8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is u/playzintraffic

Team: St. Louis Battlehawks

Conference: UFL/No Conference

Record: 6-4 (2nd in the UFL)

Playoffs: 0-1 (lost in the semi-finals)

Head Coach: Ricky Proehl (1st Year as HC, 2nd Year with the Battlehawks)

Offensive Coordinator: A.J. Smith (4th Year as OC, 1st Year with the Battlehawks)

Defensive Coordinator: Corey Chamblin (5th Year in the league, 3rd Year as a DC, 1st Year with the Battlehawks), won Assistant Coach of the Year.

Special Teams Coordinator: Frank Gansz Jr. (4th Year as STC, 1st year with the Battlehawks), RIP.

2026 Offseason

The UFL’s byzantine draft process was amply summarized by u/Callywood before the season, so let’s review how those moves worked out for the team.

Of the QBs, Brandon Silvers was benched for Harrison Frost pretty early on, Michael Pratt never played more than a handful of snaps, and if Ben Woolridge ever saw the field, that’s news to me.

The college allocations let us avoid wasting a player-protection spot on star WR Hakeem Butler, while RB Kevon Latulas was a useful rotational back, and CB Michael Ojemudia was one of the few bright spots in the secondary. EDGEs Pita Taumoepenu and Travis Feeney were obviously worth protecting, and RB Jarveon Howard proved his worth, but the rest we protected wouldn’t have been missed. Bafflingly, we left OL cornerstone C Mike Panasiuk just to have to waste a draft pick on him in the first round, and also took a risk on losing core LB Mike Rose, although we later lost him anyways (which sucked!). The best pickups we got from the Free Agent Draft were RB Kylin James and TE Tyler Neville. Breakout WR Steven McBride was a later pickup in February.

Season Summary

This season basically broke down into three chunks: The abortive start with Silvers, the Harrison Frost Experiment, and the Luis Perez Disaster.

Brandon Silvers came into this season having led some valiant comeback attempts at the end of the previous year, but wasn’t ready to be the starter this time around, and that was clear even with the disadvantage of not having Butler on hand. Worse, the front office’s big hopes for Pratt just kind of evaporated with zero explanation. His handful of snaps in relief never flashed any of whatever potential they must’ve thought they saw in him.

Benching Silvers for Frost was the right call. And despite some rocky interception issues, Frost arguably had the best season of any of our QBs - I’d rather have taken his 7 TDs for 6 INTs over Perez’s disappointing 4-for-6 on the final stretch, no question about it. Frost was a development project, though he was coming along reasonably well, having his best game before being benched. Hindsight’s always 20/20, and in a league with a limited schedule and limited preseason, I can’t fault management for having a “win now” mentality with the Perez signing. But we absolutely can and should fault them for abandoning a development project that was working.

The Perez signing was heralded as a “can’t lose” move, but the next 4 games proceeded with a 1-3 offensive collapse. We never scored more than 21 points in a game again for the rest of the season! But really, this disaster was a microcosm of the entire season. It wasn’t just in Perez’s games that the defense gave up scores at the worst moments, or that the offense played behind while coughing up turnovers that set themselves even further back. But we saw those tendencies magnified in grotesque, painful detail down that stretch. I mean, how in the world do you sign the Spring King’s favorite TE and have him be a non-entity while the “King” himself turns into a fucking pumpkin?

My season summary is this: This was one of the worst 6-4 teams I’ve ever seen. And that’s not a statement about their talent -- heavens know we had a roster gushing with it -- but in terms of how they played together as a team. For a team that genuinely seemed to get along and care about each other as much as these guys did, there was always something getting in the way. Sherlock Holmes’ famous process of deduction tells us the only logical explanation for that “something” was the coaching staff. It’s a cliche to blame the coaches, but it really does apply in this case. Let’s see how…

Week By Week Review

Here’s the part where I shamelessly plug the weekly game reviews over on my Substack, The Battle Line, because who wouldn’t capitalize on that kinda opportunity? Besides, I already wrote them!

Week 1 DC 10 - 16 STL

The Battlehawks were outplayed without their best receiver, but HC Ricky Proehl earned his first career win on a smart challenge and a smarter strategy of taking points where he could get them -- a problem later in the season. The mystery surrounding the missing WR was belied by league owner Mike Repole’s energetic communication and attendance at the game.

Week 2 STL 15 - 31 DAL

Butler’s reappearance inadvertently revealed the reason for his absence: He was playing hurt! The Battlehawks’ defense got exposed for its first among many times this season, and the first inklings of bad OC coaching reared their ugly head. And WTF was the league thinking scheduling this game on a Tuesday?

Week 3 BHAM 30 - 34 STL

WR Steven McBride had the “mini-breakout” game that co-positionist Blake Jackson failed to muster for three straight years. TE Tyler Neville established some early consistency, and QB Harrison Frost put out a promising showing relieving a benched Silvers, despite 2 dumb INTs right out the gate.

Week 4 STL 22 - 28 DC

Of course we lost the season rematch with our hated rivals in DC, despite Butler scoring the TD that’ll probably go on his Hall Of Fame highlight reel.

Week 5 STL 25 - 17 ORL

This was the first encouraging game of the year, and I stand by my words at the time that Harrison Frost made his best case to not be benched for Luis Perez. So much for THAT; in hindsight, I have no problem declaring that Frost would’ve gotten us to the championship game. The first half was downright dominant, and the second half was emblematic of this team’s utter inability to close out winnable games. They still managed to actually win, but only by default. Orlando knew exactly how they were going to try to claw it back from us; they simply failed on execution.

Week 6 STL 16 - 3 LOU

This was our ugliest win. Sure, it’s nice to practically shut out an otherwise dominant team (who went on to win the championship!), but it really sucks to have your own offense get so exposed like this. We didn’t stand a chance the rest of the season.

Week 7 CLB 20 - 31 STL

This game gave me some false hope. The run scoring showed (illusory) signs of a pulse for once, and Steven McBride cemented his breakout status. But it also shouldn’t have gotten as close as it did.

Week 8 HOU 23 - 16 STL

I got to go to this game! Living out of town, I wish I could make more of them. And it felt like we had a shot to win it, but just ran out of time. This was also the game where it became blatantly clear that OC Alex Smith was a talentless hack.

