New Details on LSU in the CFB 25 Video Game

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How many times over the past decade did you wish you could play a video game with your favorite LSU football players?
Some of the best in school history came through after EA Sports College Football released its last edition in 2013. Imagine trucking defenders with Leonard Fournette, making tackles with Devin White and scrambling with Jayden Daniels.

Just think about all the points you could have scored with a virtual version of the 2019 offense.

You do not have to wonder anymore. EA Sports will release its college football video game again July 19, and this time, you will not have to fill in the names yourself.
Most of LSU's star players opted into the game, according to documents obtained by The Advocate through a public records request. Here is everything we know so far about what playing with LSU will look like in the upcoming game.

An (almost) complete roster

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, linebacker Harold Perkins, offensive tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones, running back Kaleb Jackson, tight end Mason Taylor and linebacker Greg Penn all opted in, according to a spreadsheet of LSU players who signed up.
Athletes from all 134 FBS team could choose to have their name, image and likeness appear in EA Sports College Football 25 in exchange for $600 and a copy of the game. Every roster will have 85 players, matching the maximum number of scholarships allowed by the NCAA.

Other key offensive players who opted into the game included center DJ Chester, wide receiver CJ Daniels, left guard Garrett Dellinger, right guard Miles Frazier, wide receiver Chris Hilton, wide receiver Zavion Thomas and running back Josh Williams.
On defense, there's safety Major Burns, defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory, defensive end Sai’vion Jones, safety Sage Ryan, defensive end Paris Shand, cornerback Javien Toviano, linebackers West and Whit Weeks, defensive end Da’Shawn Womack and others.

There are a few notable exceptions, according to the spreadsheet. Wide receiver Kyren Lacy, defensive end Bradyn Swinson, cornerback Zy Alexander, wide receiver Aaron Anderson, safety Jardin Gilbert, safety Kylin Jackson, defensive tackle Jalen Lee and cornerback Ashton Stamps have not joined.

EA Sports reportedly set an opt-in deadline of April 30. Anyone who signed up after that date might not be included in the initial release, though there could be roster updates.
Thirty-eight players listed on LSU’s roster did not sign up, but 15 of them are freshmen or transfers who have not yet joined the team, including five-star defensive tackle Dominick McKinley, four-star tight end Trey’Dez Greenand Wisconsin transfer defensive tackle Gio Paez. Freshmen can opt in once they enroll.

The list of players who signed up included some no longer on the team, such as running back John Emery, safety Ryan Yaites, edge rusher Jaxon Howard and multiple former walk-ons. They are not expected to appear on LSU's roster as a result.
LSU sent 122 headshots from the 2023 team to EA Sports to help digitally recreate players’ likenesses. According to ESPN, individual players will not have their faces scanned for at least the first year because of logistical challenges with coordinating more than 10,000 players.

Without every scholarship player signed up, the rest of LSU’s roster will consist of walk-ons and computer generated avatars, perhaps explaining why an LSU player wearing No. 35 with the last name “Moten-Braswell” appeared in the game's official trailer. No one on LSU’s roster has that name.

Detailed Tiger Stadium

Since EA Sports College Football was last released 11 years ago, LSU has renovated Tiger Stadium. It finished a project before the 2014 season that added an upper deck over the south end zone, which pushed capacity above 100,000 seats.
Original mockup images exchanged between LSU and EA Sports showed the interior of the stadium as it appears now. The digital reconstruction has nearly 40-foot scoreboards in each corner of the south end zone, the “Welcome to Death Valley” sign and LED boards between the lower and upper decks.

The field numerals every 5 yards have been updated to LSU’s current font, and the north end zone scoreboard, which is undergoing a renovation, lists LSU’s four national championships on one side and the 12 Southeastern Conference titles on the other.
An advertisement for Coca-Cola normally at the top of the scoreboard has one instead for a fictional “Mr. Fizz.”

Though LSU submitted Tiger Stadium’s 100th anniversary logos among the rest of its standard marks and colors, it is unclear if they will be used in the game as the school celebrates the milestone this season. The mockup images, which may not have been officially finalized yet, did not show them on the field.
There are other details missing in the images. The retired numbers for Billy Cannon, Tommy Casanova and Jerry Stovall did not appear. There were also no flag poles above the north end zone, where LSU raises an American flag and four national championship flags.

But in one part of the trailer, CJ Daniels, Emery Jones and safety Jordan Allen touched the "WIN!" bar before they ran onto the field for a night game. Murals of LSU helmets covered the walls in the hallway outside the virtual locker room and the sign above the bar describes the tradition, just like they do in real life.

Uniform Options

Digital mockups shared by EA Sports showed two options for LSU's uniforms: a white jersey and a purple jersey. Both come with the team's standard gold helmets and gold pants.

LSU's alternate white helmets and pants did not appear in the mockups. The name plates on the back of both jerseys overlapped slightly with LSU's shoulder stripes.

Songs and a tradition

LSU sent seven songs played by The Golden Band from Tigerland: the pregame anthem, Presto, Coda Fight, a first down cheer, a second down cheer, a third down tune and the “Chinese Bandits” fight song.

LSU also submitted images of the “rag” traditionally played for in LSU-Tulane games, a diagonally divided banner with the team’s colors and logos on either side. Though the in-state teams used to play regularly, LSU and Tulane have not faced since 2009.
They have no plans to play again anytime soon, but it appears gamers will be able to battle for the rag anytime they want.

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