#ProTops: How Our Pro Toppers Stack Up In The Virtual World

The NFL season is finally upon us. Last weekend we got the sweet, sweet taste of a full slate of college football, and now we are finally getting our dessert. NFL games on Sunday are the cherry on top of every week, and you know what color a cherry is? Red. Just like Big Red. But we aren’t here to talk about our lovable mascot, we are here to break down some other legends from the hill and talk about their overall ratings in the only simulation of football that we can currently buy, Madden NFL 22. So without further ado, let’s see how our Hilltoppers fared!

Joel Iyiegbuniwe — 66 Overall

• Iggy may seem underwhelming at 66 overall, but in recent years Madden has a trend of lowering the overall of players to better gauge the ability of superstars. Iggy is an absolute steal of a player with this low of an overall though. 85 speed, 88 acceleration, 80 agility + 81 tackling and 84 hit power makes him a prime candidate for those that like to use linebackers themselves to cover the middle of the field. His athleticism and hit power turns him into a turnover machine in Madden.

Jack Doyle — 78 Overall

• Jack Doyle is a veteran of the NFL, and part of the reason why some fans say WKU is actually, Tight End U. A solid part of this Colts roster, the first thing that jumps out about him is his 89 catch rating. The man can reel in some passes for you, no doubt about that. He is also a solid run blocker with a 72 rating there, which is pretty high among tight ends. He may not have much speed or route running ability, but he will catch the ball for you, and he will grab his blocks in the running game. A valuable asset for those who play as the Colts.

Tyler Higbee — 82 Overall

• Tight End U. The highest rated overall player out of Western Kentucky, Tyler Higbee looks to make plays for anyone who decides to use the Rams. Defenses fear this man in the passing game, with his 95 catch rating, he hauls in almost any pass thrown his way. All of his route running abilities are over 70, and he has an 80 speed, 83 acceleration, and 85 agility to help him capitalize on slower match ups. He doesn’t have the best blocking, but with a 66 run blocking skill, it is enough to help out in the run game. Higbee will definitely benefit from having Stafford throw the ball to him, both in Madden, and in real life as well.

George Fant — 69 Overall

• You can definitely tell Madden took Fant’s basketball background into consideration when giving him his stats. One of the faster linemen in the game, boasting a 76 speed, 80 acceleration, and 75 agility, it is almost a shame you can’t run the ole fumblerooski play. He also has a good awareness at 78, something that the faster paced basketball could have helped him with. But even with his multiple years in the NFL now, he still is lacking a little bit with 71 run and pass blocking. Not the greatest, but still not a bad showing for Fant considering the game is focusing on lowering everyone’s overall scores. All I can really say is “nice”.

Mike White — 48 Overall

• Well, we did say that Madden is trying to make everyone’s overall scores lower. The Jets backup and former Hilltopper offensive leader comes in at an underwhelming 48 overall. His throw power stat is only an 80, and his best accuracy rating is his short throw accuracy at 76. His second best throwing stat is a 75 on play action. Something he was pretty good at while on the hill. Nonetheless, White is one of those guys that has this rating just to emphasize the difference between him and the superstars at QB. I also didn’t want to mention this, but he is slower in all categories than George Fant haha.

(Deon Yelder and Devon Key were added to practice squads and taken off the rosters at the end of the preseason, Buccaneers and Chiefs respectively.)

There you have it for the High Five from the Hill. Respectable overalls for each player, except I wish Mike White had a little more respect. Higbee and Doyle each have really good overall ratings, and make impacts on the game for anyone playing their respective teams. The others can have impact here and there, but sadly Iggy buried on the depth chart, and well… Nobody plays as the Jets on Madden so Fant and White just won’t be seen often in the virtual world. I mean, seriously, why would you ever play with the Jets on Madden? Why do that to yourself?

DISCLAIMER: I am not advocating for anyone to buy Madden 22, and in fact I highly advise against it. The game is down right awful. The user score for it on meta critic is 0.6… ZERO POINT SIX. It doesn’t even have a full point. It is so bad that if you accidentally buy the wrong version of the game (there is an xbox one and an xbox series x/s version) they will not give you a refund and will not let you swap for the correct version in hopes that you give up and buy both. The game barely works, is filled with glitches, franchise currently sims over all of your games even if you play them, and if you don’t play ultimate team you are bombarded with advertisements to play it the entire time because it is the only game mode that you can spend more money on to fill the greedy EA’s pockets. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS GAME PLEASE!

And as always, Go Tops!