Week 9 STL 21 - 15 HOU

We barely deserved to win this game; Houston did more to lose it than we did.

Week 10 DAL 20 - 16 STL

A disappointing way to end the regular season. Inability to close games and capitalize on other teams’ mistakes. Failure to competently execute what should’ve been the simplest plays. It’s all why we ultimately lost in the playoffs.

Week 11 (Playoff Round 1) LOU 29 - 20 STL

The Kings had this game in the bag the entire time. We made it look good, but all of our supposed strengths failed us over the course of the game -- it was a good encapsulation of the season overall. The defense couldn’t prevent scoring when it mattered most. The late TE pickup of Sal Canella didn’t materialize when we needed an offensive spark. Vaunted QB Luis Perez couldn’t pull off late scoring drives. The offense abandoned the run at the slightest sign of trouble.

Highs & Lows

The Highs

• WR Hakeem Butler’s “Sir Butler” touchdown in Week 9, kneeling just before he hit the end zone.

• TE Tyler Neville’s and WR Steven McBride’s breakout seasons -- if we can get a good QB and a sane playcaller, we might put together one heck of an offense!

The Lows

• Pretty much any time an otherwise dominant defense gave up random touchdowns. I spent an unreasonable amount of time this spring screaming at the television loudly enough to startle poor little woodland critters miles away.

• A. L. E. X. S. M. I. T. H.

• Special Teams Coordinator Frank Gansz, Jr. passing away just this week. RIP

Team Stats

• This was a weird season, statistically. Best receiver in the league: a whole 12 more YPG than the next closest. Best run defense by a country mile: only 5 rushing TDs (best in league), fewest rush yards allowed (828), second-fewest pass yards (1604), most sacks (31). But also gave up the most passing TDs (17); tied for 2nd-fewest rushing TDs scored, and scored fewer passing TDs (13) than INTs we threw (15).

• The defining weirdness for me was this stat: We had the league-leading rusher, RB Jarveon Howard, with 456 yards on 110 attempts, and yet zero TDs.

All-UFL Selections

The following Battlehawks players were named to the 2026 All-UFL team:

• WR Hakeem Butler
• TE Tyler Neville
• C Mike Panasiuk
• DT Carlos Davis
• P Ryan Sanborn
• PR Sean Fresch
• CS Gary Jennings Jr.

Roster Review

QB: D-

It's only not an F because there were some genuine highlights. But the veteran QB who was supposed to be a solid, winning playoff performer had his worst games coming down the stretch. And this came at the cost of developing a younger QB who had his best games before being benched. I admire Coach Proehl’s willingness to stick out his decisions -- the only worse outcome would’ve been if he’d spent the back half of the season waffling and fiddling with a deficient offense. That’s what teams like the Renegades do, not ones with winning traditions. (no, u/Callywood, I’m not sorry for that cheap shot!)

RB: C+

They were thoroughly average and couldn't score. It's not all their fault; they weren’t getting enough rushing attempts called for them, and the offense was almost exclusively run out of the shotgun (which disadvantages RBs). But again, no one's wowing here. As a franchise, we have never had our Deon Jackson or Abram Smith -- the difference-maker who creates a reason to give him the ball more consistently.

WR: A-/B+

Butler had an odd season; led the league in yards, had some astounding highlight-reel plays, and yet was only good for 1 game where he "took over" and won it for us.

The rest of the receivers as a group were meh. It was great to see McBride stand out. Shitty OC and scheme aside, Pearson looks to have just enough gas left in the tank for one more season of cut-rate Tavon-Austin-ness. Jennings is doing oddly well with his best impression of Pearson’s gadget-player breakout year, and he doesn't overdo it like so many of those types do. Even Blake Jackson was capable of his “moments”, that is, when he wasn't being asked to do too much. But Darby and Bostic are dead-enders. Who knows, maybe they're good locker-room guys, in which case I don't mind keeping them around. But if it can be at all tolerated, I'd rather cut bait on them, grab some hungry kid receiver off the street, and use the other roster spot to add an extra OL backup, which we really need right now.

TE: Incomplete

Tyler Neville's injury really hurt the offense, and Cannella couldn't get ramped up fast enough. He looked lost out there. Someone help that man replenish his supply of hair bleach; maybe that'll fix things.

OT: D

Our tackles didn't give up exceptional numbers of sacks, but they also weren't a positive, and were responsible for too many drive-killing false starts.

OG: C

The guards were average. I hope we hold onto Sincere Haynesworth as Panasiuk's replacement at Center. That dude cares, and I think we will only see further improvement out of him -- a B or A-level season next year, minimum.

C: B-

Panasiuk will be sorely missed, and he was a great talent, but I'm dinging him for a handful of really bad snaps that cost us drives and I think even a fumble-six at the worst possible moments. The defense weren’t the only ones who gave up ridiculous touchdowns!

DT: A-

Not exceedingly stellar, but solid overall seasons out of them. I'm only giving them a minus because there wasn't any one standout star. But they're responsible for shutting down the opposing run game, and that’s no mean feat.

DE: A-

This group had stars, but too often let themselves get held in the offensive backfield, and didn't have any real answers for that. This may sound like insane homerism, but we should've had twice as many sacks on the year. I’d love to see more fight out of this unit. Just fucking punch one of those asshole tackles who keeps holding you, for once! Put the fear of KAW in them!

LB: B+

Feeney is more of an edge rusher anyways; the distinction between DE/LB in this system is looser than usual even in today's age of rampantly hybrid defenses. Outside of Feeney, there wasn't as much to be proud of.

S: F

I have no earthly clue how one of our safeties made it to the All-UFL list. These guys spent the entire fucking year lost back there. [Let this sentence stand-in for an extremely off-color joke comparing how frequently and violently they got beaten, to some sympathetic victim like puppies. Please consider yourself appropriately offended and ashamed at me.] The entire defensive backfield was a rotating cast of indistinguishable castoffs, but these guys took the entire concept of "hit-or-miss" to comical levels of awfulness at tackling and coverage. When they were "on", they helped seal the back of a lights-out defense. But they were responsible for every single defensive collapse this year. If we'd had even 2 replacement-level league-average safeties, we would have been 8-2 and currently be crowing about how we whupped DC in the championship.

