If you want to build a better program, recruit smarter, and win more consistently in College Football 26 Dynasty Mode, there are several mechanics and strategies the game never fully explains. Today, we’re covering 10 tips that will instantly make you a better Dynasty player, no matter what team you’re running or how long your rebuild is going to be. Having enough CFB 26 Coins can also greatly help you become a good player.

Let’s jump straight into it.

1. Study Players Leaving… Not Just Your Own

When you reach the “Players Leaving” screen, don’t just look at your roster—take time to check every player leaving nationwide. With the new Transfer Portal structure, many high-rated prospects begin the offseason in the open stage.

This lets you see:

Their overall rating

Their hometown (important for those who want to return home)

Their dealbreakers—such as “Championship Contender.”

Their physical abilities

Their incoming development traits

If you spot a 92 overall receiver entering the portal and your school meets his dealbreaker requirements, you can target him immediately once the offseason begins. This is a huge advantage before any portal chaos even starts.

2. The Transfer Portal Can Rebuild an Entire Program in One Season

The Transfer Portal is the most powerful roster-building tool in College Football 26—especially if you’re using a small school.

You can literally:

Turn a 60 overall team into a 90 overall team in a single offseason

Replace outgoing transfers and graduates instantly

Build a competitive roster without long-term recruiting battles

The newly added open stage dramatically increases the number of available players, especially underrated three-stars who often receive no scholarship offers at all. These players are essentially free pickups.

A quick note on rankings:

The portal’s national rankings are overall-based

The #1 player is simply the highest overall in the portal

Quarterbacks are ranked differently: a highly-rated QB may show up much lower in overall rankings because the game evaluates QB value uniquely

This info helps you know exactly what you're looking at before you spend time on a prospect.

3. Your Playbook Has a Massive Impact on Sim Results

Whether you're simming full games or using coach mode, playbook selection can make or break your season.

The most dominant offensive playbook in simulation is:

Duke’s Veer and Shoot

It consistently produces top-tier offensive numbers—even with mid or low-tier rosters. This is why you often see Duke going 15–1 or making playoff runs in simmed dynasties.

On defense, last year’s best was 3–3–5 Tight, but the meta this year is still up for debate. If you’re losing sim games with a strong roster, try changing playbooks. It often fixes everything instantly.

4. Leveling Up Your Head Coach Takes Forever—Speed It Up

The new coaching progression system goes up to level 100, but almost every upgrade costs significantly more points than before. If you're planning a multi-season rebuild, it's fine. But if you want faster progression:

Use your pre-order bonus to start with extra coach points

Increase the Coach XP Slider to “Faster” or “Fastest”

Don't feel guilty—it’s your dynasty

Many upgrade requirements take years (winning rivalry games, sending players to the draft, etc.), so speeding up progression keeps the game fun without feeling like a grind.

5. Gameplay Sliders and XP Sliders Are Essential

The default Heisman gameplay isn’t as smooth this year. Don’t hesitate to adjust sliders to get the experience you want.

A few quick notes:

If Heisman feels off, try All-American—it’s designed to be the most realistic

For a challenge, stick to Heisman but tweak gameplay sliders

Matt10’s sliders remain some of the best in the community

On the XP side:

Defensive tackles develop far more slowly than defensive ends

Wide receivers may develop too well

Raising DT XP or lowering WR XP helps maintain roster balance

This is your Dynasty—tune the XP settings so player development feels authentic.

6. Transfer Portal Visits Are Useless

Don’t waste time on transfer portal visits. They don’t give meaningful benefits, and you gain nothing valuable from spending resources there.

Instead, focus on identifying which portal prospects are worth targeting—especially young players transferring from major programs.

For example:

A freshman WR leaving Tennessee (likely a former 4-star)

A freshman CB leaving USC

A redshirt freshman from Alabama who couldn't get snaps

These players usually have:

Better development traits

Higher ceilings

More years of eligibility

Always prioritize portal prospects coming from powerhouses over mid-major players with higher rankings but lower upside.

7. Development Traits Matter More Than Ever

In CFB 26, development traits determine everything:

Star and Elite development leads to massive offseason gains

Impact development is strong

Normal development is far behind

Young players with high development must play early, or they will transfer out. When recruiting:

Target 4-stars and 5-stars (high chance of star or elite dev)

Target “Gems”—they’re guaranteed to have an impact or better

Never cut players with star, elite, or impact dev—even if their OVR is low

You can also increase development traits by:

Winning awards with young players

Giving them consistent snaps

Offseason training rewards star dev players far more than others.

8. You Can Identify a Player’s OVR Using Their Playing Time Grade

This trick is especially strong for athlete QBs:

A QB with an A+ playing time grade is often the best QB in the class

D grades usually mean low-ceiling prospects

You can identify hidden gems in seconds without full scouting

This works across multiple positions—but it’s deadliest with quarterbacks.

9. Don’t Automatically Start the Highest Overall Player

Depth chart logic is flawed.

Sometimes:

A lower-rated freshman with elite development is more valuable

Redshirting certain players will cause them to transfer

A fast QB with lower OVR but higher upside should start immediately

Go through every position manually. Starting young high-dev players generates more wins and better long-term growth.

10. Never Sprint Behind the Line of Scrimmage

This gameplay tip is simple but huge:

Do NOT hold sprint (R2/RT) behind the line of scrimmage.

If you sprint:

You trigger instant block sheds

Your run blocking collapses

You get tackled instantly

If you don’t sprint:

Blocks hold longer

Holes open naturally

Outside runs work better

This is one of the most important gameplay habits to build.

Bonus Tip: Disable the Dealbreaker Notification Sound

Go to:

Settings → Audio → Bottom of the Menu

Turn off the alert that plays when music blocks your dealbreaker prompts. This small change makes recruiting menus cleaner and faster. Having enough cheap CFB 26 Coins can also be very helpful.