On Monday, EA Sports College Football 27, the latest installment in EA Sports' college football video game franchise, was released on Monday.
All 138 NCAA FBS teams are in the game, including the University of Hawai‘i. Real-life players featured in the game are compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). Each player featured in the game will receive at least $1,500 and a copy of the game.
In the University of Hawai‘i's case, not each player on the roster is featured in the game. For the second year in a row, none of UH's true freshmen are featured in the game's initial roster. Although Division I football teams are allowed to have up to 105 players, rosters in EA Sports College Football 27 are limited to 85.
EA Sports previously divulged the highest-rated players on each team prior to the game's release. Pofele Ashlock and Elijah Palmer are both rated 85 overall, tied for the highest on Hawai‘i's roster.
While Hawai‘i true freshmen aren't yet in the game, others from the Islands on Power Four rosters are. Michigan true freshman and Kamehameha alumnus Malakai Lee is rated a 79 overall, while USC linebacker and Kahuku graduate Talanoa Ili is rated a 75.
For the second straight year, Oregon center and Farrington alum Iapani Laloulu is the highest rated player with Hawai‘i ties at 93 overall. Not far behind is USC quarterback and Pālolo native Jayden Maiava, who is rated a 92. Maiava also appears on the deluxe version cover, marking the first time a player from Hawai‘i has appeared on a cover of the game.
As a team, Hawai‘i is rated 67 overall, with a 66 rating given to its offense and a 69 given to its defense.
True freshmen were not featured in EA Sports College Football 26, released in July 2025. UH's highest-rated redshirt freshman in EA Sports College Football 27 is running back Titan Lacaden, who was given a 71 rating.
In lieu of real players, EA Sports has filled in some of the gaps with aliases for certain players. UH's highest rated kicker in the game is the fictitious Penei Letoa, rated a 67 overall.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