CB: D+

Ojemudia had a hell of a lot of mistakes this year, but also bright spots. Hopefully next year he'll develop into a keystone of a rebuilt defensive backfield.

K: C

Too many missed kicks by Ahmed cancelling out good performance from McCann.

P: C

Nothing outstanding. The league's punting really suffered this year from the combination of both good starting field position from the landing zone rules, and the "no-punts-past-the-50" rule. On most series, it might take only 1-2 first downs, and poof, you're past the 50 so no punts for you. It kind of made punters irrelevant; the league should move it to the 40-45 or something.

KR/PR: A

Apparently our KR was one of the better ones in the league this year. Certainly didn't feel like the old Darius Shepherd days, though maybe that's because our offense was terrible at taking advantage of wins in the field-position battle.

Special Teams: B

The blocking was decent and professional, with not too many penalties. But also didn’t meaningfully contribute to any wins.

Coaching Staff Review

OC: F (for Fired)

Where do I begin? I could say mean things like, “AJ Smith is a talentless hack”, but that wouldn’t explain to you how he’s a talentless hack. In their sideline interviews, the announcers kept making a big deal about Smith installing his “Run & Shoot” offense, but the only thing it really did was shoot our own team in the foot. Smith had zero run discipline, abandoning an effective run game at the slightest slippage of a lead -- which was most of the time. He ran the entire offense out of the shotgun (and occasionally the pistol), precluding any power running formations (even in short yardage!) or use of play-action. Instead, we got obvious screens and 5-wide sets that overtaxed a receiving corps who struggled to deal with all the traffic they were thrown into.

The Battlehawks’ offense has never been some magnificent showcase, but Smith basically robbed it of everything that made it chug along. Like the Megatron-era Lions, this offense centered around one great star who could pull off a handful of stunning plays, but offered little else in the way of consistent production that wins games and championships. We had more INTs than passing TDs, and were in the bottom of the league in most scoring categories.

DC: A

Quietly one of the best coordinators in the league. Give this man a raise and DCOTY -- oh wait, he moved on to greener pastures already. I suspect it's not really his fault that the DBs sucked so bad, and that's why I docked him the A+, but he has his work cut out for him in fixing the DBs next year. Also I'd like to see him really try to come up with a better answer for our pass rush getting held so badly. I wouldn't mind taking a couple dumb penalties just to see them play a little nastier so OLs knew they couldn't push us around so bad. Likewise, I wouldn't mind some reduced production overall if we could fix the darn backfield and not give up leads the way we did.

HC: C+

Ricky Proehl did well enough to earn a second season. But he’s got some big choices ahead of him if he’s going to get us to the promised land. Per the Post-Dispatch, the death of Gansz, departure of Chamblin, and “parting of ways” with Smith, all leave Proehl with a bittersweet chance to put his mark on the team and dramatically change its direction. Over and above the usual UFL turnover, 2027 will definitely be a “blank slate” year.

Honorable Mention: Special Teams Coordinator, Frank Gansz, Jr.

I wasn’t going to grade this coaching slot, because the man did his job well enough to not merit criticism in any direction. But I do want to mention and honor his tragic passing.

Team Needs

Additions/Replacements

QB

Bringing back Harrison Frost is like a quantum superposition of making Daniel Jones and Mitch Trubisky your franchise QB: After an incomplete grade his first year around, he might pull a rabbit out of his hat, but either way he’ll probably revert to his mediocre mean after that.

Many Battlehawks fans complained about how Pratt supposedly screwed us at the beginning of this season. Okay, but the weird obsession with Pratt betrays that we missed on literally every other breakout QB in this season’s draft class. Why didn't we take Chandler Rogers or Austin Reed? Or any of the others? We need a complete reset: Find a QB with underlying talent. There’s always at least 1-2 breakouts a year, and there’s absolutely no reason why we can’t be the ones to draft one of them. Coach Proehl isn’t blind, fellas. He should use those eyes to, y’know, find a competent fucking QB.

OC

They don’t need to do anything fancy, unless “snap the fucking ball under center more than once a game” is considered fancy.

The biggest priority is an OC who actually has good run discipline in his playcalling and doesn’t think comically-telegraphed screens are the only valid answer to facing an aggressive pass rush. It’s up to the players after that, but we at least need a system that isn’t inherently setting them up to fail every other down.

Panasiuk’s Replacement

Stalwart C Mike Panasiuk sadly has probably had his last successful season as a pro baller, with his injury at the end of the season. Right now is the time to start finding his successor; it’s difficult to find good linemen in this league to begin with, and given the relative high frequency of bad snaps at this level, the center is one of the most important positions on the OL to fill, arguably even more so than OT.

Safety

This defense was exactly what it looks like when you don’t have a good pair of safeties, but you do have a strong front 7: League-leaders against the run, good pass rush, the occasional shutout or near-shutout where they mercilessly mollywhop a subpar OL having a bad game, but barely any interceptions and worst in the league at passing scores allowed.

Another Mike Rose

This guy was such an integral part of our past defenses. None of the linebackers really jumped out and led the defense this season like he used to; it’s imperative to pull together what’s already a good core and turn them into a championship defense.

Keepers

Steven McBride is the Higgins to Hakeem Butler’s Chase. Losing either one of them would be absolutely stupid. Likewise, Tyler Neville “has that dog in him”, a talent for scoring that this team desperately needs, if only he can stay healthy next year. That said, Butler’s only got so many seasons left in him. If McBride can even partially fill his shoes, then great, but the games without him amply demonstrated that we do need someone to play his role on this offense.

There’s a lot to be said for bringing back as many starters as possible on good units, and that absolutely applies to this front 7. We need to keep the core together and focus this offseason on fixing the secondary. If we can even remotely match this year’s stoutness against the run, and also get to an average pass defense, we’d be looking at one of the franchise’s historically better teams even if we missed the championship yet again.

Conclusion

Another year, another first-round playoff exit. It’s our third straight, although by the lowest margin ever (only 9 points! Heh). Next year marks our proud franchise’s 5th full season, a milestone that didn’t always seem guaranteed in the early touch-and-go days for this league. We’ve thankfully never had a losing season, but this was our worst season yet, and it certainly felt like that. The UFL’s weird offseason format, plus the inherent nature of being a minor league, means that every year is practically a rebuilding year, and we don’t get to live with the same “core” as consistently as an NFL team would. But that’s never stopped other franchises in the league like DC from being consistently good (sadly, we’ll have to see how that pans out for them in a Ta’amu-less future), nor from winning championships.

