College Football 26 New Hidden Changes: How To Find And Utilize Them?

Posted: Jul 21, 2025 Views: 33

Posted: Jul 21, 2025

Source: IGGM

Compared with last year’s CFB 25, in order to bring you a richer football simulation game, College Football 26, which was launched in early July this year, has added more features, covering the gameplay, operation mechanism and other aspects of the game.

However, compared with these changes that can be felt quickly after entering the game, there are some more specific optimizations that are not only difficult to find, but even the corresponding consoles operation methods have changed.

If you are not aware of these updates and related usage methods, you may encounter accidents at critical moments in the game and lose some of CFB 26 coins that you could have obtained, which is actually completely avoidable!

Next, we will introduce you to the hidden update details in CUT 26 that are worth paying attention to.

College Football 26 New Hidden Changes: How To Find And Utilize Them?

Changes In The Activation Method Of Playmaker

As a classic feature of EA Sports College Football series of games, Playmaker allows you to use the quarterback while directing the wide receiver to move in the direction of your choice instead of running along the designated route of the original tactics.

In CFB 25, to enable this feature, you flicked the right stick, but in 26, it was updated to hold LT/L2 while controlling the quarterback and move the right analog stick to determine the direction of the receivers run.

Since this is not a core feature update, if you are not reminded, you may not know and continue to operate in the old way, and then find that you cannot utilize Playmaker properly.

The reason for this adjustment is mainly because the quarterback can now fake behind the line of scrimmage, which is related to the accuracy of your control of the right stick to move in the direction you want to fake - the new operation method will be more accurate.

It is worth mentioning that since this feature requires your console operation level, you can practice more in the practice mode to get familiar with it:

Enter Game Modes.
Select Open Practice.
Select Offense Only and master Playmaker by practicing different offensive tactics.

Adding The Function Of Quarterback Fake

In fact, this change has been mentioned when introducing Playmaker, and the two complement each other. More specifically, this new feature allows the quarterback to fake around the opposing defender while holding the ball in the backfield.

Unlike Playmaker, this new feature for quarterbacks has been announced to players through announcements or update information, but perhaps due to the lack of detailed introduction, some people are still unclear about how to operate it.

Previously, if you wanted to fake a running back or wide receiver, you just flicked the right stick, but now you need to move the right stick while holding the right trigger to make your quarterback fake in the backfield.

Truck Stick Change

As the main tool to support the operation of the above two new features, the truck stick itself has also been updated. Previously, the way to control the running back to drag was to flick the right stick up, but CFB 26 brings the following functions to the right stick:

Perform traditional drag actions
Move the ball forward more yards

It should be noted that flicking the right stick up slightly will perform a drag action, while holding the stick up will trigger a new catch action. To avoid confusion, please be careful when playing games.

Easier Camera Angle Switching

To keep track of the game and the performance of each player, you sometimes need to switch camera angles.

In the past, you could only change the camera angle by pressing the up or down button on the D-pad, but now you can just hold down the D-pad to open the switch menu immediately and cycle through all available camera angles.

Obviously, this method is faster and smarter, and can better adapt to the changes in the rhythm of the game, allowing you to adjust tactics or replace players at any time according to the performance of the players.

New QB Contain Operation Method

The function of this function is to let the wing player contain the quarterback instead of rushing the ball. It is suitable for better dealing with the opponent’s quarterback who likes to rush the ball frequently before the kickoff, to effectively defend next.

In previous CFB games, QB Contain was activated by pressing RB (or R1 key) to call up the pre-snap menu, and then pressing the key again. But in NCAA 26, the operation method is to press the RB key first, and then press the LB key.

Switching Defensive Lineman

In previous College Football games, controlling defensive linemen was a hassle, requiring constant switching to control their corresponding players in the ideal situation, such as quickly switching from defensive lineman to linebacker or cornerback by switching the joystick.

In CFB 26, if you are stuck on a defensive lineman, you can press the D-pad up to move to other defensive players, and then switch the joystick to select the player you want.

It is expected that there should be many similar detailed changes in CFB 26. This time we only introduce the more important ones to you, hoping to help you play the game!

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Previous: College Football 26 Top 5 Fastest Teams: Which One Do You Choose In Dynasty Mode?

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College Football 26 Top 5 Fastest Teams: Which One Do You Choose In Dynasty Mode?
In most sports, speed is one of the benchmarks that determine the strength of a team. Faster speed means more powerful offense, and faster defense. In sports like football, if your team’s speed attribution can far surpass your opponent, it often means scoring.

Among all the players in College Football 26, there are countless players who are good at speed. In Dynasty mode, using speed to win will become your invincible strategy, so which teams are the fastest?

