Deion Sanders’ Son Shilo Hands Massive Boost to EA Sports CFB 2025 After Shocking Arch Manning Setback

Summers in the NFL are all set to be about controllers and Xbox. A (unexpected) dream come true. It was in 2021 that the titan of the gaming industry teased its way into the minds of the College Football Fans, making them hold their breaths. As the seasons passed, those breaths turned into sighs as the no-updates way of EA Sports and the hopes of getting the EA Sports College Football 25 tattered.

Until 2024, when the best of the college stars re-ignited their passion by opting in. CU’s Travis Hunter was one of the earliest ones to say yes to the game, which did its trick in prompting other Buffs players to give in. Although it did fail in working its magic on rarer ones like Arch Manning, it managed to lure the spotlight-stealing Buffs players in!

Shilo Sanders says yes to EA Sports, fixing its reputation

Shilo Sanders joined forces with 10,000 others across the 134 CFB teams to opt-in to the CFB 25. The Sanders safety has signed an NIL deal as Pete Nakos tweeted. Along with Sanders, Alabama’s Malachi Moore, and Pittsburg’s Donovan McMillon are other top safeties who have opted in. QB room is jam-packed with the toughest competitions in the CFB: Quinn Ewers, and Jalen Milroe. Who will be missed is Shedeur Sanders, yet to accept or decline, and Arch Manning, who has, well.. slapped a straight ‘no’ to EA Sports’ face.

For those fans who were waiting to lead Texas back to glory with Arch Manning leading the way as their QB in the CFB 25, Arch Manning says ‘sorry’. The QB prodigy has declined to share his likeness for the game, his decision makes him a standout, only one of the very few divisions I college football players rejecting the offer. These rejections dialed down the organization’s acceptance rate to 87% on the NIL offers they proposed to 11,000 players. Shilo Sanders’s announcement would shoot up the Esports Giants’ stocks, since the star they had high hopes from, snubbed them, making a huge dent in their $6.6 million project.

The $6.6 million project

The opt-in program was launched on Thursday, and the ones who were picked by EA Sports were to receive $600 each, with a copy of the game. This makes it the largest activation in NIL, defining its history. Yet, it was not hitting the ceiling for EA Sports. Their deals with Opendorse, the NIL marketplace, to land the top athletes based on their NIL value goes beyond the $600.

READ ALSO: Amidst $600 Worth Move, How Many College Football Players Are Likely to Opt Into EA Sports College Football 25?

Each deal is subjective, a product of the negotiation market. And this is just phase one of the ‘EA Sports College Football 25’ marketing. On3 reported that a list of 100 priority athletes has been pieced together the last few weeks ahead of Thursday’s announcement. Buffs are down Travis Hunter and now Shilo Sanders. Will the blockbuster Shedeur Sanders join them? It will be a sweet wait for the fans.