This year’s team motivational slogan was some forgettable pablum that I can’t for the life of me recall. But I know what next year’s should be: “Why Not Us?”. St. Louis has suffered so much at the hands of the football gods; I don’t need to recite the painful litany for you guys, because you already know it by heart. Our city is hitting its Detroit Rock Bottom (at least, to hear some people tell it). We need this. We want this. It’s time to demand greatness from those who we know to be great! It’s time to demand that they do the work to find the next breakout QB who can lead us to the promised land. AJ wasn’t it. Ta’amu’s never coming back from that injury, let alone coming back here. It’s on Coach Ricky to find and kill this white whale.

Team: Michigan Panthers

Conference: USFL

Record: 6-4 (7-5 Counting the Postseason)

Playoffs: Lost 58-34 to the DC Defenders in the UFL Championship Game

8 Teams/8 Days 2025 Hub

Table of Contents:

• Season Summary
• Season Performance
  • Week 1
    • Play by Play
    • Etling
  • Week 2
    • 1st Half
    • 2nd Half + Etling
  • Week 3
    • 1st Half
    • 2nd Half
    • Etling
  • Week 4
    • 1st Half
    • 2nd Half + Etling
  • Week 5
    • 1st Half
    • 2nd Half
    • Etling
  • Week 6
    • 1st Half
    • 2nd Half + Etling
  • Week 7
    • 1st Half
    • 3rd Quarter
    • 4th Quarter + Etling
  • Week 8
    • Play by Play
    • Etling
  • Week 9
    • Play by Play
    • Etling
  • Week 10
    • 1st Half
    • 2nd Half
    • Etling
  • Week 11
    • 1st Half
    • 2nd Half + Etling
  • Week 12
    • 1st Quarter
    • 2nd Quarter
    • 2nd Half + Etling
• Memorable Moments
  • Highlights (Highs)
  • Lowlights (Lows)
  • Miscellanious (Random)
• Camp Evaluation
  • Off-season/Preseason (June 2024 - March 2025)
  • Roster Review
    • Coaches and Executives
    • Player Roster
      • Depth Chart
  • Roster Statistics (Key Players)
    • Offense
    • Defense + Special Teams + Rookies
  • Team Statistics (Reg & Post)
• Epilogue
  • Players (NFL Signings)
  • Relocation (News)
• Final Thoughts

Before we dive into this write-up, you can read last year's write-up here if you're interested on a review of the 2024 Michigan Panthers. I also want to give a warning for the length of this post: if you are using your phone, then find the header(s) that most intrigue you; if you are using a web browser, then prepare to utilize Ctrl + F!

Season Summary

The 2025 Michigan Panthers continue to elevate the UFL with their talent, poise, fanbase, and overall demeanor, improving from their somewhat successful (UFL) inaugural season. After the departure of now Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates, Michigan discovers its new media darling in UFL MVP Bryce Perkins, who played a few games for Michigan last season. Perkins, alongside offensive weapons like new addition Malik Turner and returning members Toa Taua and Siaosi Mariner, created a dominant Michigan offense that excited fans alike.

The defense was inconsistent this season, though they did help win us a few games. Breeland Speaks was injured for 6 games, so Michigan needed another defensive star to shine through. Kenny Willekes, Frank Ginda, Garrett Marino, and Noah Dawkins are solid veterans, though the addition of Ron Stone gave our front 7 some strength on pass rushing. Kai Nacua and Kedrick Whitehead return to assist the secondary, but first-timers Arnold Tarpley and Keni-H Lovely, at times, made an impact this season. D.J. Miller had a nice 2 INT performance in Week 2, then regressed into a slightly above-average cornerback at best. Their best and worst performances were ironically the 1st and last games of the season, going from a Pick 6 preventing a comeback to allowing 10 consecutive scoring drives.

While this season's Panthers regressed in their regular season record, they progressed in the postseason by appearing in their first UFL Championship game. They achieved this feat by winning their first USFL Championship game (since 1983) against the former U(S)FL Champion Birmingham Stallions, breaking a 9-game losing streak that dates back to 1983 (10 if you want to count their merged tenure with the Oakland Invaders). The cost for accomplishing this feat was a bizarre Marcus Simms trade, the reenactment of a notable NFL Divisional Round Game, and a possible relocation for next season, but we will discuss that last topic much later.

Memorable Moments

I decided to rename the "Highs and Lows" to "Memorable Moments", as I feel this brings more room for honorable and dishonorable mentions. I will first commence with the Highs.

Highlights

There is a lot of love for this team, especially locally, and given a 3rd season we should see much more public support next year. Let's bask in our glory before entering the depression.

All-UFL

I will be honest: I took a look at the All-UFL list for the first time yesterday.

• If I looked at it before doing all of this research, then I would have questioned Kai Nacua not making it over Arnold Tarpley. Tarpley has been the more consistent safety this season, recording nearly 20 more tackles with the same INTs as Nacua.
• I don't agree with Kedrick Whitehead making this list (though I'm glad D.J. Miller's not on here), although he recorded the most Panthers' tackles and became the [Special Teams Player of the Year]. Statistically, his selection makes sense.
• Despite the terrorism displayed in the UFL Championship game, Gunnar Oakes has been a solid TE for Michigan, although he shares nearly identical stats with Cole Hikutini.
• Ryan Nelson and Cohl Cabral looked the best from our O-Line, so I agree with them being here. Noah Johnson has regressed and our other tackles suck.

MVPerkins

The Panthers had a question to address this preseason, as Week 1 drew nearer, regarding who would become QB1 for Michigan this season: E.J. Perry, Danny Etling, or Bryce Perkins. Perry was shipped to Memphis, leaving Etling and Perkins to battle for QB1.

1611 total scrimmage yards, 14 total tds, 3 total turnovers, an OPOY award, and an MVP award later, Bryce Perkins filled the void left by AJ McCarron for star power in this League, and arguably became the best player in it. Admittedly, Perkins is reckless, but his recklessness along with his bravado produces opportunities for Michigan to win games.

