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The Road to Glory is the ultimate self-insert mode inCollege Football 26; you may turn yourself into an elite athlete, impress scouts in high school, and then compete at some of the biggest programs in the nation. Lots of gamers will want to be quarterbacks, but there’s more that goes into character creation than just picking a position.
Quarterbacks have a variety of archetypes to choose from, shifting how your character will play once you get on the sticks. You can be a statuesque pass-first player, focus on the run game, or pick something in between. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about QB archetypes in College Football 26.
QB Archetypes, Explained
Archetypesdictate the stats and abilitiesyour Road to Glory player will have. After selecting quarterback as your position, you’ll bepresented with four options: Pocket Passer, Dual Threat, Backfield Creator, and Pure Runner.Optimal play will look differentbased on which archetype you select, so it’simportant to find the one that’s most conducive to your preferred playstyle.
The mental abilities for every archetype are the same, so this guide will focus exclusively on physical abilities and stat differences.
Pocket Passer QB
If you want toemulate the prototypical quarterback, dropping back and making reads before delivering an aerial strike,Pocket Passer will be for you. You’ll be able tomax out your accuracy and powerover the course of your college career, withabilities like Resistance, Step Up, and Dot!further boosting the effectiveness of your cannon arm.
Unfortunately, you will also be themost fragile QB archetype, and your escapability will be limited. If youdon’t have a solid offensive line, it will bedifficult to lead your team to wins.
Dual Threat QB
Dual Threat takesa lot of the Pocket Passer building blocksand infuses them withsome extra mobility. Dot! is still present and throwing stats are the same, butMobile Resistance and Extender abilitiesallow for positive gains even if a play breaks down.Downhill is also equipped, letting you run through a defender if you make it to the open field.
Quickness is still capped at the same level as Pocket Passer, so even if you make it past the line of scrimmage, youwon’t be rattling off 50-yard touchdown runs. Dual Threat’s abilities are probablythe most situational of all the archetypes,too, with aheavy reliance on option playsin order to reach its full potential.
Backfield Creator QB
Despite Dual Threat’s name, Backfield Creator may beyour best choiceif you want tothreaten defenses with both your legs and arms. It has ahigher ceiling for quickness stats(at the cost of some elusiveness), and gives you the Mobile Deadeye skill forincreased accuracy on the run. Once you break the pocket, you’re able to take advantage of yourunencumbered throwing ability, orsprint for yardsif receivers are well-covered.
The one downside of Backfield Creator is that youwon’t have access to Downhill, meaning you willneed to juke the defense outif you make a run for it. However, given that this archetype has thebest possible quickness values(even better than Pure Runner), this isn’t too difficult to overcome.
Pure Runner QB
Pure Runner is theexact oppositeof Pocket Passer. All your abilities arebased on running the ball, so that’s where you’ll be making the most impact on the field. Shifty makes iteasier for you to find an open lane, and Side Step willhelp you avoid linebackers, making your way deeper into the defense. When you are finally tackled, Workhorse willhelp protect you from wear and tear, keeping you in the game.
The major downfall of this archetype is that, at the end of the day,quarterbacks need to be able to throw the ball. Pure Runner’s accuracy and power can certainly be developed, but theystart woefully lacking. Bizarrely,quickness is also capped low, meaning this isn’t even the fastest archetype available.
Which QB Archetype Should You Pick?
When taking the pros and cons of every archetype into consideration, it seemsBackfield Creator may actually be the best. Not only does it havepretty balanced stats, but abilities like Mobile Deadeye allow you tothreaten through the air and the ground, even more so than with Dual Threat.
On top of this, Pull Down and On Time willhelp you maintain possession and make plays in the pocket, allowing you the opportunity todrop back and dot up the defenseif that’s what the scheme calls for. Backfield Creatoroffers the most flexibility in Road to Glory; you can experiment, find the offensive strategy that works best for you, and thendevelop your player to fit that mold.
