AMHERST — EA Sports’ long-anticipated college football video game, “College Football 25” finally released in July, and UMass football players wasted little time getting in on the action. 

The popular game was shelved in 2013 because of disputes over NLI (Name, Image and Likeness), but was recently reintroduced because of NCAA rules that now allow players to profit off their name, image and likeness.

“It’s pretty cool to have the opportunity to turn a video game on and have myself in it,” UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh said. “So it’s been fun.”

Each player who opted into an agreement with EA received $600 and a copy of the game. Grad-transfer tight end Dom Mazotti – rated an 81 [out of 100], tied with Tyler Rudolph for the title of highest-rated UMass player in the game – has been rebuilding the Minutemen through “dynasty” mode and streaming the games on his Twitch channel. 

In addition to playing online on Twitch, UMass players have been playing against each other throughout camp. Wide receiver Anthony Simpson said fellow receiver Jakobie Keeney-James was the best player he’s played against. Phommachanh didn’t want to give anyone an ego-boost by crowning them as the team’s best player.

“I’m not really a video game guy,” Phommachanh said. “So I’ve been getting my fair share of wins and losses.”

While EA announced ratings for every player in the game upon its release, those ratings are fluid and can move up or down throughout the season. Simpson hopes his 72 rating goes up.

“It’s a blessing to be in the game but I do feel like they kind of nerfed my overall [rating] a little bit,” Simpson said with a smile on his face. “They put my overall a little too low, but it’s OK, they said that during the season we’ll be able to get it to go back up, so I’m hoping by week one, it’ll go back up.” 

Simpson said he’s been having a lot of fun playing not just by himself, but with his teammates in the receiver room.

“Frank Ladson is like Megatron for UMass,” Simpson said, referring to the grad-transfer from Clemson and Miami. “Everytime you throw him the ball he’s going to get it.”

Fellow grad-transfer Sterling Galban is fun to use as well, Simpson said.

“Sterling is real fast, I think he’s got like 93 (95) speed,” Simpson said. “You put him on an inside fade and he’s normally beating man coverage.”

Sure, playing the game is fun. But are there any practical implications? Can it help UMass players prepare for their opponents? Not so much.

“It’s video game and it’s real life,” Phommachanh said. “I was telling the guys don’t get too caught up in the whole college football video game – it is cool to be in the game, I’m not saying that – but at the end of the day, it’s [not] real life.”