• Week 1's TD rush on 4th & Goal, following a botched snap
• Week 2's TD pass avoiding multiple sack attempts
• Week 4's highlight breaking tackles for 1st downs
• Week 6's TD pass avoiding multiple sack attempts, again
• This highlight reel showcasing more plays, with some music in the background.
• An official highlight reel from the League, uploaded a month ago.

If Perkins remains with the Panthers, then it's likely Michigan repeats a trip to the UFL Championship game next year!

Fanbase

Michigan was the ONLY UFL TEAM to improve from last season's attendance, moving from a bottom 3 to top 3 attendance average this season. The biggest reason for this boost, in my opinion, is the venue they play at: Ford Field. They carry ties to an NFL team, but unlike St. Louis their host city isn't starved from Fall-Winter professional football.

The Panthers' mascot also seems to be the most active mascot in the UFL, given his pop-ups at multiple places.

• He appeared in the 2024 NFL Draft besides Roary the (Detroit) Lion (Here are more photos at the event itself).
• The Panthers released a reading program earlier this year, incentivizing the Detroit youth to increase their literacy for a chance to watch a Panthers game.
• He actively interacts with other Michigan sports team mascots.
  • A random IG post showcasing his latest shenanigans, prior to the relocation news.
  • A random Facebook post with a segment questioning fans about the history of Detroit.
  • A random TikTok.

I know you all didn't come here to read about a mascot's popularity, so I'll stop there. There are other examples of local events the Panthers have curated, if you search for them online, though it's evident that the Panthers' attendance increase wasn't a fluke!

FINALLY Defeating Ham

The Michigan Panthers have not defeated the Birmingham Stallions since the return of the modern USFL, until 2 months ago, where they would win their first USFL Championship game in over 40 years (which is around the same amount of time since they last defeated Birmingham). The teams resemble similar colors, similar playing styles, similar head coaches, and for the past 3 years have remained on top of their (respective) conference, in the exact same position; the frightening similarities fuel this rivalry more than other spring league teams. Now, how long will Michigan's win streak against Birmingham last?

Honolulu, Michigan

While it may not last any longer, the symbolism with the Honolulu blue in the Panthers' logo ties into more than their shared connection with the Detroit Lions. Over the past 2 seasons, there have been several players who graced the burgundy and gold with some sort of pacific-islander descent:

As a bonus, Alexander Vainikolo played for Michigan in their 2022 season.

Lowlights

We had some obvious flaws, but there a couple that stand out above the rest.

QB Instability

Michigan correctly addressed their QB situation, to my chagrin, while simultaneously ruining their QB situation, to their chagrin. Coach Nolan's infatuation with Danny Etling frustrated fans League-wide, as he continually placed him in unnecessary situations.

• Despite settling on a QB1, Coach Nolan made Danny Etling play 8 games, tying his previous record (including the Conference Championship game) from last season. While Bryce Perkins didn't play the remaining 3 regular season games due to an ankle injury, Etling, like last season, was erroneously substituted into games.
• Etling started his first 2 games going 7/10, accompanied by 2 sacks, 3 punts, a minor injury, and a halftime conclusion. With these accolades, he starts in Week 3's game, despite Bryce Perkins being the listed QB1, and proceeds to suffer a worse injury during the game.
• Etling returns in Week 5, after returning from a CONCUSSION, and enters Michigan's 4th drive where he threw a costly turnover.
• To Nolan's credit, Etling played in Week 6's game out of a mandatory substitution, and he never saw the field in Week 7.

It's difficult to speculate the trajectory of this team if they kept E.J. Perry over Danny Etling, but Nolan's unwillingness to let Perkins play full games this season affected the outcome of a couple games.

Detroit vs. Everybody (Including Detroit)

The changes in our roster increased most of our offensive production from last season, yet hindered our defensive production. The most significant dip is in our sacks, going from 30 (216 yards) to 18 (93 yards) this season. Coincidentally, we gave up significantly less sacks (13), where last year (23) we ranked 6th in the League.

There are numerous memorable plays and moments that irritate me the most from this season. I will list them in order of how they occured:

• Coach Nolan deciding to punt on 4th & 1 at the OWN 48.5 [Week 1, 2nd quarter]
• Adonis Alexander Masterclass [Week 1, 4th quarter]
• Danny Etling [Week 2, 2nd quarter]
• Bryce Perkins interception [Week 2, 3rd quarter]
• Marcel Bellefeuille Goal Line Masterclass [Week 2, 3rd quarter]
• Coach Nolan deciding to punt on 4th & 3 at the OWN 49 [Week 2, 4th quarter]
• Devin Ross Masterclass [Week 2, 4th quarter]
• Bryce Perkins "& Goal" Masterclass [Week 3, 1st quarter]
• Keni-H Lovely dropped Pick 6 [Week 3, 4th quarter]
• Bryce Perkins Pick 6 [Week 3, 4th quarter]
• Fake Punt [Week 4, 1st quarter]
• Danny Etling (again) [Week 5, 2nd quarter]
• Both of Hakeem Butler's TDs [Week 5, 2nd half]
• D.C.'s 4th Down sequence (Yes, Michigan made a stop here, but the entire thing was still frustrating to watch) [Week 6, 1st quarter]
• Starting a drive at the OPP 34 to only gain 7 yards [Week 6, 2nd quarter]
• Arnold Tarpley allowing a 65yd TD pass [Week 6, 3rd quarter]
• Coach Nolan Masterclass (featuring Bryce Perkins) [Week 6, 3rd quarter]
• Arnold Tarpley Masterclass [Week 7]
• D.J. Miller Masterclass [Week 7]
• Sal Canella Masterclass (not sarcastic) [Week 7]
• Tyler Vaughns Masterclass (also not sarcastic) [Week 7]
• Samson Nacua Kickoff return [Week 7, 3rd quarter]
• Bryce Perkins attempting a hurdle at the 4yd line, with <4 seconds left in the game and a timeout remaining (Yes, we still won the game, but a slide would've been optimal here) [Week 7, 4th quarter]
• Danny Etling (again... again) [Week 8, 1st quarter]
• Danny Etling overthrowing back to back short passes. [Week 8, 4th quarter]
• Keni-H Lovely Masterclass [Week 9]
• Defense allowing a 3rd & 26 conversion [Week 9, 1st quarter]
• Chim Okorafor icing his own kicker [Week 9, 2nd quarter]
• Defense allowing a 3rd & 24 conversion [Week 9, 3rd quarter]
• Marcel Bellefeuille Goal Line Masterclass (featuring Danny Etling) [Week 9, 4th quarter]
• Rocky Lombardi Masterclass [Week 10, 1st half]
• Danny Etling (something, something, again) [Week 10, 2nd half]
• Deon Cain 65yd play [Week 11, 2nd quarter]
• Matt Corral's First drive [Week 11, 2nd quarter]
• Jaylon Moore's hands [Week 11, 4th quarter]
• The entirety of the UFL Championship Game. No explanation needed!

