-to-day injuries and recoveries from major injuries take less of a toll in video games than in real life.
Projection: 71
Ashton Lepo is a guy who started receiving playing time last year and worked his way into taking first-team reps at the spring showcase in April. Expect him to be rated high enough to reflect a position battle.
- OL No. 68 Gavin Broscious
Projection: 70
Gavin Broscious is also a player who is competing for starting reps, but, much like Ramil, has been hobbled by injuries.
Projection: 69
For the culture, I had to. Also, he was competing for first-team reps this spring, and that overall has him flirting with the first team at MSU, per my ranking system.
- OL No. 71 Kristian Phillips
Projection: 72
Another player in a position battle. I am very high on Kristian Phillips, and he showed a lot of promise at the start of last season, paving the way for two huge touchdowns from the second he came into the game.
Projection: 70
Same story as the above. Position battle. Dallas Fincher might be a bit higher and the backup center. He made a few starts to replace the ailing Nick Samac last season. With Samac gone, I could see Fincher approaching 75 overall.
- OL No. 75 Charlton Luniewski
Projection: 66
Projection: 63
- OL No. 79 Mercer Luniewski
Projection: 67
Projection: 58
- TE No. 81 Michael Masunas
Projection: 68
- TE No. 82 Brennan Parachek
Projection: 72
Brennan Parachek is likely TE2 in this game behind Velling, and I expect decent numbers in terms of the athleticism areas for him. He is a guy I will spam on the two tight end formation plays with “TE Under” for sure.
Projection: 62
Projection: 58
Projection: 68
Projection: 70
Tyneil Hopper was TE2 last year before an injury ended his season. He might remain so in the dynasty, but I would be moving him in favor of the younger Parachek once the games start.
- DL No. 91 Alex VanSumeren
Projection: 72
AVS is a player that I have absolutely zero clue on how he will be rated. VanSumeren showed promise to start his career, with three tackles in his first 21 snaps with Michigan State football. Unfortunately, those have been his only career snaps up to this point. He was a four-star, but the durability might have him lower.
Projection: 78
D’Quan Douse has had 5.5 sacks from the defensive tackle position in the last two seasons at Georgia Tech, and I see him as a starter in CFB 25. If his spring showcase performance was anything to judge, he could be the driving force on the defensive line for the first season in your CFB 25 journey.
Projection: 79
Ryan Eckley was named a freshman All-American last season and I can see him rated in the 80s at launch. After a spring showcase with a few punts off the side of his foot, I settled on 79 for Eckley.
- DL No. 97 Maverick Hansen
Projection: 70
Projection: 92
Jonathan Kim is the only player to break the 90s when I project this roster into the upcoming video game. His biggest question is accuracy, but his cannon of a leg more than makes up for it. He holds the Kinnick Stadium record for longest field goal, and his warmups routinely see the kicker nearing 60-yarders.
Projection: 71
- DL No. 99 Quindarius Dunnigan
Projection: 75
Quindarius Dunnigan has been solid for MTSU the last few years, and showed some serious pop in the spring showcase. I think he might be a year one starter.
Transfers
Projection: 79
The FCS All-American will likely be the highest-rated offensive lineman on the roster after Miller. He could be mid-80s, but I think EA Sports will be skeptical.
Projection: 74
Projection: 76
Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams is likely the backup to Nate Carter in CFB25. Much like what is expected in real life, I think KLA thrives in this role.
Projection: 76
Projection: 79
Nikai Martinez is a guy who could also be a user safety if you elect to do so. However, his 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame is not as enticing for the physics side of the game when compared to Malik Spencer.
Projection: 76
Projection: 70
Projection: 77
Ed Woods is a guy who is likely a day-one starter for your CFB25 franchise. Just like Brandon Baldwin, I would like to apologize to Woods for when I increase the sliders to the point of him getting Moss’d or dropping a game-winning interception.
Projection: 74
I think that Bridgeman and Pretzlaff will be some of the players who we grow to love in the second or third seasons of our Michigan State football dynasty. Both contain tremendous tools and physicality that will have them as the next men up after Matthews, Turner, and Haladay graduate. The trio of Bridgeman, Hall, and Pretlzaff will feed generations on my Xbox dynasty mode.
Projection: 71
Andrew Dennis is an incoming freshman and technically transfer, and his video game likeness is likely in the thick of the battle to be a starting tackle.
Projection: 68
Ru’Quan Buckley is a versatile player who could be a good depth piece at either side of the ball in your dynasty mode.
Projection: 72
Marcellius Pulliam is another player who will be competing against Bridgeman and Pretlzaff to be the final part of the starting linebacker trio alongside Jordan Hall in year two of dynasty mode.
Projection: 70
Projection: 76
Ben Roberts is a player who could very well start day one in your dynasty mode. He effectively became a trade when Derrick Harmon ultimately transferred to Oregon, and he could be a threat in a year or two, both in real life and in dynasty.
Incoming freshmen
Projection: 74
Rustin Young is another player who might be a year off from starting in real life, but I think he gets a high rating in CFB 25 and could see the field for online Michigan State football quite fast.
Projection: 70
Jaylan Brown was a late-riser in the recruiting cycle. Honestly, I see this going a few ways. Brown is either A) tremendously underrated, as in the 50s, B) excluded entirely, or C) mistaken by the untrained eye as a generated prospect due to an “opt-out” that did not occur. Either way, I think Brown will be a star in real life and in dynasty mode.
Projection: 68
Projection: 69
Projection: 66
Austin Clay has burner potential and might be in contention for having the highest speed of any Michigan State football player in the game on day one.
Projection: 66
Projection: 68
Projection: 65
Projection: 67
Projection: 68
Projection: 67
Expect high kick power numbers on Martin Connington. He was a kickoff specialist ace in high school and also had a massive 65-plus-yard field goal as a senior.
Personally, I cannot wait to hold a copy of College Football 25 and take Michigan State football back to glory. Aidan Chiles is never going to lose a game as a starter in my dynasty mode. We are almost back, folks. And I promise, we will never be more back than this.
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