Top 10 Fastest Players
- 86 OVR Barion Brown LSU WR 99 Speed
- 78 OVR Rodrick Pleasant UCLA CB 99 Speed
- 76 OVR Jordan Anthony Arkansas WR 99 Speed
- 82 OVR Nyck Harbor South Carolina WR 99 Speed
- 73 OVR Jelani Watkins LSU WR 98 Speed
- 71 OVR Che Nwabuko Pittsburgh WR 98 Speed
- 78 OVR King Mack Penn State SS 98 Speed
- 85 OVR Julian Humphrey Texas A&M CB 98 Speed
- 75 OVR Dazmin James California WR 97 Speed
- 76 OVR Jayden Rowe Kansas State CB 97 Speed
The above are the top 10 fastest players in College Football 26. Most wide receivers are very fast, but their ratings are not very high. If you want to use EA CFB 26 coins to rebuild a team that relies on speed to win is not difficult. So which schools can you choose as your starting school?

No.5 84 OVR UCLA Bruins 3.5 Stars

UCLA Bruins is ranked in the upper middle level of all schools, and is not known for its speed, but one of the four fastest players, Rodrick Pleasant, is on this team, and he is also a cornerback.

He is not the only fast person on Bruins team. There are over than 20 players with a speed of no less than 90, among whom their FS, Croix Stewart, has a speed of 95. This team is relatively balanced on both offense and defense in dynasty mode.

No.4 92 OVR Ohio State Buckeyes 5 Stars

Ohio State Buckeyes is the winner of the last national championship. Although they are now rebuilding, the coach still quickly built a strong team. Ohio State also has over 20 players with a speed attribute of 90 or higher, including 98 OVR Jeremiah Smith, 96 OVR Caleb Downs, and 91 OVR Carnell Tate.

Speed is one of their strengths, but not their strongest. The scary thing about this team is that they have no weaknesses and can win even without speed. But it is not recommended to choose a strong team as your starting team, because the game will not be challenging, and your NACC 26 coins and Exp benefits will be very low.

No.3 92 OVR Oregon Ducks 5 Stars

Oregon is one of the top ten teams that can compete with Ohio State Buckeyes. They are obviously better in speed. They have 22 players with a speed attribute of 90 or higher. The fastest of them is 84 OVR Dakorien Moore, who has a speed attribute of 96. This is one of the most attractive freshmen recruited by Oregon this year.

Evan Stewart and Malik Benson are also 95 and 94 in speed, which means that this team can run at high speed on the court. If the opponent cannot respond flexibly, they will soon be confused by Ducks’ running tactics and reveal their flaws.

No.2 92 OVR Texas Longhorns 4.5 Stars

Texas Longhorns may be the favorite to win this year. Longhorns have gathered many star players, led by 95 OVR Anthony Hill Jr., and have 8 players with overll rating above 90. They are even more outstanding in speed, with 26 players with speed of at least 90.

85 OVR wide receiver Ryan Wingo is the fastest player on the team with a speed of 95. 77 OVR Xavier Filsaime’s speed also reached 95. Although these two players’ overll rating are not the highest, the highest-rated players on this team are also good at speed.

No.1 89 OVR LSU Tigers 4.5 Stars

LSU Tigers have the most fast players, with 27 players with a speed of 90 or above. This may mean that Tigers are the fastest team of all teams, as two of the top ten fastest players, Barion Brown and Jelani Watkins, are on this team.

Although Tigers’ overall level may not be comparable to the top teams in terms of overall strength, if Tigers can flexibly use their speed, they can at least be almost invincible in the same level of competition, and even compete with five-star teams.

If you choose to be the coach of Tigers, you can invest CFB 26 coins in tactics and use the team’s speed advantage to specify running tactics.

These are the top five schools in CFB 26 in terms of speed. Except for UCLA Bruins, all the other teams are top teams. If you want to try speed tactics, then it is recommended that you choose UCLA Bruins, just it is precisely because this team is at a medium level that you can compete with evenly matched teams, and then further adjust the player arrangements to find the optimal solution for the speed tactics.
College Football 26 (5 Common Mistakes): How To Avoid Them To Improve Your Chances Of Winning?

Even the best gamers find it difficult to play their best game without making any mistakes. It is normal to make mistakes, but it is important that you correct them in time to avoid the same mistakes and suffer losses twice.

The common types of mistakes and the losses caused by them are different for different types of games. For sports games like CFB 26, no matter what kind of mistakes, the main negative impact is to reduce your chances of winning.

However, a reduction in winning rate will lead to a series of worse results, such as not being able to get enough NCAA 26 coins to exchange for reliable players and being discouraged.

To help you avoid the above problems, this time we will introduce you to 5 common mistakes in all modes of EA CFB 26.

1. Frequent Switching On Defense

In order to win the game, in addition to scoring more points through effective offense, a solid defense is also important. But sometimes you may switch frequently on defense due to panic, which will make the situation worse.

While AI in sports video simulations is not perfect, there is a defensive strategy that allows you to fully utilize AI players and solve the above problems. That is to use the same player on defense regardless of the situation.