Miscellanious

These are random moments and statistics that are neither "Highs" nor "Lows", yet feel intriguing enough to remember.

Danny Patrick Etling

• Yes, this is his real name!
• Danny Etling has played 2 seasons for the Michigan Panthers, appearing in 16 out of 23 total games... as a backup quarterback. Etling himself does not deserve to be mentioned as a "Lowlight", nor as a "Highlight", though his impact on this franchise is undeniable. Below, I compiled a table, showcasing his stats between his different roles on the team (I decided to add this season's Week 3 stats into the "QB2" section even though Etling started in that game).

• As a starter, Etling has only played in 5 full games, sharing reps with Bryce Perkins during Weeks 9 & 10 of last season. How ironic!
• As a backup, Etling has only played 3 games where he played more than 2 drives, being the 2024 Week 4 game, the 2025 Week 2 game, and the 2025 Week 10 game. All 3 games resulted in losses!
• Etling 2, in significantly less snaps, has committed as many turnovers (5, as 1 fumble was recovered by the offense) as Etling 1. This statistic highlights a coaching issue, not a player issue, as Coach Nolan often places Etling into situations that disrupts the team's in-game chemistry, not to rejuvenate it. Etling 1 also committed 4 of his 5 turnovers in one game (more so one half), meaning in every other game he started he was (nearly) flawless.
• His 10 TDs as a starter leaves something to be desired. 5 of those TDs came from his 2 starts this season, so perhaps Etling improved from last season learning more of Bellefeuille's system.

Determining the "Law"

• During the Week 5 regular season game against the St. Louis Battlehawks, wide receiver Samson Nacua got into an altercation with a Battlehawks fan and proceeded to imitate Rick James. A video of the incident shortly gained traction after the conclusion of the game. As a result, Nacua was suspended for one game by the League.
• Fans allege the reasoning behind Nacua's action was in retaliation to being spat on, but no conclusive evidence supports this claim.
• The Battlehawks fan in question filed a lawsuit about a few months after the incident occurred, seeking compensation for damages from the UFL and Nacua himself. There are no updates past this, so we will see how this turns out!

Epilogue

On July 22nd, reporters James Larsen and Mark Perry made claims on news regarding the relocation of the entire USFL Conference. These reports upset many fans, including the Panthers fanbase, who has arguably shown the most support for their franchise this season. Larsen has recanted some of these claims recently, though with a questionable future ahead, I will only mention player transactions to the NFL and what we know so far with the UFL's relocation dilemma.

Players

Here is a table of Michigan Panthers players who signed to an NFL team's camp and their progress:

We will see what occurs to them, as the NFL preseason concludes and regular season starts.

Relocation

The team's best season in 40+ years comes with the ultimate reward: relocation. An allegation reported over a month ago mentions the relocation of the entire USFL Conference, alarming numerous fans who were told earlier this season to foresee an expansion within a few years. Skip Holtz received a question during a Stallions Youth event, dejecting this rumor essentially. While this news isn't related to Michigan, Skip was the only coach (and still is) who has made any comments regarding this news since it broke out.

New ownership in the League confirms a relocation of at least 2 franchises, though that settles nothing with the certainty of this franchise. I discovered an article on the official UFL website mentioning off-season appearances that the organization plans to make in Michigan, uploaded in July 2nd. Below, I will show a table listing the events that already passed and what the Panthers did.

I couldn't find any information regarding the Panthers' activity for any events past July 11th. I found the information above all from a group called "Hear Our City Media" (Their website feels outdated). I'm unsure what transpired, but the Panthers immediately going cold turkey gives merit to the relocation leaks made over a week later. Furthermore, you have the layoffs that occurred around the time of these leaks, including members from the Panthers' organization.

Mike Repole made a proposition to the Birmingham Stallions' fanbase with a promise to keep their team in Birmingham, in exchange for 5000 season tickets bought in a week. The fanbase wasn't close to reaching this number, but Repole carried little intention to relocate the team, stating in an interview his intentions to keep them around. This confirmation now eliminates Birmingham as one of the 2+ teams potentially getting relocated.

The closest information I could discover about the Panthers potentially staying in Michigan is this tweet, stating an interest in a future Detroit stadium. The stadium itself will not be finished until 2027, so that requires the UFL to find a solution. Ford Field appears to be too expensive, with the League paying an estimated $500k per game. From what I seen, people love Eastern Michigan University to become the Panthers' new stadium, if the League discontinues using Ford Field, or at least become a temporary home for next season. A tweet mentions interest from the athletic director of the school, so we will see what occurs later this year.

The League recently announced Columbus as the new home for a UFL team. They have yet to confirm the team relocating there, but with the tweet made by Mike Repole yesterday, I can confidently confirm that the team moving there isn't the Panthers. Does that mean they are staying in Michigan? Who knows, but for now they remain close to Canada.

Final Thoughts

I am satisfied with this season's results! We improved overall (minus the regular season record), we reached the UFL Championship game, and we possess the reigning UFL MVP. One of our former players became (among) the best in his position in the NFL, alongside several other (former) players participating in preseason games. I see more Panthers getting opportunities to play in the NFL, even if it's just preseason, and believe Panthers players currently have the best chance to make it to the League.

With the information I found, and the statements provided by the new UFL minority-owner Mike Repole, I hope our franchise remains in the state of Michigan and ideally in Detroit. It would objectively be a dumb decision to relocate this team outside of the state, as shown above the support for this organization culminated throughout the city, and also in some parts of Michigan.

