College Football 25: Beginner Tips For Playing Wide Receiver

Highlights

• Understand your routes to increase chances of success as a wide receiver.
• Shake off your defender to position yourself for a pass during the game.
• Use the best catching type for the situation to maximize success on the field.

EA Sports College Football 25 is giving fans of collegiate level football the opportunity to take control of the best college teams in the United States and chase national championship glory. Players can decide to embark on a journey as a sole player, become a coaching whiz, or build their ultimate team and dominate the gridiron.

For players that are controlling singular players, there are a number of positional options that can be picked, from quarterback to wide receiver. Those who opt to play as a wide receiver may benefit from these beginner tips for mastering the position and capitalizing on opportunities that arise during a game.

5 Understand Your Routes

Running The Right Line Will Increase Chances Of Success

Every player on the offensive end, from the quarterback to the running back, all the way to the wide receiver, needs to know how each play is supposed to run in order to be successful. To ensure you’re in the right place at the right time and can capitalize on opportunities, rookie wide receivers need to be aware of what routes they need to run for each play.

If you’re not sure of your running path for the upcoming play, you can opt to hold down the R2/RT button to show an on-field diagram of the play, which will show you the direction you need to run. You’ll be battling with a defender when you run, but if you can follow the general route for the play, you may find yourself open to receive a pass.

4 Shake Off Your Defender

Defenders Will Pester You Into Making a Mistake

As a wide receiver, you’ll not only need to get yourself in the right position for a potential pass, but you’ll also need to get the best of a defending player. The defender will be doing absolutely everything in their power to stop you from getting enough space to receive a pass.

With this in mind, shaking off your marker is just as important as running your route. If you can, cut on the inside so you are more readily available for a bullet pass, otherwise experiment with abrupt changes in direction so you can separate yourself from your rival and catch a lob.

3 Master Tackle Breaking Techniques

Break Player Ankles And Fan Hearts

Catching the ball is only the beginning for a wide receiver, as it’s their job to get as many yards as they can or score a touchdown if it’s available. In order to do this, you not only need speed and agility, but also a skillset that enables you to break through or dodge incoming tackle attempts.

All players, wide receivers included, have the ability to juke, stiff arm, spin, or hurdle over defending players, so that they can continue to make more yardage in the play. Take the time to practice these techniques or use them on the go when prompted in game, because using them at the right time can not only earn you a first down further up the field, but might even open up the field enough for you to grab a six-pointer.

2 Use The Best Catch Type For The Situation

Know When To Play Safe And When To Be Aggressive

Just as there are different passing styles for quarterbacks, there are also a variety of catching types for receivers, so it is important to choose the right approach to a catch for the play ahead of you. The best option catching style always be the safe catch, but, since this requires being unobstructed and with two feet planted, it’s not always a viable option.

Players will have a default catching style if one isn’t chosen, but it’s not always the best one for the play. You have a variety of choices, from aggressive catches for aerial battles, to catch & run play for when the player has a running start on a pass, so making a quick and correct decision can ensure the catch is made successfully and may even earn some vital territory.

1 Use The Clock To Your Advantage

Time Will Be Your Friend Or Enemy

Whether a team is winning or losing, the wide receiver can have a significant impact on clock management, depending on the decisions they make after a catch. It’s important to note that a losing team will want to stop the clock at any given opportunity, especially in the final quarter, whereas a winning team will want to chew the clock and use up as many seconds as they can in the dying stages of the game.

If a player’s team is behind on the scoreboard in a tight contest, the number one priority after receiving a pass is to get over the sideline. If a player is tackled without going out of bounds, the clock will continue running, but it will stop if they go out of bounds. The opposite would apply for the winning team, but in these situations it’s not likely the quarterback will pass to the wide receiver, as utilizing a running-forward strategy is lower risk and is best suited for using up the clock.