This way, you can ensure that your defense performs properly in most games, and it also gives the AI elements of the game a chance to perform instead of just being a tutorial.

2. Ignore Archetypes

The so-called archetypes are more generally the essential jobs and strengths of each player. When you start to build your own team and play with them in CFB 26, you will probably want to arrange the players according to your preferences, but this may cause problems.

Each player in the game has a suitable position and therefore has its own strengths and related tactics. If you don’t want to have any surprises, it’s best to act according to their archetypes.

For example, if your quarterback has Pure Runner archetype, don’t let him run an Air Raid offense, but run QB runs and option plays. If your quarterback likes to pass the ball in the pocket and pass it up the field, don’t run an RPO every three possessions.

Of course, this also applies to defensive players. If your cornerback is good at zone defense, don’t force him to play man-on-man coverage. The only exception is if you play Dynasty mode, you can make a personal plan first and then recruit players based on this standard.

3. Over-Reliance On Algorithms

All EA Sports College Football 26 players can be simply divided into two types. One is creative and tries to experience everything as much as possible according to their own ideas; the other is just trying to simply “simulate” football through the game.

If ignoring player archetypes is a common mistake of the former players, then the latter players may fall into the mistake of over-reliance on algorithms because they are too lazy to understand every detail, especially when passing.

There are many types of passes in CFB 26, and each type requires you to deal with it through different skill levels - it’s troublesome, which is why some people tend to let the AI solve it directly through the game algorithm.

However, this makes it easier for you to be judged by the game that your pass position is not good enough when the game score is stalemate, resulting in your interception.

Therefore, in order to control the situation as much as possible, you’d better learn how to manipulate the pass through Placement & Accuracy option so that you can change your strategy in time according to the game situation.

4. Blind Pursuit Of 5-Star Recruits

This misunderstanding is mainly for Dynasty mode. The gameplay of this mode requires you to recruit a large range of players according to your needs, and then gradually narrow the scope to get the best players through various means.

Faced with hundreds of candidates, you will definitely tend to include high-star players in your candidate range from the beginning. But think about it the other way around, the stronger players are more likely to go to the team of a large school.

If the college where your Dynasty mode save belongs is small, excessive pursuit of 5-star recruits will delay your recruitment progress. Therefore, it is better to pay more attention to whether the player’s playing style matches your preference than the star level.

5. Unchanging Or Updated Too Quickly Tactics

In order to allow your players to develop steadily, you should be accustomed to using the same set of tactics in the past few seasons after the game starts, to cultivate a team with enough tacit understanding by putting them in a stable environment.

However, as your ability and the difficulty of the game gradually improve, you must make reasonable updates to your tactics in a timely manner to adapt to the changes. At the same time, it should be noted that such updates must be based on reality rather than fantasy.

In other words, in order to achieve the best game results, you need to make changes step by step, rather than completely overturn the entire tactical system. Although this is difficult, the results obtained by working hard are worth it.

The above content is just the common errors you may make in the existing CFB 26, and there may be other misunderstandings. Avoiding them may not guarantee that they are foolproof, but at least it can ensure that your game winning rate will not be affected too much.
College Football 26 Best Offensive Playbooks: Choosing The Right One Can Help You Win More!

In real life, college football, full of young and outstanding players, is more exciting to watch than NFL, mainly because many CFB teams use more explosive and fast offensive tactics.

So it is a very wise choice to choose an offensive-focused playbook for your starting lineup in EA Sports College Football 26, a simulation video game based on this sport, which will help you win more in dynasty mode or exhibition matches.

In view of this, this guide will recommend some offensive playbooks used by famous teams in real life so that you can use them directly. You can also tailor your own offensive playbook according to the needs of your dream team, and here will introduce the customization method to you.

Rice Owls

The first thing to introduce is the playbook of Rice Owls, which is mainly based on running offense. Here, you will use a lot of running offensive strategies, which is an important guarantee for your team to have extreme aggressiveness.

Add to that some clever tactical options, such as having a tactic that can confuse the opponent no matter how strong their defense is, and your chances of winning will be greatly increased. Even if the opponent team can accurately predict your running direction or trend, there will be a way to crack it in Rice Owls’ playbook.

For example, using some short passes, which can pass the ball between your players before the opponent players can react accordingly. This requires that your quarterback and running back have high-speed attributes, so spending as much NACC 26 Coins as possible to train them will give you a greater advantage.

Houston Cougars

If you are more concerned about the flexibility of the starting lineup in controlling the ball, then you can choose Houston Cougars, who focus on passing ability. In this playbook, you can use the quarterback with super powerful arms to perform excellent short and medium-range passes to successfully confuse the opponent.

Again, this playbook requires a high level of your quarterback and receivers, so try to make sure they can complete a complete set of passing and catching processes. In addition, Houston Cougars’ playbook also has some plays suitable for long passes, but the effectiveness is not too obvious.