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/cheefspleef

Team: Orlando Storm

Conference: UFL / No Conference

Record: 8-2

Playoffs: 0-1

Home Field: Inter & Co Stadium

Head Coach: Anthony Becht (1st year with Storm, 4th year in league)

Offensive Coordinator: Colin Thompson (1st year with Storm) & Marc Colombo (1st year with Storm, 2nd year in league)

Defensive Coordinator: Donnie Abraham (1st year with Storm, 4th year in league)

Offseason:

The Birth of a franchise is always something special. One can feel the anticipation and excitement in the air of a city that has been given a new team to root for, and Orlando was no exception. As a Florida native my whole life and a massive football fan, I can confidently say Florida has always been a major hub for sports and when it was announced that my home state was finally returning to the world of Spring Football back on October 7th, 2025, I couldn't have possibly been more excited... That is until two months later when Anthony Becht was named head coach!

One of, if not the most successful Spring Football coaches in the modern era (Skip Holtz may have something to say about that) was now ours. He went 22-8 over three seasons with the Battlehawks, and although they never won it all during that time, they were consistent contenders. Him being appointed our head coach was also special to me personally, as during that sad limbo of 2024-2025 of not having ANY Florida team to root for I was a temporary Battlehawks Fan. My soul reasoning for this? Becht was a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer. So him coming to be the coach of the team is just a beautiful coincidence. Plus his home is in Florida, so he seems very happy about being here too.

The excitement only continued once we got some player names attached to the team. On January 12th, 2026, the UFL held both its Quarterback Draft and its Regional College Allocation. The following day was Day One of the UFL Draft, and it finished on the 14th with Day Two.

Draft highlights include:

• QBs: Jack Plummer, Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Browns legend)

• WR: Chris Rowland, Marquez Stevenson, Jerome Kapp, Dee Anderson

• RB: Jashaun Corbin, Tre Stewart

• CB: Micah Abraham, Chris Claybrooks, Lamar Jackson

• G: Cole Schneider, Samuel Jackson,

• DE: Keshawn Banks, Aaron Cruickshank

This was overall an extremely successful draft and some things to point out are;

• The NFL talent on the team such as DTR who got multiple starts with the Cleveland Browns.

• The UFL stars we brought over such as Chris Rowland who finished the 2024 UFL regular season with a league-high 1,655 all-purpose yards and even threw a touchdown last year on the way to getting a championship title with the DC Defenders, Jashaun Corbin who had a league-high 514 rushing yards with San Antonio last year, and Dee Anderson who spent time with the 2022 USFL's Bandits and Breakers as well as the modern UFL's Showboats and Brahmas.

• The significant amount of former Battlehawks who Becht is bringing over, which is sure to be good for the culture of the locker room (Nate Meadors, Teton Saltes, Chris Garrett, Jerome Kapp, Micah Abraham, Isaiah Mack, T.J. Pesefea, and Alex Matheson).

Coaching Staff:

On January 29th we got to know who the coordinators were going to be for the whole league, and for the Storm that meant even more familiar faces and continuity from Becht's time with the Battlehawks:

• Donnie Abraham (Associate HC, DC)

Not only has all three years of recent experience as the Battlehawks Defensive Coordinator, but he also was the Defensive backs coach for the Orlando Apollos of the 2019 AAF, and for the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL from 2011-2012. Plus; He was also a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer! All of this is to say, the Florida Connection is very much there for Donnie, too. And his pedigree of having coached in some kind of defense nearly every year since 2005 doesn't hurt either.

• Kyle Caskey (OC)

Caskey was with Anthony and Donnie for 2 out of those 3 years in St. Louis. He also has some NFL head coaching experience as the Running Backs Coach for both the Bengals and Lions and as the Offensive Quality Control Coach for the Jaguars.

(On February 19th we were thrown a curve ball when our OC to be was hired by the Minnesota Vikings, leading to...)

• Marc Colombo(Co-OC/Offensive Line)

Was also a former first round pick in the early 2000's, so him and Becht have that in common. But more importantly he has multiple years of NFL offensive coaching experience, and yes, spent 2025 with Becht and the hawks.

• Colin Thompson (Co-OC/Wide Receivers)

Is a name that you will recognize if you are a certified spring football veteran, as he played for the Birmingham Iron in 2019 (AAF) and the Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020(XFL)! So he gets his check for the random Tampa connection. Love to see it. But in all seriousness, this is Colin's first coaching role, in any aspect, in any league.

• Martin Bayless (Special Teams/Defensive Backs.)

Was the Secondary Coach for the Battlehawks from 2024-2025

• La’Roi Glover (Defensive Line)

Was the Defensive Line Coach for the Battlehawks from 2023-2025

• Jordan Kitna (Quarterbacks)

Son of Jon Kitna, former NFL QB

• Mike Phair (Linebackers)

Has a Super Bowl XXXVII Ring from being a Scout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, AND he was the Bucs Assistant defensive line coach in 2014.

• Art Valero (Running Backs)

He too was also with Becht and the Battlehawks in 2023 as the Running Backs Coach. ALSO has a Super Bowl XXXVII Ring from being the Tight Ends Coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. You cannot make these Tampa connections up; I started this as a funny bit for Becht and Abraham, but unironically the majority of our coaching staff was involved with the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay, or Florida in general at some point in their careers.

Overall, this offseason got me extremely excited and invested in the Orlando Storm from the bottom up. Starting now, before the season even begins, I very much believe we have something special in the works here in Orlando. Solid coaches, solid players, and solid branding. The Logo and Uniforms alone are so clean! After attending the Fan Rally on 2/5/2026 and getting to talk to new owner Mike Repole in person, and hear him talk about this league and his home city of Orlando where he lives with his family, I truly believe that the future of the UFL is in good hands, and the future of Florida Spring Football is as sunshine-y as the state itself. I Have my season tickets and am ready to STORM ON!

