"It takes a long time to get to the Nick Saban level": CBS insider sheds light on the coaching carousel in EA Sports' College Football '25

EA Sports' College Football 25 is reviving the franchise after an 11-year hiatus, and its July 19 release is highly anticipated. Earlier this month, the reveal of Michigan's Donovan Edwards, Colorado's Travis Hunter and Texas' Quinn Ewers as cover athletes fueled the frenzy.

Shortly after, an official trailer was released which offered a glimpse into the game. Fans are buzzing about gameplay specifics, Dynasty mode details, the Road to Glory experience, stadium recreations and most importantly, how the new NIL rules will be integrated.

Bud Elliott of CBS Sports was recently granted exclusive access to the game. When asked about how the coaching carousel will compare to previous editions of the game, he answered that this time, it allows players to take on various coaching roles, from head coach to coordinator and even position coach.

But unlike previous editions, College Football 25 ditches the one-size-fits-all approach. The game introduces specialization tracks, forcing players to strategically invest points into areas like recruiting, tactics, player development or motivation.

“There are multiple coaching tracks that you can take," Elliott wrote. "You can start out as a head coach or coordinator. I believe you can start as a position coach, too. There are different tracks you can take. No one can be an A-plus in everything when you are starting out.

“It takes a long time to get to the Nick Saban level. There's a recruiter, tactician, developer or motivator track. All three of those tracks, you're sort of distributing your attribute points when creating your coach. Those actually impact how your players develop and play.”

College Football 25 tackles NIL and transfer portal in Dynasty mode

While some fan-favorite features won't be making a comeback in College Football 25, EA Sports has addressed two of the biggest changes to hit college football in recent years: NIL and the transfer portal.

NIL, which allows players to profit from endorsements and sponsorships, presented a unique challenge for the developers in Dynasty Mode, the game's franchise-building mode. EA confirmed NIL will be potentially influencing player attributes based on the deals they secure.

The transfer portal will be directly integrated into Dynasty Mode. This debated real-world addition allows players to enter a database where they can be recruited by other schools.

In "College Football 25," this translates to the ability for players to try and lure talented athletes from the transfer portal to their own program. EA also reassured fans that their favorite mascots will be making an appearance. Both costumed and real animal mascots will be included.