Social media mocks this coach’s appearance in EA’s College Football 26: “Idk who that is”

EA Sports’s first glimpse of Dabo Swinney in College Football 26 set off a firestorm online when fans barely recognized Clemson’s coach in the Dynasty Mode deep dive. What was meant to showcase the series’ new inclusion of real head coaches instead spawned a wave of jokes, memes and disbelief.

During a June 24 gameplay trailer for Dynasty Mode, EA revealed sideline footage featuring real coaches, among them Swinney, finally replacing generic placeholders. But the screenshot of “virtual Dabo” looked so off-model that fans immediately raised eyebrows on X and Reddit.

Social Media Reacts

Here’s how the internet responded to Swinney’s digital double:

• “Looks more Liam Neeson-ish,” one user quipped.
• “Did Ari Wasserman or Finebaum have control of this?” another asked.
• “Idk who that is,” summed up many fans’ confusion.
• “Maybe none of the 7,000 pictures submitted were of Dabo,” joked a commenter, highlighting the failed likeness despite Clemson reportedly sending thousands of reference photos.

A welcome feature... If it worked

The wider inclusion of real head coaches in College Football 26 has been lauded as a long-awaited improvement. Alongside Swinney, names like Kirby Smart and James Franklin finally bear a strong resemblance to their real-life counterparts. Unfortunately, Swinney’s model stands out as the odd one out—turning what should have been an authenticity win into a viral punchline.

With the July 10 release looming, EA Sports has time to refine Swinney’s likeness before launch. Game developers routinely adjust character models up to the final weeks, so fans hoping for a last-minute fix shouldn’t count themselves out. In the meantime, Clemson faithful will be bracing for a coach nobody seems to recognize.

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