EA Sports has already put a number on UConn football, and the early College Football ’27 ratings paint a pretty clear picture of where the Huskies stand in the game.
The virtual version of the program arrives for all customers on July 9, available on XBox, Playstation 5 and the PC. Before that release, the player ratings are out, giving fans a first look at how EA Sports sees a UConn team that is coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons and opens the real season on Sept. 5 at home against Lafayette.
The Huskies are set to face a demanding slate under first-year head coach Jason Candle, with games against ACC opponents Syracuse and North Carolina, Big Ten foe Maryland and College Football Playoff participant James Madison. In the game, though, the headline names start with defense.
K'Von Sherman is the highest-rated UConn player at 84 overall. The junior linebacker transferred from Toledo and followed Candle to Storrs. A Texas native, Sherman has appeared in 26 games over two seasons and has posted 4.5 sacks, 59 solo tackles and a fumble recovery.
On offense, the top-rated Husky is another Toledo transfer: running back Kenji Christian, who comes in at 81 overall. Christian averaged five yards per carry last season, playing in 13 games for the Rockets and piling up 528 rushing yards, 193 receiving yards and five total touchdowns.
At quarterback, Jake Merklinger checks in at 74 overall. The rising sophomore saw action in four games for Tennessee in 2025, going 13-of-24 for 173 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also played in two games as a freshman, preserving a redshirt year and leaving him with three years of eligibility in Storrs.
Merklinger arrived in college with plenty of pedigree. He was a four-star recruit, ranked among the Top-300 players nationally by Rivals, ESPN and 247 Sports, and went 42-10 as a high school starter. He was also named the top high school player in Savannah.
One thing that jumps out from the ratings is how crowded UConn’s backfield looks compared with Merklinger. The Huskies have five running backs rated higher overall than their quarterback: Christian at 81, Cyncir Bowers at 76, Trey Cornist at 76, Dashun Reeder at 75 and Jaden Hart at 75.
Reeder also lands as the fastest player on the roster in the game, earning a 93 speed rating. He played seven games at Northwestern last season and finished with 222 yards on 22 carries, plus a touchdown. That kind of burst could make him a useful piece in Candle’s offense.
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