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Desmond Howard, Herschel Walker, and Kendall Boyd discuss NCAA 2006's new features in this exclusive interview.

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Every college football team has them, though some have more than others. Every coach wants them, though some coaches are better at recruiting them. And every fan cheers them on during Saturday games in autumn, though some fans have a lot more to cheer about than others. Of course, we're speaking about impact players--the guys on the field that can single-handedly determine the outcome of the game through a combination of dogged determination and sheer talent.

EA Sports' upcoming college football game, NCAA Football 06, will put a spotlight on the players that can carry a team on their backs. We've already taken a detailed look at the game's "race for the Heisman" mode (see previous preview), but this time around we want to take a look at how the game showcases the college superstars on the field. The players who make a difference in NCAA 06, nicknamed impact players, make appearances on both sides of the ball. On offense, you'll most often see impact players taking snaps behind center, running the ball at halfback, or catching passes as a wide receiver. Practically any position on defense is worthy of impact status, however, from defensive lineman to strong safety. Even kickers and punters can get in the impact game as well, reflecting the absolute vital nature of the kicking game in college ball.

Impact players are highlighted on the field with a small white icon that denotes their athletic prowess. You're able to spot the impact players on the opposing team as well, as they'll be illuminated both on the field and in the play-calling screens, allowing you to adjust your game plan accordingly. Just as in real life, the line between the "haves" and the "have nots" in NCAA 06 is sharply drawn. Some teams may have only one or two impact players on the team, while perennial powerhouses like Michigan and USC will be stacked on both sides of the ball. An added side benefit to this system is that it's easy to take control of a team with which you may not be familiar and find out exactly where the talent lies just by scouting the roster for impact players.

With high-impact players come high-impact moves, and the so-called breakaway controls in NCAA 06 will let you make the most of your top talent. The most important of these is the use of the right analog stick, which is used on offense to control impact moves, like the direction of juke moves and the brand-new butterfly-step juke. Moving the juke moves to the right stick makes a lot of sense, mostly because it feels "right" to your thumbs, and secondly, because of the added control it gives in specifying the movement of your player.

Just as players can find a special zone of performance where they can exceed their already-extraordinary abilities, the impact players in NCAA 06 can also turn it up an extra notch. By entering "the zone," as it's known, players are noticeably quicker on the field and capable of incredible dodges or bulldozing power moves (which you can control by repeatedly pressing the X button) that are showcased through special animations specifically created for these power moves. During an "in the zone" stiff-arm, for example, the camera will temporarily swing around and focus on the player in question as he viciously puts down his competition, only to immediately swing back to the traditional view of the action on the field. The entire animation only takes a few seconds to complete and isn't really distracting, though it might have been nice to have the option to turn it off if you wanted to. NCAA producers told us that these "in the zone" moments aren't that common and will usually come once you've found success with that particular player throughout the game. Certain game situations--such as rivalry games--might create "in the zone" situations; while other situations--a huge hit suffered by your star wideout, for example--will lessen your chances of reaching that mystical zone.

Environments and stadium models get a face-lift in NCAA 06. Check out that Florida State sunset.

Success begets success, it seems, and just as impact players are created by repeatedly feeding them the ball over the course of a season, so too are "in the zone" moments created by consistent and successful play on the field. If you want to create an impact running back, you'll need to make sure you recruit a player capable of sustaining 40 to 50 carries a game. Likewise, if you want to make an impact player out of a punter, you can create plenty of three-and-out situations to pump up your kicker's stats. It's probably not the best way to win games, NCAA producers admit, but it's definitely possible in NCAA 2006.

Some finer points of the NCAA's new look include better and more varied blocking types on the offensive line, like pancake blocks and seal blocks, which can open up huge running lanes to send your back through, as well as some improved option-play artificial intelligence on both sides of the ball. The runners seem to follow their blockers more closely this time around, and the defensive players assigned to the QB and the pitchman seem more assured of their assignment than ever before. Similarly, defensive players will key in on impact players as the game goes on, meaning that unless you want your superstar shut down by double coverage, you'll need to spread the offensive love across the team.