IOWA CITY — LeShon Williams arrived late to University of Iowa football's media availability on Tuesday.
He was playing Call of Duty: Warzone when he got a message asking if he wanted to join.
“I was on 'War Zone' and I was like, 'Oh my God, I got an interview,'” Williams recalled. “And that's exactly what happened.”
When he finally arrived at the facility, naturally, the conversation was about video games, specifically the upcoming release of “College Football 25.”
There's been a lot of anticipation surrounding the return of the college football video game series made by Electronic Arts Inc. EA last released a game in the series called “NCAA Football 14,” which featured Michigan State player Denard Robinson on the cover.
The changing landscape for college sports has created the conditions for the sport to return, and the extended hiatus combined with the passion of college football fans has created high hopes for a July 2024 start.
That also applies to those actually in the game.
“It's going to be very competitive, especially at this venue,” Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa said, “so I'm looking forward to it.”
more:A look at the traditions Iowa State submitted to EA Sports' “College Football 25” video game
Williams had the good fortune of being featured in the game's official trailer, which was released in May. The video featured a brief clip of Iowa's “Kinnick Wave,” with an animated reenactment showing several Iowa players, including Williams and quarterback Cade McNamara, waving towards a virtual UI Stead Family Children's Hospital.
“It was so cool to see that,” Williams said. “I didn't know (I was going to be there). A couple of people sent me and I was super excited. I'm an avid Madden NFL player and I knew I would be an avid NCAA player as well.”
But Williams was I am a little critical of his portrayal.
“But they didn't leave me without any tattoos or anything,” Williams joked. “I don't have any wristbands or anything. My arms are bare. But as long as I'm playing, I'm OK.”
Considering how teammates have spoken about Williams as a “Madden NFL” player, he deserves to be featured in the trailer.
“Right now, the best player in Madden is LeShon Williams,” Nwankpa said.
Receiver Caleb Brown agreed: “That's a fair statement to say. Yeah, he's figured it out. He's figured it out… I mean, he's a good player. He makes a lot of adjustments. That's what it takes in this game.”
It wouldn't be surprising if Williams already has a strategic game plan in mind. Early details released about the game include an “attrition” feature. Put simply, taking hits and dealing with fatigue will affect players, adding another element to gameplay management.
Coach Williams has already taken that into consideration when it comes to the Hawkeyes' running back rotation.
“I heard it says 'wear and tear,' right?” Williams said. “So I'm going to start Caleb (Johnson) and (JaJiun Patterson) and wear them out, and then I'm going to put me in the game when it counts. I already have the game plan. I already have the strategy. That's how I'm going to play it.”
A screenshot of team ratings from EA's “Gameplay Deep Dive” video has caused a stir in the gaming and college football world. As a disclaimer, the ratings are not final and may still change. That said, here is Iowa's rating:
- Overall: 85
- Attack Power: 71
- Defense: 94
Nwankpa is excited to have one of his teammates on defense.
“I'm going to play with (Sebastian) Castro,” Nwankpa said. “I'm probably going to punch somebody.”
Being an offensive player, Brown is naturally looking forward to playing on the offensive end.
“But I think it's probably Leshon,” Brown said. “I just want to see how he moves, see if he moves the same way he does in real life. I'll probably say that to everybody. It'll be interesting to see if everybody moves the same way (in real life).”
Said defensive back Jelmari Harris: “When the game plays out as it actually does, Castro will be flying around with Jay (Higgins) like he normally does.”
Trying to figure out the ratings of individual players also sparks debate.
“I would probably give myself something like an 87,” Nwankpa said.
“About 89,” Brown said, “but it's going to go up. It's going to be 89. Trust me. It's going to be 89. We'll talk about this later. It's going to be 89. It could go up. I don't know.”
“At least 85 points. Anything less is unacceptable,” Williams said.
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