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One of the most challenging endeavors that you may embark on inCollege Football 26is the Dynasty Mode; this is particularly true if your plan is to rebuild one of the least successful teams in the game into a powerhouse.
This is much easier said than done, and it’s going to require a lot of hard work to be successful. You’re going to need a gameplan for how you want to rebuild, but you’re also going to have to make do with the pieces that are already in place, building around those to transform the team from a forgettable one, to a team that’s uttered in hushed tones everywhere.
Hawaii
Hawaiihas a one-star rating, but there are some pieces here that can make do in the short-term to help you build success in the long-term.
Standout Players
Here are a few players on the Hawaii roster that can make a difference:
QB
FR
Every team is going to need a QB that is at least good at something to find success on offense. Davis has acceptable speed, butmore impressive than that are his throwing ratings, which are all slightly above average. As a Freshman, this is a player that you can build around without worrying about recruiting a new QB.
WR
SR
The first of two important WRs, Cenacle is a little lacking in speed, but at 6'2" and nearly 200lbs,he can box out opposing CBs in many situations. His route-running is good enough that oftentimes, he won’t even need to worry about the coverage.
JR
Ashlock is the slightly faster, slightly smaller WR. He doesn’t have the weight to push defenders around as easily, but he doeshave speed and similarly great route-running, particularly in the short and medium range.
With the players currently on Hawaii’s roster, you’re going to need toestablish a working passing game. They do have a good RB in Landon Sims, but he’s a Senior and doesn’t have the speed to break off those electric plays; he’s going to be a good bet to slowly chunk up the field, not to break big plays.
Theirsecondary is also solid, but the issue back here is that many of these players are Seniors or Juniors, meaning you can’t lean on them for more than a season or two.
Recruiting Offensive Players
You’re probably going to want torecruit some WRs quickly here, because your two biggest weapons in the passing game are a Senior and a Junior, while your promising QB is a Freshman.
Offensively, apart from that, you might want to try topick up a RB that can contribute in the passing game, as well. If you can build an offense with one big back and agile back, it would give you options in the run and the pass, especially if you run in two-back sets with regularity. This would give you a lot of options for audibles, and you could keep your offense from being predictable.
Recruiting Defensive Players
On the defensive end, things are a little bit more dire. Every position is stacked with players that aren’t bad, but are going to graduate within a year or two.Your defense is going to need to find their identity, and you do have the freedom to go any direction with this.
On the bright side, you will havequite a few Juniors on the roster who will be Seniors next year, and can take the starting positions while you have Freshman and Sophomore behind them learning the ropes.
Bowling Green
Bowling Greenis a one-and-a-half-star teamthat’s going to struggle a little bit more at the onset, compared to Hawaii. But, there are certain interesting building blocks here, and the idea is to have to create success, right?
There are a couple of players on Bowling Green that are worth building around.
TE
Junior
Boardingham hasbetter speed than most other TEs, and is going to be problematic for most LBs that end up covering him. As a Junior you’ll likely have a couple of years to utilize him, and hopefully, get some other weapons to put alongside him.
LE
Sophomore
Acheampong is6'7" 275 as a Sophomore. That is an absurd size, and he’s going tohave time to develop his physicality to become a very difficult player to stop from getting to the backfield. He’s also a 77 in speed, which is very fast for his size.
Explosive options are limited on Bowling Green’s offense, and their defense is consistent across the board with few standouts. This is not a team that you’re going to be able to win shootouts against; you’re going to need tohave a gameplan in place that disrupts offenses with creative defensive schemes,and keeps the ball on offense with long drivesthat result in points.
The right side of Bowling Green’s offensive line is stronger than their left, so for plays where you desperately need yardage, lean on that side more consistently, unless it’s become obvious that you’re doing so.
It’s possible that, with a good season,one of the QBs already on Bowling Green’s roster could become a player to build around. But in the beginning, none of them have ratings that signify a player that you’re able to lean on. If there’s a good QB that you have a chance at recruiting, you should take the shot.
Apart from that,six of the offensive linemen on their roster are Seniors; you’re going to need to build depth there. Grabbing a weapon at either RB or WR is also going to make a difference, and take some pressure off of Boardingham.
