Marcus Mariota on the cover? What could have been for NCAA Football 16

Oregon legendary quarterback Marcus Mariota could have been on the cover of EA Sports College Football 16 if franchise continued.

When nostalgia is done right, it can be epic, but when it’s done wrong, it can be a proverbial dumpster fire.

The gaming world is about to find out where the cookie crumbles when EA Sports’ College Football 25 comes out in July. All indications are there won’t be a dumpster fire to be found.

It’s been over a decade since EA has presented sports fans with a college football game due to legal reasons. Unfortunately, they had to stop right when Marcus Mariota was on the top of the world leading Oregon to a national title and holding a Heisman Trophy. CBS Sports says the Duck legend would have graced the cover of NCAA Football 16.

This was a very difficult cut to make, and it came down to a pair of quarterbacks that led their teams to a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff: Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston. Both won the Heisman, with Winston following in Johnny Manziel’s footsteps as a freshman winner while also becoming the youngest player to ever take the Heisman home. What sets Mariota apart, however, is his consistent success. It also helps that Mariota plays for Oregon and its imminently marketable uniforms, which look great emblazoned on any promotional material. — Will Buckus, CBS Sports

Mariota would have been the best call here, but it would have been comical to have a picture of Winston spinning himself into oblivion in the Rose Bowl on the cover.

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