Panama’s Barmore makes EA Sports College Football 26 debut, will do the same at Arizona

After transferring to the University of Arizona this past winter, Cameron Barmore is “in the game” for the first time, making his debut in the popular video game EA Sports College Football 26. Images courtesy of EA Sports College Football 26
TUCSON, Ariz. — Cameron Barmore doesn’t own a gaming console.
He rarely plays video games.
But earlier this week, he received a private message from a young boy in western Chautauqua County saying “You just won me the Rose Bowl.”
The boy was referencing Barmore’s character in the popular video game EA Sports College Football 26. After transferring to Arizona University this past winter, Barmore is “in the game” for the first time.
Such is the life of a big-time NCAA Division I athlete from a small town.
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Barmore, a 2020 graduate of Panama Central School, spent the first five years of his collegiate career at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
While with the Lakers, the 2019 New York State Sportswriters Association Class D co-Player of the Year who led the Wolfpack to back-to-back state titles in high school, caught 165 passes for 2,319 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Mercyhurst, which was an NCAA Division II program prior to this past season, earned its first Division I win on Nov. 23, 21-20 over St. Francis University. It was a bittersweet final game for Bamore, who caught eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns — the last coming with 42 seconds remaining to essentially give the Lakers the win and complete a 4-7 season.
“I was just happy to get the win,” Barmore said. “I had a feeling in the back of my head that would be my last game there.”
Following the season, with the blessing of Mercyhurst head coach Ryan Riemedio, Barmore entered the transfer portal hoping to end his collegiate career on an even bigger stage.
“It was tough leaving my brothers there,” Barmore said. “I was there for five years and I loved it there.”
Once Barmore received his transfer portal number Nov. 25, he officially announced on X that he was entering the transfer portal.
The response was immediate.
“I entered right before a night class … I gained 700 followers in an hour,” Barmore said. “From there on, that first week, I was probably on my phone 11 or 12 hours a day.”
Offers from Austin Peay, Old Dominion, Liberty, Western Michigan and others came. Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State followed.
Along with scholarship offers came NIL offers.
“I wasn’t really making any decision based on money,” Barmore said, “it was more about football.”
Power programs came calling: Stanford, Virginia Tech, Houston and Ole Miss.
“I do have an agent and they helped, but the majority was on Twitter and reaching out that way,” Barmore said. “I was pretty much going in blind. I didn’t really have an idea at all. I was just hoping and grateful for anything.”
But Barmore’s decision ultimately came down to Texas Tech and Arizona. He first visited Texas Tech and nearly committed to the university in Lubbock, but a last-minute commitment from another tight end prospect turned Barmore to the Wildcats.
“I would’ve gone back to Mercyhurst,” Barmore said. “I don’t know if I was expecting bigger schools like Arizona and Texas Tech to actually offer.”
During a visit to Tucson, he talked to second-year head coach Brent Brennan and first-year offensive coordinator Seth Doege before officially committing on Dec. 23.
“I didn’t really know anything about Arizona football. After the visit, I loved the coaching staff — head coach Brennan and (offensive coordinator) Coach Doege,” Barmore said. “It was about more than football at that point. They were looking at players like they’re real people.”
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Barmore will certainly have competition for snaps at Arizona.
He says he is one of at least eight in the tight end room and figures to be one of at least four who travel for the Wildcats’ road games.
“It’s been a lot more tight end than receiver,” Barmore said about a shift he’s been making since leaving Mercyhurst. “The spring was a big change going from outside receiver to kicking out defensive ends and pulling for linebackers. I hope they use me like more of a receiving tight end.”
For what it’s worth, he’s listed as the third tight end on the depth chart in the video game with an overall rating of 74. Barmore’s highest individual rating is his strength (82), followed by agility (78), acceleration (77), speed (76), awareness (76), change of direction (75), ball-carrier vision (74), break tackle (73), stiff arm (72) and trucking (69).
But his jersey number is incorrect — he will wear No. 80, not No. 88 — his hair is too light and his mustache is missing.
Listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Barmore is labeled a physical route runner in the game.
His main competition in the tight end room — virtually and in real life — are Keyan Burnett, who transferred to Kansas in December, but returned this spring, and Sam Olson.
Burnett caught 18 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown while Olson had 13 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns last year.
“It was great. I’ve never learned that much football that fast. It was a lot of learning, figuring out the game speed,” Barmore said of the Wildcats’ 13 spring practices. “There are probably eight or nine tight ends. Everybody has their different strengths.”
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Barmore admits he’d rather be 30 minutes from home than 36 hours, but “had to be selfish and do what I thought would be best for me,” leaving Mercyhurst.
Arizona’s season gets underway in Tucson on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time against Hawaii. The Wildcats will then host Weber State on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. before opening Big 12 play Friday, Sept. 12 against Kansas State.
“I feel like Game 1, playing in front of the biggest crowd I ever have will be a fun one,” Barmore said. “That’s the one I’m most looking forward to.”
Following a bye week, Arizona will go on the road for the first time when it travels to Iowa State University on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The closest Barmore and the Wildcats will come to Western New York will be Saturday, Nov. 15 when they visit the University of Cincinnati.
Senior Day will take place Saturday, Nov. 22 against Baylor inside Arizona Stadium and the Wildcats will finish the regular season with the 99th edition of the Territorial Cup against Arizona State University at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.