EA Sports NCAA 27 is on its way out, and team and player rankings have slowly been revealed. Now every player in the database has ratings, including the Wisconsin Badgers. The website even allows you to search by team, so you can see the players and how they stack up in EA Sports' minds. It's not pretty with only 10 players 80 or over in total rating, but none higher than an 85.
This isn't the main frustration, as a team coming off a 4-8 season really shouldn't be projected with some elite roster. Though it is frustrating to see how low even some of the transfers coming in are rated. There's a separate frustration, and that's some of our best players from last season are still too low. Let's break it down.
Wisconsin's top-10 players on NCAA 27
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1. Abu Sama - 85 overall
2. Javan Robinson - 85 overall
3. Colton Joseph - 84 overall
4. Hammond Russell IV - 83 overall
5. Marvin Burks - 83 overall
6. Gavin Lahm - 81 overall
7. Bryan Jackson II - 80 overall
8. Darrion Dupree - 80 overall
9. Junior Poyser - 80 overall
10. Mason Posa - 80 overall
It's great to see Joseph towards the top, and he's actually a top-10 QB in the Big Ten (at No. 9), ahead of Bryce Underwood and Drake Lindsay, among others. There are also a few surprises in that list, like Gavin Lahm or even Javan Robinson (who's very good), being tied at the top.
However, that list shows two of the frustrations. That's literally all of the top players on the Badgers in EA Sports' minds. After that, it drops into the 70s, and that's just not good enough. That's underwhelming to say the least, and you can see some players that are missing or way too low. If you asked any Badger fan who should be towards the top of that list, it would be Mason Posa. Maybe EA Sports doesn't like that he's a true sophomore, but he's one of, if not the very best, defender on Wisconsin's team.
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Or where's Cooper Catalano? Well, he's way down at 73 overall. That's ridiculous and not right at all. He may not be an 80, fine, but he's not a low 70s player in the slightest. That's lower than Carter Smith, or Danny O'Neil, or Michael Roeske.
Also, clearly, the EA Sports teams think that the running back room is the best room on the Wisconsin Badgers. There are three backs in the top-10: Abu Sama III, Bryan Jackson II, and Darrion Dupree. While the offensive line is (hopefully) underrated. Emerson Mandell is the highest-rated lineman at 77, followed by Austin Kawecki and PJ Wilkins at 76. This could be bad if EA Sports is right.
EA Sports can have the benefit of the doubt there with the line as it's a big question mark, but it's still frustrating to see it so low. There's also the big question mark of the wide receiver room. EA Sports has Chris Brooks Jr. (78), Shamar Rigby (78), Malachi Coleman (77), and Zion Kearney (77).
It's hard to find too much to be excited about with EA Sports' outlook of the Wisconsin Badgers, but then again, it's not like the Badgers have proven much to determine higher rankings. Either way, it's frustrating to read and see.
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