Oregon State Beavers

Oregon State Beavers are a team that perfectly combines the quick running game of Rice Owls with the excellent passing ability of Houston Cougars, and they have one of the best playbooks in CFB 26 with a focus on run-pass option (RPO) plays.

Not only will this allow you to have an explosive attack, but it will also give you more flexibility with the ball during the game, allowing you to adapt to different styles of the game with ease.

But this also has some drawbacks: if you are at a big disadvantage, you will not have enough time to carefully observe the field and make strategies and decisions accordingly. Therefore, you also need to significantly improve your quarterback’s overall rating and various attributes, no matter how many CFB 26 Coins you spend.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This college football team’s playbook will have a bit more running ability than Rice Owls, so you can invest more in a running back who can run the ball at full speed and break through the opposing defense.

Not only that, but there are also devastating long passes and Run-Pass Option (RPO) Plays, which will force your opponent to be cautious and unable to accurately predict your next move, causing its defenders to stand very scattered, which is very beneficial to your offense.

UNLV Rebels

If you want to get right into the heart of the opposing team and disrupt their strategy, UNLV Rebels have a playbook that’s perfect for you. This playbook includes the most popular screens, RPOs, and other unconventional plays.

In addition, this tactical manual does not have prime requirements for the total score or attribute statistics of your starting lineup, so it can be applied to any player who wants to win. But you need to be reminded that these unconventional operations may require you to practice on the controller many times to reach the most proficient level.

Custom Offensive Playbooks

If you like some of the above playbooks, but their shortcomings are too much to ignore, you can try to pick out the best parts and create your own custom playbook in College Football 26.

Simply select Create & Share tab in the main menu and then select Custom Playbook button. Here you can select the part you are interested in from the many offensive playbooks, or view and download other players’ custom playbooks.

Then press L3 to save your own playbook, which will bring you more victories as you explore the game. In addition, you can also create your own custom defensive playbook from this interface to enhance your defensive capabilities.

These are some of the best offensive playbooks you can choose from in College Football 26, as well as how to customize your own playbook. Hopefully, with the help of these important playbooks, you can more easily play to your dream team’s strengths, win more games, and earn more rewards. Have fun playing!
College Football 26 AAC Teams Overview: Which Players Have The Highest Ratings?
As one of the best football games in United States, the ratings of various schools in College Football 26 can give you a general idea of the level of the school, and some players even use this game to predict the outcome of the playoffs.

The teams of 136 colleges and universities in United States are divided into different leagues. Although the strength of The mid-majors such as Sun Belt, the Mid-American, Conference USA and AAC differs somewhat from that of the top group, this gap is gradually narrowing. The top teams and players in these mid-majors are qualified to compete with large group.

As a coach in NCAA 26, you need to know which schools you should go to recruit which players and use your NCAA 26 coins in key places. So the following is an introduction to the strength of each school in American Athletic Conference and the player rankings.

AAC School Rankings

Members of American Athletic Conference are mainly distributed in the Northeast, Midwest and South of the United States.
- South Florida: 78 OVR, 76 Offense, 80 Defense, 1.5 Stars
- Tulane: 78 OVR, 78 Offense, 78 Defense, 2.5 Stars
- Memphis: 77 OVR, 76 Offense, 80 Defense, 2.5 Stars
- UTSA: 77 OVR, 78 Offense, 70 Defense, 1.5 Stars
- Navy: 74 OVR, 80 Offense, 70 Defense, 2 Stars
- North Texas: 74 OVR, 71 Offense, 76 Defense, 2 Stars
- Army: 74 OVR, 69 Offense, 76 Defense, 2.5 Stars
- East Carolina: 73 OVR, 75 Offense, 70 Defense, 1.5 Stars
- Florida Atlantic: 72 OVR, 73 Offense, 66 Defense, 1.5 Stars
- Charlotte: 72 OVR, 69 Offense, 68 Defense, 1 Star
- UAB: 72 OVR, 69 Offense, 68 Defense, 1.5 Stars
- Temple: 72 OVR, 67 Offense, 70 Defense, 1.5 Stars
- Tulsa: 72 OVR, 67 Offense, 68 Defense, 2 Stars
- Rice: 70 OVR, 64 Offense, 72 Defense, 1 Star
The star rating of a team represents the reputation of the team, and the higher the star rating, the easier it is to recruit excellent players. Therefore, players who choose a high-star team can use College Football 26 coins more on tactical arrangements.

Team Players OVR

The following are the positions and ratings of the best players of each team.

