If you want to play as the best cornerback in the country on the new College Football 26 video game, you’re going to have to choose Tennessee.
After a breakout sophomore season with the Vols, Jermod McCoy is getting much-deserved hype over the course of the off-season. Amidst inclusions in NFL first-round mock drafts and preseason All-American teams, he also is garnering the attention of the video game world.
In EA Sports’ unveiling of attributes for the upcoming College Football 26 title, McCoy stands above all at his position. At a staggering 94 overall, he is the top cornerback in the game.
This places him over Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore (93 overall), Duke’s Chandler Rivers (93 overall), Clemson’s Avieon Terrell (92 overall) and Texas’ Malik Muhammad (92 overall) who make up the remainder of the top five.
As far as top defenders in the game regardless of position, McCoy clocks in at No. 5. He sits only behind Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (96 overall), Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (95 overall), Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker (95 overall) and South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart (94 overall).
Top 5 CBs in #CFB26 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6JRu09v8Hh
— EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) July 1, 2025
More From RTI: UCLA is Promoting Former Tennessee Quarterback Nico Iamaleava as Face of its Program
As a defense as a whole, Tennessee also ranks highly. The Vols’ unit, arguably the best in the country a year ago, comes in at No. 13 in the country. This is good for the sixth-best in the SEC outside of Alabama, Texas, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M.
Tennessee’s offense was left outside of the top 25 for that side of the ball. There were no UT players in the top five for their position group outside of McCoy, either.
This off-season praise for McCoy comes after his first year with Tennessee. As a starter at cornerback opposite of Rickey Gibson III, the tandem made one of the best pairs in the country. McCoy finished the year with 44 tackles, a half tackle for loss and four interceptions. The most memorable picks were the one-handed snag on Alabama freshman Ryan Williams in the red zone and a circus catch on the ground against Vanderbilt after the ball was deflected.
He earned All-SEC First-Team and All-America Second-Team honors for the season.
McCoy began his career at Oregon State. With the Beavers, he played in 12 games and started five as a true freshman. He ended with seven passes broken up and two interceptions before entering his name into the transfer portal.
He is from Whitehouse, Texas, where he was considered a three-star corner. His lone Power Four offer was from Oregon State. He was also verbally committed to Tulane for a period before decommitting.
