Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter are among the early Heisman Trophy candidates this season.
They are also among the most notable players receiving a ratings boost in EA Sports College Football 25.
The game released its latest batch of player-ranking updates Wednesday, and the trio were among the top players to receive a boost:
Top Player Changes
That Hunter continues to rise comes as no surprise.
Colorado is off to a 4-1 start and looks much improved from last year in large part because of his game-changing ability. He is on the field for almost every snap as a wide receiver and cornerback who seems to have the talent to reach the NFL at either position.
He forced the game-winning fumble in an overtime victory over Baylor, posted 100 or more receiving yards in four of the first five games and has six touchdown catches. What's more, he has two interceptions as a defender, one of which helped the Buffaloes shock UCF on the road.
But Hunter was a household name among college football fans coming into the season.
Perhaps nobody has propelled themselves onto the national stage more early in 2024 than Jeanty, who has been an absolute machine for Boise State through four games. He ran for 267 yards and six touchdowns in the opening win over Georgia Southern and then followed up with 192 yards and three scores on the ground in a narrow loss to Oregon.
This past Saturday, Jeanty posted 259 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in a critical win over Washington State.
The Broncos are early playoff contenders with their star running back leading the way, and gamers will now be even better equipped to run over tacklers in the virtual world following his significant boost.
As for Ward, he has been a revelation in his first season at Miami after transferring from Washington State.
The Hurricanes are 5-0 and in the driver's seat in the ACC with Ward completing 70.2 percent of his passes for 1,782 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. That type of efficiency in the passing game will keep Miami in the playoff discussion, and Ward has also added 146 yards and two scores on the ground.
He has been largely unstoppable on the field this season, and now he will be even more dangerous in College Football 25 as well.