Army
- Brady Small: C, 90
- Hayden Reed: HB, 85
- Jaydan Mayes: CB, 83
- Kalib Fortner: Mike, 83
- Andon Thomas: Mike, 82
- Noah Short: WR, 81
- Casey Larkin: FS, 80
- Jake Rendina: FB, 79
- Will Jeffcoat: LG, 79
- Justin Weaver: CB, 79
Charlotte
- Ja’Qurious Conley: CB, 80
- Jesse Ramil: LT, 80
- Collin Gill: FS, 79
- Thai Baldwin: CB, 78
- Henry Rutledge: HB, 78
- Reid Williford: Mike, 78
- Jayden McGowan: WR, 78
- Treyveon McGee: SS, 77
- Jonny King: C, 77
East Carolina
- Anthony Smith: WR, 85
- London Montgomery: HB, 83
- Patrick Jenkins: HB, 82
- Marlon Gunn Jr.: HB, 80
- Katin Houser: QB, 79
- Ja’Marley Riddle: FS, 79
- Mike Wright: QB, 78
- Jordy Lowery: CB, 77
- Ryheem Craig: REDG, 77
- J.D. Lampley: LEDG, 77
Florida Atlantic
- Easton Messer: WR, 84
- Caden Veltkamp: QB, 83
- Logan Lupo: P, 77
- Gemari Sands: HB, 77
- Xavier Terrell: HB, 77
- JR Wilson: WR, 76
- Wilky Denaud: REDG, 76
- Okino King: C, 75
- Madden Sanker: LG, 75
Memphis
- Kamari Wilson: SS, 85
- Frank Peasant: HB, 84
- William Whitlow Jr.: REDG, 84
- Brendon Lewis: QB, 82
- Chris Adams: RT, 82
- Greg Desrosiers Jr.: HB, 82
- Marcus Burris Jr.: DT, 81
- Isheem Young: SS, 81
- Sam Brumfield: WILL, 81
- CJ Smith: WR, 81
Navy
- Blake Horvath: QB, 90
- Eli Heidenreich: HB, 88
- Alex Tecza: FB, 88
- Landon Robinson: DT, 87
- Ben Purvis: LG, 84
- Brandon Chatman: HB, 83
- Jaxson Campbell: SAM, 83
- Luke Pirris: REDG, 82
- Nathan Kent: WR, 80
- TK Hodges: HB, 79
North Texas
- Gabe Blair: C, 83
- David Fisher: CB, 82
- Fatafehi Vailea II: DT, 81
- Ethan Wesloski: WILL, 80
- Makenzie McGill II: HB, 79
- Evan Jackson: FS, 79
- Sawyer Evans: P, 79
- Johnny Dickson III: HB, 78
- Simeon Evans: WR, 78
Rice
- Blake Boenisch: DT, 80
- Chase Allen: K, 79
- Andrew Awe: Mike, 79
- Max Balthazar: HB, 79
- Weston Kropp: RG, 78
- Ty Morris: WILL, 78
- DJ Arkansas: Mike, 78
- Quinton Jackson: HB, 78
- Jack Kane: SS, 77
- Daveon Hook: SS, 77
South Florida
- Jhalyn Shuler: WILL, 85
- De’Shawn Rucker: CB, 84
- Byrum Brown: QB, 83
- Mac Harris: Mike, 83
- Cartevious Norton: HB, 83
- Rico Watson III: REDG, 81
- Cole Best: C, 81
- Sam Franklin: HB, 80
- Chavez Brown: MIKE, 80
- Mike Lofton: C, 79
Temple
- Jay Ducker: HB, 86
- Terrez Worthy: HB, 84
- Jalen Stewart: Mike, 81
- Javier Morton: SS, 81
- Joquez Smith: HB, 81
- Johnny Martin: HB, 77
- Grayson Mains: C, 76
- Evan Simon: QB, 76
- Gevani McCoy: QB, 75
- John Adams: WR, 75
Tulane
- Maurice Westmoreland: REDG, 88
- Derrick Graham: LT, 88
- Kameron Hamilton: DT, 84
- Zuberi Mobley: HB, 83
- Maurice Turner: HB, 83
- Arnold Barnes III: HB, 83
- Shadre Hurst: LG, 83
- Jack Hollifield: C, 83
- Bailey Despanie: SS, 82
- Sam Howard: WILL, 81
Tulsa
- Dominic Richardson: HB, 82
- Sevion Morrison: HB, 81
- Ajay Allen: HB, 80
- J’Dan Burnett: LEDG, 80
- Tai Newhouse: DT, 78
- Angus Davies: P, 78
- Zion Booker: WR, 77
- Hunter Erb: RT, 77
- Braylin Presley: WR, 77
UAB
- Jevon Jackson: HB, 85
- Jonah Delange: K, 82
- Sirad Bryant: SS, 81
- Isaiah Jacobs: HB, 81
- Nigel Tate: DT, 79
- Tariq Watson: CB, 79
- Corri Milliner: WR, 79
- Iverson Hooks: WR, 77
- AJ Brown: SS, 76
UTSA
- Robert Henry Jr.: HB, 85
- John Emery Jr.: HB, 84
- Devin McCuin: WR, 84
- Kamar Missouri: LT, 83
- De’Corian Clark: WR, 82
- Tyan Milton: SS, 81
- Bryson Donnell: HB, 81
- A’Marion Peterson: HB, 81
- Ben Rios: C, 80
- Houston Thomas: TE, 80
Best Players
- Brady Small (Army): 90 OVR
- Blake Horvath (Navy): 90 OVR
- Eli Heidenreich (Navy): 88 OVR
- Alex Tecza (Navy): 88 OVR
- Maurice Westmoreland (Tulane): 88 OVR
- Derrick Graham (Tulane): 88 OVR
- Landon Robinson (Navy): 87 OVR
- Jay Ducker (Temple): 86 OVR
- Hayden Reed (Army): 85 OVR
- Anthony Smith (East Carolina): 85 OVR
- Kamari Wilson (Memphis): 85 OVR
- Jhalyn Shuler (South Florida): 85 OVR
- Jevon Jackson (UAB): 85 OVR
- Robert Henry Jr. (UTSA): 85 OVR
Navy Midshipmen football team is your best choice as an AAC team coach. Although this team is not rated high, the team’s strength is acceptable. You can evenly distribute CFB 26 coins between skills such as Recruiter and Strategist.

