Rewinding to these Saints rookies best plays during their senior year of college.
EA College Football 25 was a huge success after its release in 2024, granting the new college football franchise a chance at a sequel. In celebration of the highly anticipated release of EA College Football 26 on July 10th, here’s a thread of the 2025 New Orleans Saints draft class’s best plays in their final years of collegiate ball.
Tyler Shough
Tyler Shough’s arm talent is what caught the eyes of all NFL front offices, but it’s his clutchness and anticipation that showed in his best play from the 2024 season. In a tied 17-17 game with Georgia Tech, Shough hit wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks in stride on a deep pass while being interfered with. The impressive touchdown would give the Cardinals the lead, which they would keep to win the game.
Quarterback Tyler Shough puts the ball on a rope and hits his wide receiver in stride despite an obvious pass interference. pic.twitter.com/d63aGK0m3p
— Kyle Besson (@KyleBesson504) June 30, 2025
Devin Neal
Sixth-round selection running back Devin Neal has been the epitome of consistency during his college career. Despite the three straight 1,000-yard seasons, Neal likely needed a push to get on NFL radars. Neal answered the call during the team’s second-to-last game of the season against the fan favorite Colorado Buffalos. The powerback accumulated a total of 287 yards and 4 touchdowns and opened up the scoring in the game with a 51-yard reception for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Devin Neal put on a show against Colorado, finishing the day with 287 yards and four touchdowns. But it was Neal’s 51-yard touchdown reception to open the game that started his day out hot. pic.twitter.com/SQYFRpMslP
— Kyle Besson (@KyleBesson504) June 30, 2025
Jonas Sanker
Jonas Sanker was a surprise pick to many fans. Some haven’t heard of the former Virginia Cavaliers safety, while others thought the Saints took him too early. Despite the skepticism, Sanker produced throughout the 2024 season, racking up 98 tackles, 8.5 TFL, and 2 sacks in an impressive senior year. However, Sanker’s best play of the year came in the secondary as the 6-foot defensive back snatched Anthony Colandrea’s pass out of the air and took the ball 45 yards to help his offense get in scoring position and eventually upset No. 18-ranked Pitt.
Jonas Sanker is best known for his tackling ability, but his clutch interception and return would help lead the Cavaliers to an upset over the No. 18 ranked Pitt pic.twitter.com/ZKx9lstfir
— Kyle Besson (@KyleBesson504) June 30, 2025
Quincy Riley
Similar to teammate Tyler Shough’s best play of the 2024 season, cornerback Quincy Riley also had his best play against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Riley would open up scoring for the Louisville Cardinals with an excellent read on quarterback Haynes King’s lateral attempt and bat the ball into the endzone, where a teammate would recover it for a touchdown.
Tyler Shough wasn’t the only former Louisville standout now Saints rookie to impress against Georgia Tech as cornerback Quincy Riley opened up scoring for the Cardinals with a deflected lateral pic.twitter.com/vQ6ffIn0sa
— Kyle Besson (@KyleBesson504) June 30, 2025
Fadil Diggs
The Saints snatched falling defensive end Fadil Diggs with the 257th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. New Orleans desperately needs a consistent and young pass-rushing attack and may have found a gem in Diggs. The best play of the 2024 season for the seventh-round selection came against the first pick of the draft, Cam Ward, and the No. 6th-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Diggs blew by Miami’s left tackle quickly and sacked Ward on a 2nd and 17 in a tied 28-28 game late in the third quarter. Syracuse would eventually upset the powerhouse Hurricanes and ruin their chances at an appearance in the ACC championship game.
Seventh-round gem Fadil Diggs beats Miami’s left tackle off the snap to take down No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Diggs and Syracuse would eventually upset the No. 6 ranked team and spoil their chances at the ACC Championship pic.twitter.com/Svdj9Zz5F2
— Kyle Besson (@KyleBesson504) June 30, 2025
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