8 College Football 25 tips you should know before playing

College Football 25 tips are going to put you in good stead for a summer of touchdowns, interceptions and recruiting triumphs in Dynasty Mode. College Football 25 is a brilliant return to form for the series once known as NCAA, and wonderfully different from Madden 25, too. That means a bit of a learning curve – but GR is here to help. Our eight College Football 25 tips cover everything you need to know before you play.

1. Ultimate Team is the Ultimate starting point

Don’t make that face. We’re not suggesting that you start shedding real money on packs. However, Ultimate Team is superb for beginners, acting as a tutorial on the differences between college ball and the NFL. The 101 Challenges option takes you through the revised passing game, new kicking mechanics, and RPO plays. Similarly, Offense and Defense Scheme Trials let you sample and understand the game’s myriad playbooks. Spend two hours in Ultimate Team and you’ll be more than ready to get stuck into the treats found elsewhere. 

2. Figure out how to RPO effectively

The most important element of that onboarding process is figuring out how to RPO. RPO stands for run-pass option, and is the type of play where your QB can keep the ball, hand off to a running back, or sling a quick pass. Here’s how to do each:

• RB hand-off: This happens automatically once the ball is snapped. Unless you do either of the following…
• WR/TE quick pass: As soon as your QB receives the snap, press the button corresponding to the intended receiver.
• QB keeper: Hold A (XBox) or X (PS5) after the snap – then look for a running lane and sprint for your life. 

3. Beware the blitz online

Aggression is the norm in online games across the sports genre – hence EA Sports FC 24 being packed with 4-2-4 lineups and 7-5 scorelines. In College Football 25, this means many opponents going pass heavy against you, and often blitzing on every play. Get used to it, and begin working up plans to counterattack. 

The RPO technique mentioned above will place you in good stead, as will curl routes. Unleash your pass just as a wide receiver reaches his stopping point. Out routes can be similarly effective. If your timing skills are up to speed – literally! – then also look to dump the ball over onrushing defenders, to a running back in the flat. This can be a real field-flipper and make your foe rethink their insistence on unleashing blitz after blitz.

4. Use the Guess Pass function pre-snap

As touched on above, you’re going to encounter a lot of pass-heavy attacks online. The same is true in Dynasty mode: college matches routinely produce higher-scoring games than the NFL, and elite quarterbacks will torch you occasionally. There is an adjustment you can make to help with this. 

Before any snap where you’re sure the offense is going aerial, press R1/RB, then push the right stick up. This function is called ‘Guess Pass’, and transmits that instruction to your D – increasing the chances of getting pressure on the QB. There’s a risk-reward element in selling out, but again it can be an important tool in forcing your opponent – human or AI! – to change up their playcalling.

5. Stop trying to fill the kicking power bar

Past football games have conditioned us to automatically make every field goal and extra point. Forget that expectation for College Football 25. The two-meter system – pressing the kick button to determine direction, then releasing it for power – is complex, quick and deceptive. Trying to get full power often fails, and leads to miss after miss after miss, especially on the road. So don’t. 

Instead, get used to releasing the button around 80% of the way up the power bar. Sure, you might fall short on the odd 55-yarder. But your directional accuracy is guaranteed to improve, and progress to elite.

6. Deploy and master your Abilities

Abilities are the College Football 25 equivalent of Madden 24 X-Factors. There are 80 in total, with four tiers available: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Knowing which best suit your play style will massively improve both your results, and enjoyment.

For instance, most online players like a scrambling QB, and some of these types have an ability called Magician, which makes them more agile while in the pocket. If this is you, then look beyond the stats on your gameday or Dynasty roster, and re-order your depth chart based on Abilities – or choose a more suitable team. You can see what all these skills do by scrolling GR’s alphabetical College Football 25 Abilities list.

7. Make early offers when Recruiting in Dynasty

Trying to attract high school prospects is the best bit of Dynasty mode, and you’re going to get seriously addicted. Indeed, we’ve produced a comprehensive College Football 25 recruiting guide to cover all the key details.

If you need one salient piece of advice to get underway, it’s to make 10-15 immediate scholarship offers. As Michigan, I shortlisted a bunch of five or four-star prospects who had the the Wolverines as their first choice and three of them committed, just like that. With 35 scholarships to offer, there’s little risk involved in this technique.

8. Use our best teams and best players guides

The College Football 25 tips don’t stop there. Indeed, we’ve a selection of key scouting reports for you to dip into, whatever your experience levels. Our College Football 25 best players guide is key if you’re looking to sample your favourites before they head to the NFL, while the College Football 25 best teams list is a vital read before selecting your career mode team. As for those moments of glory where you need to gloat over a key first down, or pick six: they’re covered by the College Football 25 celebrations list.