Colorado football two-way star and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is expected to be one of the most exciting rookies in 2025. Will his rookie Madden NFL video game rating reflect that?
Hunter spoke to former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and current Madden ratings adjuster Chad Ochocinco, indicating he expects to receive a rating of 85 or higher as a rookie. If he doesn't, Hunter suggested that he would go up against Ochocinco one-on-one in coverage for the Heisman Trophy.
"If I ain't an 85 or above, we're going to have to one vs. one for the [Heisman] Trophy back there. When I beat him, I get the 99," Hunter told Ochocinco on EA Madden Cast.
What do you think @TravisHunterJr's Madden rating should be once he enters the league? 👀 @ochocinco@EAMaddenNFL Cast on Peacock and #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7jkW5wNsmH
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2024
For a player with Hunter's skill set, a rating of 85 or above is far from unreasonable. However, rookies rarely start out in the NFL with high Madden ratings. Heading into the 2024 season, Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. were the highest-rated rookies with overall ratings of 79.
Detroit Lions Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson is the highest rated Madden rookie of all time, beginning his career with a lofty rating of 87. Comparing any player to Johnson, who was a No. 2 overall pick coming out of Georgia Tech, is a stretch, but Hunter will enter the NFL off of a prolific college career that could merit a higher rating than most top rookies.
Like Johnson, Hunter won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the nation. He also picked up the Heisman, Chuck Bednarik Award, Walter Camp Award, and the AP College Football Player of the Year. His awards denoted him as the top receiver and defensive player in the nation as he excelled at both wide receiver and cornerback, adding to his value. Hunter plans to play on both sides of the football field in the NFL.
For now, Hunter is currently the highest rated player in EA Sports College Football 25 as the only athlete in the nation with a 99 rating.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Travis Hunter Suggested His Own Madden Rating, and It Was Surprisingly Reasonable.