The above is the general information of AAC, and if you want to win in Dynasty Mode, you need to understand the information of each team and make dynamic adjustments.
College Football 26 MAC Teams Overview: Who Are The Players Worth Recruiting?
There are 136 college teams in CFB 26, which are divided into several conferences, and the strength of different conferences varies greatly. If you plan to play dynasty mode and want to pick a challenging school, then I suggest you choose in MAC.

There are 13 schools in Mid-American Conference, which are almost at the bottom of the rankings of all universities. Letting these schools win is a daunting challenge for any player.

MAC Teams Ratings
- Toledo: 78 OVR, Offense 76, Defense 78, 1.5 stars
- Buffalo: 77 OVR, Offense 75, Defense 78, 1star
- Western Michigan: 73 OVR, Offense 69, Defense 68, 1.5 stars
- Central Michigan: 72 OVR, Offense 66, Defense 76, 1.5 stars
- Miami (OH): 72 OVR, Offense 71, Defense 70, 2 Stars
- Ohio: 72 OVR, Offense 73, Defense 64, 1.5 stars
- Bowling Green: 72 OVR, Offense 71, Defense 64, 1.5 stars
- Eastern Michigan: 72 OVR, Offense 71, Defense 64, 1.5 stars
- Northern Illinois: 70 OVR, Offense 64, Defense 68, 1.5 stars
- UMass: 69 OVR, Offense 66, Defense 64, 1.5 stars
- Akron: 69 OVR, Offense 67, Defense 60, 0.5 star
- Ball State: 68 OVR, Offense 67, Defense 60, 1star
- Kent State: 68 OVR, Offense 62, Defense 64, 0.5 star
The star of a team represents the reputation of the team. The only two schools with 0.5 stars among the 136 college teams are all come from MAC, which shows that the strength of the teams here is really poor.

If you plan to choose a college as your starting point, I recommend you to choose Miami (OH), because its star is the highest among the schools here, which will help you recruit new players. In these schools, you can’t put your hopes on your own players, so you can focus your College Football 26 coins on player recruitment.

