3 Underrated Mizzou Players in EA College Football 25

The time has officially come, and highly anticipated video game, "College Football 25" has been released to the public. Gameplay has been coming out slowly over the past week, but with public access, full rosters are now available to everyone.

Missouri comes into the game criminally underrated (as expected). Coming in at a lowly 85 overall, they were given the same ream rating as Arkansas, who had seven less wins than the Tigers in 2023. Missouri's offense is more fairly given an 89 overall, led by Luther Burden (94 overall), Brady Cook (88 overall), and a pair of running backs in Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll (both 85 overall).

On the other end of the spectrum however, Missouri's defense was rated a 76 overall. This rating is criminal for a team coming who just held Ohio State to three points in the Cotton Bowl. Sure, Missouri lost key players to the draft, but they also gained in the transfer portal, and are still returning pieces from their 2023 defense. Let's take a look at the three most disrespected Missouri Tigers in EA's College Football 25.

1. Daylan Carnell (SS, 82 Overall)

Carnell is one of the key returning pieces to Missouri's secondary next season. He's coming off a career game, where he helped seal the Cotton Bowl victory. Carnell had three tackles, a sack, and forced fumble, lifting Missouri over Ohio State. In his sophomore campaign, Carnell started all 13 games for the Tigers. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, and after red-shirting his freshman year, he was an impact player for Mizzou in his sophomore season. He registered 51 tackles, while breaking up seven passes, and sealing a victory over Tennessee with his interception return for a touchdown. He'll make a massive impact on the 2024 season, and this rating doesn't reflect his skills at all.

2. Johnny Walker, Jr. (LE, 83 Overall)

It is clear that whoever was responsible for these ratings didn't watch much of Missouri's defense last season. Walker received the honors of Defensive MVP in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State. After taking time to break out in his college career, Walker did that in a big way as a junior. He tallied 43 tackles, 8.5 of those coming for loss, while recording five sacks in the process. Coming into his senior season, expectations are even higher for the man who started all but one game last year. Walker was a defensive leader and someone who the team rallied behind. He'll have a chip on his shoulder this year, and an 83 overall in the game should just be more fuel to the fire for Walker.

3. Brett Norfleet (TE, 81 Overall)

One of the lone offensive players who was shafted by EA is the young tight end, Brett Norfleet. He emerged in the second half of the season as a serious playmaker, doing this as a true freshman. You don't see guys come on to the scene anymore as true freshman in today's college football. Norfleet snagged 18 balls for just shy of 200 receiving yards, but he was an all-around playmaker. Whether it was flashing his athleticism with the ball, or making key blocks sealing the edge, Norfleet had a big impact on Missouri's success last year. Following the season, Norfleet was named to the Freshman All-American team by CFN and The Athletic. Coming in at an 81 overall is more understandable given his youth, but he certainly won't finish the season at that stature. If anything, Norfleet should definitely come into the 2024 season as a mid-80s player after accumulating the success he did in year one.