The first 99 overalls have officially arrived in College Football 26, and one of the most exciting names leading the charge is none other than Julio Jones. As part of the Honor Society promo, this card immediately grabbed attention-not just because of the rating, but because of the raw stats and ability buckets attached to it.

 

After running full live gameplay with him, it's safe to say: this card is absolutely insane.

 

But at the same time, the promo surrounding him? That's a different conversation.

 

Let's break it all down and make CFB 26 Coins.

 

99 Overall Julio Jones-Card Breakdown

 

Julio Jones comes in at 6'3" with blazing 99 speed and 99 acceleration. That alone makes him one of the most dangerous vertical threats in the game. Add in 95 change of direction and elite route running, and you're looking at a receiver who can win at every level of the field.

 

On paper, he's everything you want in a WR1:

 

 99 Speed

 99 Acceleration

 Elite route running

 Strong change of direction

 6'3" frame for contested catches

 

He even saw a few snaps at running back just to test the versatility-but spoiler alert: he was absolutely cooking at wide receiver, so there wasn't much reason to move him around.

 

Ability Buckets-Gold Value Over Flash

 

Julio's ability setup is where things get interesting.

 

He has access to:

 

 Gold Takeoff (5 AP)

 Gold Cutter (4 AP)

 Gold Sure Hands (5 AP)

 Platinum Takeoff (17 AP)

 

While Platinum Takeoff sounds tempting, it simply isn't worth the AP investment compared to Gold Takeoff. Five AP for Gold Takeoff is significantly better value, especially in competitive builds where AP efficiency matters.

 

There's been some discussion in the community that Gold Cutter and Gold Takeoff don't properly stack. Instead of avoiding it, the decision here was simple: stack both and test it live. Whether it's placebo or real synergy, the card consistently separated and felt explosive out of breaks.

 

He also receives major discounts in one of his ability buckets, which makes building around him far easier than most top-tier receivers.

 

In short: the card is built to dominate.

 

The Honor Society Promo-A Missed Opportunity?

 

Now let's address the elephant in the room.

 

While Julio is elite, the Honor Society promo as a whole feels underwhelming.

 

To complete these 99 overalls, you need:

 

 A 97 overall version

 A 98 LTD that played for the team

 

That alone wouldn't be terrible-if you got value back. But you don't. No NAT returns. No meaningful recycling of assets. Just a heavy coin sink.

 

The bigger issue? The 98 LTD cards don't get proper ability discounts.

 

For example, receivers like Lima Swede are strong from a core rating perspective. But without discounted abilities, they fall behind current meta standards. Gold Takeoff costing 8 AP instead of the usual 6? That's a dealbreaker at high levels.

 

It's confusing. These LTDs are rated higher than Game Changers and Ultimate Alumni cards, yet they don't receive comparable AP pricing benefits.

 

As a result, many of the promo cards feel borderline unusable in serious competitive lineups-even if their base stats are solid.

Julio is the exception. He's good enough to overcome the promo's flaws.

 

Offensive Setup

 

For this gameplay, the offense ran the Georgia Tech playbook with a mobile quarterback setup.

 

Initially, Michael Vick was under center to provide mobility and off-script potential. Later adjustments shifted to Jalen Hurts for similar shifty movement at a lower cost.

 

The idea was simple:

 

 Stretch the field vertically with Julio

 Use mobility to extend plays

 Force defensive adjustments

 Punish one-on-one coverage

 

And it worked.

 

Gameplay Highlights-Julio Taking Over

 

On Hijacked-one of the most popular maps in rotation-the aura was immediate.

 

Julio wearing number eight just looked different. From the first few drives, it was clear opponents were going to have trouble containing him.

 

Deep Separation

 

Gold Takeoff immediately showed its value. On streaks and deep posts, Julio consistently created space-even against defensive backs with 99 speed.

 

There were multiple plays where he simply ran by defenders for easy touchdowns. When timed correctly, it was nearly automatic.

 

One-Handed Catches

 

The highlight moments came on contested throws.

 

One-handed grabs.

Corner route toe-taps.

Vertical streak mosses.

 

Julio's 6'3" frame combined with elite speed makes him a nightmare on verticals and seam routes. Even when slightly underthrown, he had a chance to win the ball.

 

Red Zone Dominance

 

Inside the 20, he became even more dangerous.

 

Tight corners and posts were nearly unstoppable when coverage leaned inside. The ability stack made him snap out of cuts quickly, creating just enough separation to secure touchdowns.Adjustments and Counterplay

 

Of course, opponents started adjusting.

 

Double coverage.

Safety shading.

Deep zones.

Heavy blitz pressure.

 

When defenders overcommitted to Julio, it opened up everything else.

 

Crossers.

RPO reads.

Scramble drills.

Inside zone with the QB.

 

The offense became far more dynamic because of the defensive attention Julio commanded. Even when he didn't get the ball, he impacted the game.

 

The Frustrations

 

No gameplay session is complete without a few "what just happened?" moments.

 

There were underthrows.

Inaccurate passes.

Hard flats randomly drifting.

 

Instant sheds at the worst possible times.

 

But through it all, Julio remained the most reliable piece of the offense.

 

When the defense needed a bailout? Throw it up.

When a one-play touchdown was needed? Julio.

When scrambling broke the pocket? Julio on the run.

He delivered.

 

Defensive Support

 

The defense ran an Oregon scheme built around pressure and disguised zones. Overloading one side, forcing quick reads, and punishing mistakes.

 

There were multiple picks, strip attempts, and momentum swings that helped keep the offense in favorable field position.

Still, the clear star of the show remained the 99 overall wide receiver.

 

Is He Worth 4 Million Coins?

 

Here's the tough part.

 

Julio Jones is arguably the best receiver in the game. He's explosive, reliable, and absolutely takes over games.

 

But 4 million coins?

 

That's steep.

 

Even after dominating in gameplay, the decision was ultimately to sell him around 4.2 million coins. That's just too much value locked into one card when roster flexibility matters.

 

If you're sitting on a massive coin stack and want the best WR in the game? He's worth it.

 

If you're managing resources carefully? It's hard to justify.

 

Final Verdict

 

Julio Jones is:

 

 One of the best receivers in College Football 26

 A true 99 overall difference-maker

 A vertical and red-zone monster

 Worth every bit of hype from a performance standpoint

 

The Honor Society promo overall may have missed the mark with pricing and ability structure. But this specific card? Absolute monster.

 

He stretches the field.

He wins contested catches.

He demands double teams.

He changes defensive schemes.

 

Whether it's deep streaks, seam routes, make NCAA 26 Coins or scramble drills, Julio delivers.