MAC Teams Player Ratings

Akron
- Jake Newell: TE, 82 OVR
- Taven Curry: HB, 79 OVR
- Alex Adams: WR, 76 OVR
- Jordan Gant: HB, 75 OVR
- Chris Gee: HB, 75 OVR
- Gage Summers: Mike linebacker, 75 OVR
- Conner Cravaack: TE, 74 OVR
- Ben Finley: QB, 74 OVR
- Cyrus Durham: LEDG, 74 OVR
- Mekhi Flowers: FS, 74 OVR
Ball State
- Qua Ashley: HB, 81 OVR
- Qian Magwood: WR, 76 OVR
- Kiael Kelly: QB, 75 OVR
- Willizhuan Yates: CB, 75 OVR
- Elijah Jackson: HB, 74 OVR
- Chris Hood: LT, 74 OVR
- TJ Horton: HB, 74 OVR
- Joey Stemler: Mike linebacker, 74 OVR
- Maximus Webster: TE, 73 OVR
Bowling Green
- Nate Pabst: RT, 79 OVR
- Alex Padgett: RG, 79 OVR
- Arlis Boardingham: TE, 78 OVR
- Drew Pyne: QB, 77 OVR
- Tunde Fatukasi: LT, 77 OVR
- John Henderson: P, 77 OVR
- Darius Lorfils: SS, 76 OVR
- Chris McMillian: HB, 75 OVR
- RJ Garcia II: WR, 75 OVR
- JoJo Johnson: CB, 75 OVR
Buffalo
- Red Murdock: Mike linebacker, 90 OVR
- Al-Jay Henderson: HB, 88 OVR
- Kobe Stewart: REDG, 85 OVR
- Victor Snow: WR, 84 OVR
- Dion Crawford: WILL, 83 OVR
- Solomon Brown: FS, 83 OVR
- Tyler Doty: RG, 83 OVR
- Trevor Brock: LG, 80 OVR
- Marquis Cooper: CB, 77 OVR
- Nik McMillan: WR, 77 OVR
Central Michigan
- Jordan Kwiatkowski: Mike linebacker, 85 OVR
- Michael Heldman: REDG, 80 OVR
- Dakota Cochran: WILL, 80 OVR
- Caleb Spann: SS, 80 OVR
- Trey Cornist: HB, 77 OVR
- Tyson Davis: WR, 77 OVR
- Kalen Carroll: CB, 77 OVR
- Nahree Biggins: HB, 77 OVR
- Brady Ploucha: RG, 76 OVR
- DeCorion Temple: TE, 76 OVR
Eastern Michigan
- Mickey Rewolinski: LG, 87 OVR
- Terry Lockett Jr.: WR, 82 OVR
- Dontae McMillan: HB, 80 OVR
- James Jointer Jr.: HB, 78 OVR
- Jefferson Adam: REDG, 77 OVR
- Nick Harris: TE, 77 OVR
- Dramarian McNulty: CB, 77 OVR
- Mitchell Tomasek: P, 77 OVR
- Tyrell Martin: DT, 76 OVR
- Joshua Anderson: RT, 76 OVR
Kent State
- Gavin Garcia: HB, 80 OVR
- Jordan Nubin: HB, 80 OVR
- CJ Young: SS, 75 OVR
- Antoine Campbell Jr.: LEDG, 75 OVR
- Mattheus Carroll: REDG, 74 OVR
- Junior Diallo: LT, 73 OVR
- Dustyn Morell: RG, 73 OVR
- Canaan Williams: WILL, 73 OVR
- Ayden Harris: HB, 72 OVR
Miami (OH)
- Eli Blakey: FS, 85 OVR
- Silas Walters: SS, 84 OVR
- Dequan Finn: QB, 82 OVR
- Dom Dzioban: K, 82 OVR
- Kenny Tracy: HB, 81 OVR
- Jordan Brunson: HB, 78 OVR
- Greg Smith Jr.: LG, 77 OVR
- Mychal Yharbrough: SS, 77 OVR
- Corban Hondru: WILL, 76 OVR
- Deion Colzie: WR, 76 OVR
Northern Illinois
- Jacob Finley: CB, 83 OVR
- Telly Johnson Jr.: HB, 80 OVR
- Jalonnie Williams: LEDG, 79 OVR
- Jaylen Poe: HB, 79 OVR
- Evan Malcore: LT, 79 OVR
- Andrew Glass: K, 78 OVR
- Muhammed Jammeh: SS, 75 OVR
- Jake Appleget: TE, 74 OVR
- Justin Lynch: HB, 74 OVR
Ohio
- DJ Walker: FS, 83 OVR
- Sieh Bangura: HB, 82 OVR
- Parker Navarro: QB, 81 OVR
- Tank Pearson: CB, 81 OVR
- Jalen Thomeson: FS, 79 OVR
- Davion Weatherspoon: LT, 78 OVR
- Chase Hendricks: WR, 78 OVR
- Mason Williams: TE, 77 OVR
- Adonis Williams Jr.: SS, 77 OVR
- Andres Dewerk: LT, 75 OVR
Toledo
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren: SS, 90 OVR
- Junior Vandeross III: WR, 86 OVR
- Avery Smith: CB, 84 OVR
- Terrence Moore: C, 84 OVR
- Nasir Bowers: CB, 84 OVR
- Trayvon Rudolph: WR, 84 OVR
- Chip Trayanum: HB, 83 OVR
- Tucker Gleason: QB, 80 OVR
- Malachi Davis: LEDG, 79 OVR
- Anthony Dunn Jr.: LEDG, 79 OVR
UMass
- Juwaun Price: HB, 80 OVR
- T.Y. Harding: WR, 80 OVR
- Rocko Griffin: HB, 79 OVR
- Tim Grant-Randall: DT, 77 OVR
- Brandon Hood: HB, 76 OVR
- Derrieon Craig: WILL, 76 OVR
- Cookie Desiderio: HB, 76 OVR
- Da’Marion Alberic: HB, 76 OVR
- Kendall Bournes: FS, 74 OVR
- Sullivan Weidman: RG, 74 OVR
Western Michigan
- Jalen Buckley: HB, 87 OVR
- Blake Bosma: TE, 84 OVR
- Tate Hallock: SS, 82 OVR
- Raheem Anderson: C, 80 OVR
- Popeye Williams: LEDG, 78 OVR
- Tyson Lee: REDG, 77 OVR
- Christian Leary: WR, 77 OVR
- Cole Cabana: HB, 77 OVR
- Tailique Williams: WR, 76 OVR
- Cade Conley: TE, 76 OVR
Although Mid-American Conference’s team ratings are low, there are still some very worthwhile players here, such as Red Murdock and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with 90 OVR, Al-Jay Henderson with 88 OVR, and Mickey Rewolinski with 87 OVR.

