The video game officially comes out to all customers on July 9, so how does EA Sports see the Huskies?
Coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons, the University of Connecticut football team will take the field for the first time this season on Sept. 5 when they host Lafayette.
The Huskies will play a challenging schedule under first-year head coach Jason Candle, complete with games against ACC foes Syracuse and North Carolina, as well as Big Ten foe Maryland and College Football Playoff participant James Madison.
However, fans can play with the virtual Huskies much earlier than that, as the new College Football '27 video game from EA Sports comes out to all customers on July 9. It's available on XBox, Playstation 5 and the PC.
But the player ratings for the game have been released already, so just how does EA Sports see the Huskies?
Top-rated Huskies player
K'Von Sherman, LB (84 rating)
A transfer from Toledo who followed Candle to Storrs, Sherman is a junior from Texas. He's played 26 games in two career seasons, registering 4.5 sacks, 59 solo tackles and a fumble recovery.
Top-rated offensive player
Kenji Christian, RB (81 rating)
Another transfer from Toledo, Christian averaged five yards per carry a season ago. He played in 13 games for the Rockets, recording 528 rushing yards and 193 more yards through the air. He had five total touchdowns.
Top-rated quarterback
Jake Merklinger (74 rating)
A rising sophomore who appeared in four games for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2025, Merklinger hails from Savannah, Ga. He went 13-of-24 for 173 yards for two touchdowns and no interceptions last season. He played in two games as a freshman, but earned a redshirt year for it, so he'll have three years of eligibility left in Storrs.
Merklinger was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and was a Top-300 player nationally according to Rivals, ESPN and 247 Sports. He was 42-10 as a starter in high school and was named as the top high school player in Savannah.
Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger (12) holds the ball during a NCAA football game between Tennessee Volunteers and New Mexico State Aggies at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 15, 2025. Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesInteresting thing to note
The Huskies have five running backs listed as higher overall ratings than Merklinger, suggesting that the strength of this team lies in the backfield.
Christian (81), Cyncir Bowers (76), Trey Cornist (76), Dashun Reeder (75) and Jaden Hart (75) all appear before Merklinger.
Toledo Rockets running back Kenji Christian (10) avoids the tackle of Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Jordan Guerad (99) during the fourth quarter of the Boca Raton Bowl at Flagler CU Stadium. Jeff Romance-Imagn ImagesFastest player
Reeder, RB (93 speed)
He played seven games at Northwestern last season, registering 222 yards on just 22 carries. He also had a touchdown and could be a fun weapon for Candle's offense to deploy.
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our UCONN on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Huskies fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
