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Who are College Football 27s top-ranked players and where did they go to high school? Buckle up.
It's almost here.
College Football 27 is inching closer to its worldwide release on July 9, marking the third straight year a college football video game has been produced.
Each year it's continued to get better, with this year looking to surpass College Football 26 in terms of deeper, more sophisticated playbooks, leading to a more immersive experience in the game.
While there are plenty of familiar faces and a lot of new ones, one might ask: who are the top overalls in this years game and what did they do in high school? USA TODAY Sports has you covered, breaking down what each of the top players did before stepping foot on a college campus.
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR Overall: 99 High School: Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.) Highlights: Smith was a gamewrecker for the Lions, putting up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a junior and senior, scoring 40 touchdowns.
He had 90 receptions for 1,389 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior before enrolling at Ohio State, where hes been critical to the Buckeyes success.
Leonard Moore, Notre Dame DB Overall: 97 High School: Round Rock (Texas) Highlights: Moore was not a highly regarded prospect coming out of high school, ranked as the 42nd best cornerback in the 2024 class by 247Sports, with a 3-star grade.
Safe to say, hes exceeded those expectations and then some after logging 8 interceptions and 17 pass breakups in high school, with 97 tackles over three seasons.
Carter Smith, Indiana OT Overall: 97 High School: Olentangy Liberty (Ohio) Highlights: Smith was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school in the 2022 class, choosing to commit to then-head coach Tom Allen before staying upon the arrival of Curt Cignetti.
Smith was named First Team All-Ohio as a senior, also starring in mens volleyball at 6-foot-5.
He was the starting left tackle on Indianas national title team last season.
Cayden Green, Missouri OT Overall: 96 High School: Lees Summit North (Mo.) Highlights: Green was a 4-star recruit at Lees Summit North, where he was a three-year varsity starter.
With the program, he helped them to a 27-10 record with a state title game appearance in his final season.
The MaxPreps and Under Armour All-American originally chose Oklahoma, but then transferred to Missouri following his freshman year, moving from left guard to left tackle.
Ahmad Hardy, Missouri RB Overall: 96 High School: Lawrence County (Miss.) Highlights: Hardy was not heavily pursued whatsoever out of high school, ranked as the 153rd best running back in the 2024 class by 247Sports.
Hardy committed to Louisiana-Monroe, his only offer out of high school following a senior season where he ran for 2,200 yards to earn All-State honors.
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss RB Overall: 96 High School: Lancaster (Texas) Highlights: One of three cover athletes in this years game, Lacy comes from south Dallas, where he ran for 1,352 yards and 13 TDs as a sophomore at Fort Worth Nolan before transferring to Lancaster.
Lacy ran for 527 yards and 10 TDs as a junior before exploding for 1,513 yards and 19 TDs as a senior.
Malachi Toney, Miami WR Overall: 96 High School: American Heritage (Fla.) Highlights: Just like hes done in college, Toney was a Swiss-army knife in high school.
With American Heritage, Toney caught 141 passes for 2,412 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Playing quarterback his junior year due to a season-ending injury to current Texas QB Dia Bell, Toney threw for 524 yards and 8 touchdowns on 71.7 percent completion, adding 228 rushing yards and four scores.
Toney is also on the cover of the game.
Dante Moore, Oregon QB Overall: 95 High School: King (Mich.) Highlights: The third and final cover athlete in the game, Moore threw for 2,392 yards with 32 touchdowns against three interceptions in 2022, leading King to back-to-back state titles.
For his career, he threw for 9,880 yards and 135 touchdowns against 20 picks, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors following his senior year, as well as Adidas All-American Game MVP honors.
Moore is the first Oregon athlete since Joey Harrington, who beared the cover of NCAA Football 2003.
Kade Pieper, Iowa IOL Overall: 95 High School: Norfolk Catholic (Neb.) Highlights: Pieper starred at Norfolk Catholic in Nebraska, splitting time on both the offensive and defensive line.
With the Knights, he helped lead the program to an 11-2 finish, adding 130 tackles on the defensive side of the ball.
Pieper is the highest-rated Hawkeye in the game, and was a three-star recruit as a defensive lineman coming out of high school.
Colin Simmons, Texas EDGE Overall: 95 High School: Duncanville (Texas) Highlights: Simmons was a highly coveted pass rusher coming out of Duncanville, fresh off a season where he had 52 tackles (21 for loss), and 10 sacks as a senior to finish with 44.5 sacks in his career.
He helped lead Duncanville to back-to-back state titles, earning a 5-star grade from 247Sports.
He signed with Texas over LSU.
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