You need to invest enough NACC 26 coins in player recruitment to attract these players, who are the key to your further progress and victory.

Although MAC’s teams are difficult to win, they also reward the most XP and coins. Saving these teams proves your strength as a legendary coach!
College Football 26 Rebuilding Team Type: Which One Should You Choose?
College Football 26 has been officially released, and players have begun to flock to various modes to choose and experience the differences between it and the previous game. Among them, the mode that players pay the most attention to should be Dynasty mode.

In Dynasty mode, as a coach, you need to manage your team, recruit key players, and retain the core of the team. Your initial choice is very important. Do you choose to start from scratch and show your powerful strength as a coach, or choose a strong team to meet the challenge of other teams?

Hard To Win
- Akron, MAC
- Kent State, MAC
- Rice, American
These universities are at the lowest level in the football rankings of all college games. It can be said that they rarely win. Among them, Akron and Kent State University currently have only 0.5 stars in CFB 26. Their winning rate every season is very few, and it can even be said that there is no chance of winning at all.

These teams have almost no fans, and it is very difficult to lead such a team to victory. But if you can succeed, you will get a great sense of accomplishment. It is recommended that you invest your NCAA 26 coins in coach recruitment related skills, starting with recruiting rookies, and gradually strengthen the team’s strength.

Potential Rising Stars
- Delaware, Conference USA
- Kennesaw State, Conference USA
- Missouri State, Conference USA
All the above teams are 1-star teams. Although these teams are not very strong, they can win some games every season. Among them, Missouri State University and University of Delaware will be promoted to FBS, and Kennesaw State University is also moving towards FBS.

These universities are ranked very low, but they have potential and may be promoted to 2 or 3 stars in the future. As a coach, you need more patience to train the team.

Difficult Challenges
- Louisiana Tech, Conference USA
- Purdue, Big Ten
- Stanford, ACC
- Virginia, ACC
These teams have had a period of glory, but now they are in a trough. Even an academic powerhouse like Stanford is in trouble now, having only had a handful of wins in the past few seasons.

Purdue had only one win last season, and the rookie they were looking for didn’t stay. Louisiana Tech lost more than it won every season for the entire decade.

All the above teams are around 2 stars, they have some potential, and it will be a tough challenge to save them, but not as difficult as Kent State, Akron, etc.

Better Jobs
- James Madison, Sun Belt
- UNLV, Mountain West
- Washington State, Pac-12
It is very common for coaches to go to better schools, which means more resources and stronger players, allowing coaches to arrange more tactics.

James Madison’s team is strong this year, and if you can lead them to many wins, you may have a lot of olive branches in the coaching rotation. Curt Cignetti and Barry Odom were poached by other universities because of their excellent coaching ability.

If you also want to use these college teams as a springboard to a better team, you should invest your College Football 26 coins in tactics and recruitment.

Regain Glory
- Cincinnati, Big 12
- Kentucky, SEC
- West Virginia, Big 12
- Wisconsin, Big Ten
The above teams can be called regional powerhouses and are ranked around 3 stars in CFB 26.

Although Cincinnati Tigers do not have a national championship, they are a frequent visitor to AFC North championship. Wisconsin Badgers were once expected by many fans during Paul Chryst’s coaching period.

But now these teams are in a slump because of various reasons such as reorganization. You can choose these universities to lead them to regain glory.

Go To The Next Level
- Ole Miss, SEC
- Oregon, Big Ten
- Texas A&M, SEC
These teams are strong seeds for the national championship, and Oregon has twice impacted the championship but failed. Ole Miss Rebels have returned talents and potential players, and fans have high hopes for them, but unfortunately they did not make a breakthrough in 2024.

These universities have great potential, but they may lack some tactical adjustments. You can allocate more EA CFB 26 coins to tactics and maybe make progress.

Football Giants
- Alabama, SEC
- Georgia, SEC
- Ohio State, Big Ten
These teams are the strongest teams at present, and their strength and popularity are undoubtedly the peak. Among them, Ohio State Buckeyes are College Football Playoff National Championship of last season. But using these teams to win will not bring you too much reward, and you still need to deal with challenges from other teams.

Should you keep the current team unchanged or take the risk of changing the team’s personnel and using rookies? These all need to be decided by you.

The above are several team types in College Football 26. The more difficult the team reconstruction is, the higher the reward you will get. Which type of team reconstruction task are you more willing to challenge?