What Is the Onside Kick Exploit?
There's a broken onside kick in College Football 26 right now. People are using it to cheese easy recoveries. It creates a "bum rush" situation where the kicking team gets way better odds than they should.
Here's how they do it: Low kick formation, left stick ALL the way right, aim the red marker left side, power almost maxed but not completely full. Tap left bumper for "Low Kick" first. The ball bounces weird and your AI defenders usually mess it up.
THE COUNTER: User the front row guy. Hold B/Circle before the kick to switch players. Get on that front row defender where the ball's going. Sprint toward the ball location. Attack it manually. Do NOT click off your user or your guy runs away from the football.
Why does this work? The AI is programmed wrong. Front row defenders think their job is attacking blockers once the ball goes past them — not recovering the loose ball. So they run toward the kicking team instead of the football. You have to override that with user control.
How to Execute the Onside Kick Exploit
Don't use this in ranked unless you want to be that guy. But you need to know it exists:
- Select onside kick formation
- Tap left bumper — select "Low Kick"
- Push left stick ALL THE WAY to the right
- Aim the red marker on the left side
- Power meter — get it right next to full but don't max it completely
The ball creates this weird bounce situation. Your kicking team gets a much better chance at recovery than normal onside kicks. It's basically broken right now.
Why This Exploit Works
The combination of low kick + extreme directional input + specific power creates an unnatural ball bounce. The receiving team's AI doesn't react properly. Their front row guys get confused about whether to block or go for the ball.
Normal onside kicks — the defense is ready. This exploit — it catches the AI off guard every time.
How to Counter the Onside Kick Exploit
Here's the step-by-step breakdown:
- Before the kick: Hold B/Circle to switch players
- Get on the front row defender — the guy positioned where you think the ball's landing
- User control this player — don't let AI handle it
- Sprint toward the anticipated ball location
- Hold left stick and attack the football
- CRITICAL: Do NOT tap B/Circle again — stay on your user
The Most Important Part
Stay on your user. Don't click off. Don't tap B/Circle again.
If you click off — your defender runs away from the ball. The AI logic is backwards. Front row players are programmed to attack the kickoff team once the ball goes past them. NOT recover the football. So your guy will sprint toward blockers instead of the loose ball.
You have to manually override this with user control.
Common Mistakes When Defending Onside Kicks
Mistake #1: Letting AI handle it. The AI is broken on this play. User control is mandatory.
Mistake #2: Clicking off your user too early. Stay on that front row guy until you secure the ball.
Mistake #3: Not switching to the right defender pre-snap. Get on the guy who's actually going to be in the area.
Mistake #4: Running toward the kicking team instead of the ball. The AI wants to do this — don't let it happen.
When to Expect This Exploit
You'll see this most in:
- Ranked games from desperate opponents
- End of half situations
- Late game when someone's down by multiple scores
- House rules or casual games where people are messing around
If someone's lining up for onside kicks multiple times — they probably know the exploit. Be ready with the counter.
Why EA Needs to Fix This
The AI logic is backwards. Front row defenders should prioritize ball recovery over blocking assignments once the onside kick happens. Right now they don't.
This makes onside kicks way more effective than they should be. In real football — front row guys know their job is securing the football first.
Until EA patches it — you need to user control the counter every time.
The Bottom Line
Onside kick exploit exists. People will use it. Your counter: User the front row defender, attack the ball manually, don't click off your user.
That's it. Don't overthink it. Just user control and go get the football.