Acheampong is going to be capable of making plays on the defensive side of the ball, but if they’re the only player on the defensive line capable of making plays, opponents are going to start bumping him with TEs. If you cangrab another defensive lineman to develop alongside Acheampong, it is going to free him up to make more plays.
LBs are another problem.If you’re able to shore up the LB position with some promising prospects, it can strengthen the middle of the field and fill those gaps that strong offensive lines are going to create in the running game.
Kent State
Kent State is ahalf-star team that has some glaring issues, but also has some intriguing possibilities.
Kent State has a very specific set of skilled players that you’re going to need to lean on.
HB
Kent Statehas a RB duo that’s probably going to be the focus of your offense. Nubin is the slower, heavier-hitting RB that isn’t going to rip off as many big plays, but isgoing to be able to run into smaller holes and push defenders back in short-yardage situations.
Garcia is quite a bit smaller than Nubin, but noticeably faster, as well. He’s going to be the one who’scapable of breaking off more 20+ yard runs, though he’s going to have more trouble in situations where the box is crowded.
Freshman
DeShields has solid legs andcan create some offense with his feet,but being a Freshman, he’s got the time to improve his acceptable throwing ratings, too. If you have a good first season developing him, he could turn into a QB that can sustain an offense that has weapons around him.
You’re going towant both of your halfbacks on the field as often as you can; they’re both the best players on the team, and because they’re so different, your play-calling might be very obvious on plays where one is on the field and one is standing on the sideline.
Thepassing game is going to be a struggle with a Freshman QB and a receiving core that is short on weapons. Deshawn Martin and Jay Jay Etheridge both have the speed to get open, and creating a short-yardage passing game to compliment the running game could help develop the Freshman QB consistently.
Youcan’t afford to be picky when it comes to recruiting offensive talent; any weapons are going to be helpful, regardless of what position they play. Offensive line does have to be a priority, particularly with building around the running game.
They do have four Freshman RBs, and it’s worth seeing if any of them can develop to take over the position when your Juniors graduate. If they can’t, you’ll want to pick up at least one more RB, alongside any other weapons you grab.
Defensively, Kent State has a lot of issues that need solved.Jaihien Roy is an interesting Freshman at RE with impressive speedfor the position and the years to grow, but without help on that side of the ball, he’s not going to have the chance to do so.
In general, this defense is slow. Players that do have the awareness and ratings to make smart decisions aren’t going to be able to keep up with certain players in order to capitalize on those decisions.Because of how dramatic this rebuild will need to be,take any weapons that you can recruit.
Buffalo
Buffalo is aone-star team that has some extremely talented playersat certain positions.
Buffalo hassome of the best players on a one-star team in the game, making them a very good choice for a rebuild with a quick turnaround.
Senior
Al-Jay is an 88 overall, with average speed, butgreat stats in virtually every other category. He is a Senior so you’ll only have him for one year, but he can make a big enough difference that you have an easier time recruiting prospects to an over-performing school.
MLB
Red Murdock is slightly lacking in the speed department as well, but is extremely talented apart from it.His tackling and hit power are top of the charts, as is his play recognition and pursuit. He is going to make the majority of tackles on your defense, and he might have two full years in the tank.
Victor Snow is small, buthe’s fast, with great hands and route running. Depending on your choice at QB you might have a hard time getting him the ball, but if you can, he will make things happen with it.
LT
Henry Tabansa is getting close to an 80 overall as a Sophomore, meaning he’slikely going to be a mainstay on your offensive line for multiple years to come. At the LT position, that’s going to be invaluable.
There are a lot of very high-rated Seniors and Juniors not listed here, with most positions either being average or above-average.Your biggest decision to make is going to be at QB; Roberson is going to have a lot of trouble throwing the ball but will be an asset in the running game, with Gray being the opposite.
On the offensive side, you’re going to need toput a heavy focus on finding a QB. A good roster is still going to struggle with a subpar QB, and both of your starting prospects are Seniors. You havetwo good Sophomore RBs which makes that position a non-priority.
Largely, you’ll be able tochase the best prospects that you have a chance at recruiting.
The defensive side of the ball looks very similar. There are a lot of talented players, but there’s quite a bit of depth, too.The D-line is going to need fresh blood sooner rather than laterand is probably the biggest priority, but in general, feel free to chase the best player available.
