Dartanyan Tinsley was 12 years old in 2013 when the last NCAA Football video game was released. As many players do, he created a character from scratch with his name and physical characteristics. Now it’s 10 years later, and the University of Cincinnati offensive lineman has opted in to allowing his name and likeness to be used in the upcoming, highly-anticipated EA Sports College Football 25 game.
“To be honest, this is everything that you want,” said Tinsley, an Owensboro High School alum. “I mean, when you’re growing up playing that game, you’re literally making that person with the vision of you just being him in the future.”
The NCAA Football video game series used to be an annul hit for developer EA Sports. But in 2013, the series went on hiatus due to legal disputes regarding the use of player likenesses in the games.
In 2021, EA Sports announced that the series would return under the name EA Sports College Football. It was later announced the game would be released in summer 2024. Players can opt-in for a $600 payment and a free copy of the game.
Gavin Wimsatt, another OHS alum who’s now the starting quarterback for Rutgers University, has also opted in to the game. Multiple attempts to contact Wimsatt went unanswered.
Tinsley said that with name, image, and likeness (NIL) being a larger topic of conversation in sports in recent years, moments like this make him push harder as an athlete.
“It does make you play a tad bit different,” he said. “It almost feels professional in the sense that if you’re not performing up to that level, there’s always a chance that they can take your money, and they’ll find another person. So it definitely keeps you hungry and keeps you humble as well because you don’t want to mess up anything.”
Tinsley said he’s looking forward to finding out the overall score EA will give him.
Each player has stats in several categories that are compiled into an overall score, with a max possible of 99. While he’d love to receive the perfect score, he knows he still has room to improve for his senior season.
“I’m not asking for much. I’m a realist, so I’m not saying I have to have an 85. I think, personally, 75 would be good. I understand that with 1 year of experience playing in a Big 12 school and our record I’m not going to have over 80, but at the lowest, I’d be cool with a 73,” Tinsley said.
Tinsley is a redshirt senior who has already completed his history degree. He still has one more season of eligibility and hopes to improve his own game and help the team get better overall.
At the top of the list, he’s aiming to be named to an All-American or All-Conference team. He’ll also be happy if he can be a better teammate and help push them forward. UC finished their 2023 season 3-9 (1-8 Big 12).
“I really hope to be the best teammate I can be,” Tinsley said. “How can I lead a guy to want more for themself? Or if you’re feeling down on yourself, how can I get you over that cliff? Let’s say we’re struggling in the second quarter and can’t figure it out. How can I be more vocal and present to push the team to that next level?”
Tinsley started his collegiate career at NAIA school Kentucky Christian, where he collected First Team All-National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) honors and grabbed First Team All-Mid-South Conference Appalachian Division accolades in 2020 and 2021.
Tinsley then transferred to Cincinnatti for the 2022 season, when he appeared in nine games as a backup on the offensive line and a special teams contributor. In 2023, Tinsley started all 12 games at left guard.
Wimsatt was named the Rutgers starting quarterback in 2023. He accounted for 20 touchdowns (11 rushing, 9 passing) and threw for 1,735 yards to go along with a Rutgers quarterback record of 497 rushing yards. He helped lead the team to a 31-24 win over Miami in the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, scoring on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs. It was the first winning season for the Scarlet Knights since 2014.
Wimsatt arrived at Rutgers in 2021 by enrolling early after ending his high school career just two games into his senior season. As a redshirt freshman, Wimsatt completed nine passes for 45 yards and added 68 yards on the ground. During the 2022 campaign, Wimsatt completed 65 passes, tallying 757 yards and five touchdowns.
A specific release date for EA Sports College Football 25 game has not yet been announced. The game will be playable on PlayStation5 and Xbox Series X/S, but it’s unclear at this point if there will be a version for PC. Players can look for Tinsley as No. 54 on the Bearcats and Wimsatt as No. 2 on the Scarlet Knights.
