It happens almost every time a new version of Madden comes out. NFL players enter the game to see what their rating is, and often, they disagree, thinking they’ve been slighted in some way if the rating isn’t as high as they believe it should be.
That trend hasn’t really occurred on the college level yet. In Dakorien Moore’s case, he should be pretty happy with what EA Sports rated him as.
In the new College Football 26 video game, the Duck receiver was given an 84 rating, making him the highest-rated freshman in the game. An 84 would be good for any player, but for a freshman that will improve as time goes by, it shows the tremendous potential Moore has for the Ducks on the actual field of play, not just in the video game world.
So, what does this exactly mean for Oregon?
For one thing, it shows that Dan Lanning is recruiting at the highest levels and can attract top-tier talent to play in Eugene. Moore, even as a freshman, is expected to be a game-changer, something similar to what Jeremiah Smith was for Ohio State last season. He was a huge reason the Buckeyes were able to win the national championship a year ago, and he’ll only get better this season, which is a very scary thought.
By comparison, Smith was a 90 rating in last year’s version of the game when he was a true freshman and had not played a down for Ohio State. After a tremendous freshman campaign, Smith has a 98 rating for this most current version.
The Ducks hope Moore can experience the same type of progression as Smith, and they’ll need it. With the injury status of Evan Stewart in question with a knee injury, Moore is going to be relied upon more than originally planned.
While his overall rating is 84, Moore has elite ratings in the sub-categories, making him one of the most difficult receivers to cover in the game. He has a 96 speed rating and a 97 in both agility and acceleration.
In short, Moore is going to be fun to play with in the game and even more fun to watch inside Autzen Stadium.