East Carolina
East Carolina is aone-and-a-half-star program with some talented position playersand a slightly more youthful roster.
Many of East Carolina’s most talented players are Juniors or younger.
Montgomery ispart of a very fast RB combination. Because he’s part of a three-back team, he’s going to be constantly fresh, meaning you’re going to get every last bit out of him, withthe chance to develop him for quite a while longer.
Jenkins is a similar back to Montgomery; similar speed, though Jenkins is slightly stronger and slightly less agile. They’ll be able to fill similar roles, and can turn a small hole into a big gain.
If Montgomery and Jenkins are both elusive,Gunn is going to be your option when you want to run at a defender and knock them backwards. He isn’t going to break the big runs, but when it’s third and one, and you want to keep things simple, Gunn does simple well.
Pettaway has good speed and agility, with decent hands and route running. He isn’t going to break open all the time, buthe’s going to have the potential to break big playswhen he does.
FS
Riddle is a 79-overallSophomore that’s already got above-average zone coverage stats. If you may keep him developing for the next three years, he’s going to turn into a ball-hawk of a safety.
RE
DuJour hasgreat speed for his position and size, with good awareness and agility to match. He’s not a great tackler, but in many situations, even if the defender in the backfield misses the tackle, he holds up the play for long enough that another defender gets there in time.
This is a roster that can be really fun to play, witha possible starting QB at 90 speed and decent throwing ratings, three starting running backs, and other weapons on both sides of the ball. Your offense is probably going to need a heavy HB focus, but that can come in many different forms. And, with three great backs, all three of them are going to be able to stay fresh.
You’regoing to need to recruit a good QB as a first priority, particularly if you want a mobile QB to build around. Every young QB already on the roster is a 76 or lower in speed, and without such good passing stats that you may’t afford to sit them.
You’ll need tocontinue grabbing depth at WR and the O-line in the short term, but most of your starting O-linemen are Juniors, so you should have access to them for at least another year.
LBs are the biggest hole in the defense, with only one player rated above 70 overall at the position. There is some youth present here, and with some good performances, they could develop into worthwhile players. But, grabbing some immediately impressive prospects can’t hurt.
Apart from that, there’s a healthy mix of older and younger players at each position.Feel free to grab the strongest prospects available after LB, and morph your defensive gameplan to suit your rebuilt roster.
Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern isa one-star team and has a roster with a lot of starters that are about to graduate, but can grab you enough wins for a solid first season and some good recruiting possibilities.
There are a lot of Seniors on the roster that are going to make an immediate difference, but there are some younger players that you may plan around into the future, as well.
Weston is not particularly athletic, but he does have somealready solid throwing ratings. As a Freshman, you’ll have plenty of time to develop those further, and you could have a very good pocket passer here in a couple of years.
Josh does not have game-breaking speed, but he does havegame-breaking catching and route running, ensuring that he’s going to be open more often than not. If you may keep him around for another year, he’s going to be a big help in developing Bryan.
CB
Gamble isone of a trio of strong Junior CBs that are going to be the backbone of your secondary. They’ll give you the chance to develop younger talent for another year or two before they graduate, and hold down their spots well until then.
Apart from QB,everybody on the offense has solid speed and can break a playwhen given the opportunity. You’ll have the chance to spread the ball around to a lot of different players who might not be a force of nature in their own right, but because everybody around them is solid, they’re all at an advantage.
On the defensive side,you’ll have a secondary well-suited to zone coverage, and a D-line that might be aging out, but will get the job done in the first year.
WRs are going to be the biggest priority on the offense, with a lot of WRs graduating in the first year, leaving only a handful going into next year. You’ll want weapons here to help out your young QB.
On the same note, you’re going to need tograb some talent on the O-line, as well. They’ve got some strong options in the first year that are going to graduate, and if you don’t shore it up, you’re going to have a Sophomore QB running for his life next year.
There’sno one spot that stands out on the defense. You’ll have the bulk of a good secondary for at least one year, if not two, but everything surrounding them is, at best, average. There are a lot of starting Seniors on the D-Line, but there are also already a lot of younger players on the depth chart waiting their turn.
Grab the best possible players you may on defense; keep in mind you’ll be built around a zone defense in the early going, and if you recruit secondary that are more suited for a man-to-man scheme, you’ll need to take that into account in your playcalling.
