Record-setting playmaker Dylan Wade and high-profile transfer Alonza Barnett III headline the Knights' virtual roster as EA Sports unveils elite ratings for the upcoming Big 12 campaign.
This past week, EA Sports began to release player ratings for all of the more than 8,000 athletes who all be featured in this year's College Football 27 video game.
Leading the ratings for the Knights is 88 overall Dylan Wade, which ranks him in a four-way tie for the fourth highest TE rating with BYU's Benjamin Brahmer, Temple's Peter Clarke and Iowa's DJ Vonnahme.
Wade is coming off a historic season, where his 43 receptions for 523 yards and five touchdowns all set program records for his position.
All season long, Wade was a reliable target for starting quarterback Tayven Jackson, who praised the star TE in a press conference in late November.
"He's an athletic tight end. He reads the defense well and he plays in space and he plays the grass. He's not a receiver who will run the route like our install picture tells him too," Jackson said. "He'll just run to space and I feel I have a connection with him and I know what he is going to do and he gets the job done."
Right behind Wade, on the offensive side of the football, is James Madison transfer quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who is looking to end his solid collegiate career with a nice showing in the Big 12.
After earning a CFP bid with the Dukes last season, Barnett shined in his first round matchup against a very talented Oregon defense.
Barnett threw for 273 yards passing, 45 yards rushing and three total touchdowns, scoring 34 points on a defensive unit that shutout the Big 12 champion Texas Tech Red Raiders in the following round.
Throughout the game, Barnett displayed his ability to extend plays and push the ball downfield, using his arm strength and escapability to keep the Dukes in it.
Unfortunately, Barnett has not been able to showcase his skills in a UCF jersey quite yet, as the coaching staff has been very cautious about ramping up his activity as he recovers from lingering injuries.
But, he has remained active and energetic within meetings, according to the staff.
Earlier this month, ESPN's Bill Connelly released an in-depth preview of the 2026 Big 12 conference, with his favorite matchups, transfers, and predictions for each team included.
Ranked in his top-10 transfers is Barnett, the lone QB represented on the list.
"One of the nation's better dual-threat QBs, Barnett threw for 2,806 yards, rushed for 729 more (not including sacks) and created 38 combined touchdowns last season while leading James Madison to the Sun Belt title and CFP [College Football Playoff]," Connelly wrote. "Few portal quarterbacks are more tested and proven."
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