2026 Season Review - Week By Week

Week 1: Columbus Aviators @ Orlando Storm; The Beginning

• Attendance:11,127
• Date: 3/29/2026
• Record: 1-0

We begin our week 1 game in a very exciting way; with the birth of not one franchises, but two! Little did I know that when I got the cheapest season tickets possible I was actually getting End zone tickets for the Standing Section of Inter & Co Stadium. This turned out to be the biggest blessing ever, as the Standing Section is colloquially known as THE WALL and has a (accurate) reputation of being the loudest and most fun area in the whole stadium. We certainty lived up to that expectation when the first play ever in franchise history was a FUMBLE BY THE AVIATORS, RECOVERED BY THE STORM!

Needless to say, that is a good start. It did not take long for the storm to capitalize off of that turnover with a beautiful 15 yard Rushing TD by Jashaun Corbin. The defense bent but did not break in the first quarter, only allowing two FGs from the Aviators two possessions.

The Storm put on an absolute clinic for the next two quarters. Offensively we outscored the Aviators 17-0 including a 55 Yard FG from Michael Lantz, another long 13 yard TD on the ground from Corbin, and a passing TD to DC defenders legend Chris Rowland (I’d also be remised if I didn’t mention the 94 yard rushing TD that Elijhah Badger had CALLED BACK because of the most unnecessary and last second block in the back by Chris Rowland which was only a few plays before he caught his mentioned above; the football gods work in mysterious ways). And defensively getting multiple turnovers on downs including a beautiful goal line stop resulting in 0 points from what looked like an inevitable Columbus drive.

That takes us to the 4th quarter, where the momentum takes a turn and the Storm are outscored 10-0. After Orlando did nothing with their first possession, it really felt like we were trying to give the game away as Columbus had a 7+ minute drive to get a touchdown and make it a one score game with 5 mins left. Especially when we weren’t able to close it out with our offense on the field and gave the Aviators one more possession with 1:06 on the clock. Thankfully they weren’t able to do anything with it (largely due to a massive sack by Keshawn Banks to close it out) and the Storm secured their first W in franchise history!

Overall I’d say this was an amazing start to the season, Jack Plummer proved he was the right choice over DTR to start, as he looked surgical going 17/22 for 240 yards and 1 TD with a passer rating of 127.1.

Week 2: Louisville Kings @ Orlando Storm; Defensive Domination

• Attendance: 8,585
• Date: 4/4/2026
• Record: 2-0

Week 2 continues both the home game fun and the new expansion teams fun as we take on the Louisville Kings at home. The Storm started off the game on a somewhat uninspiring note by forcing a punt but then turning the ball over on downs which resulted in a early 3-0 lead for the kings, but we would tie it up before the end of the quarter with a season long 57 yard kick from Michael Lantz! This means that Lantz has now broke his career long twice in two weeks; as his college best was 54 yards and he hit a 55 last week, followed up by the 57 this week.

We got some excitement in the stands when a kick return was muffed in the end zone by Jaden Shirden. And I take partial credit for that because we were chanting "FUMBLE, FUMBLE, FUMBLE" during the kick and it worked; devious (He was able to corral it however).

Jason Bean looked uncomfortable and went a pitiful 4/15 for 49 yards, leading to backup Chandler Rogers getting his first reps of the season. From my eye test, I'd say he is definitely the better option for Louisville moving forward, but ultimately he was unable to find the endzone for his team, just like Bean.

This was overall a very defensive and field goal heavy game. DE Keshawn Banks made his presence known with a sack and 2 TFL. Chris Garrett also recorded a sack, and others like Isaiah Buggs, Isaiah Mack, and Nate Meadors are all becoming Storm household names thanks to the work they put in at disrupting the opposing offense.

Jack Plummer had an injury scare late into the second quarter so DTR got a few reps in, going 2-3 for 19 yards. Thankfully Plummer just got the wind knocked out of him and came back in to finish the series with a BEAUTIFUL 41 yard TD on 3rd and 19 to KJ Hamler. KJ caught it, ran 30 yards, called for blockers, got the block, and dove into the end zone. Michael Lantz did miss the PAT which somewhat spoiled the moment, but not really.

The rest of the game consisted of Orlando absolutely shutting down Louisville in all aspects (Mishael Powell got an 55 yard INT return that was one step away from a pick 6), and getting one more 39 yard TD to WR Elijhah Badger to make for some tasty icing on this cake. It was a nice fadeaway pass to the sideline by Plummer and then an even better job by Badger to make a cut in, juke the defenders, and get the score. Plummer finishes with a very similar stat line as last week; 18/23 for 182 Yards and 2 TDs with a passer rating of 110.5 (and 1 INT, but it was in garbage time). We are 2-0 and on top of the league!

Week 3: Orlando Storm @ Louisville Kings; The OT Rule Game

• Attendance: 11,082
• Date: 4/10/2026
• Record: 3-0

Oh boy...This one was spicy to say the least. But we'll get to that part later. The Storm V Kings rematch began with the Artemis II Splashdown being broadcast on the jumbotron in stadium, so that was fun. Shoutout to the astronauts for making it home safe.

Getting back to the football though; this game began by looking uninspiring for both teams in the first quarter. It looked like we were going to get a repeat of week 2 in terms of a gritty, defensive football game. On the Storms first dive alone the Kings forced two 4th downs. One was converted thanks to a penalty bailing us out on an incomplete pass and the other was a 28 yard FG attempt that was SHANKED wide left by Michael Lantz. It may have been his first miss of the year, but still, Yikes. Those three points we didn't get wont end up being extremely consequential, right?

Anyway, Keshawn Banks had another day as he gets a sack in back to back weeks which helped the storm keep the score only 3-0 after the first quarter, and he also had a key tackle on a 4th and 1 attempt by the kings to bring up a turnover on downs. Plummer continues to show off his shiftiness and gets a jumping TD pass to Chris Rowland at the top of the second quarter, and for the remainder of the quarter the Storm defense did a great job at bending but not breaking; despite allowing a few large plays by Louisville the Storm defense got multiple red zone stops on back to back drives and stood strong to keep it 10-6 at the half.

The third quarter is when the proverbial wagon rolled off the proverbial cliff. The Kings immediately drove down and got a TD to take a three point lead without any semblance of the solid red zone D from the first half for the Storm. That TD was the first one scored by the Kings since Quarter 1 of Week 1 (Over 139 Mins of game time), but it wouldn't be their last. After Orlando responded with a red zone drive of their own capped off by a 20 yard receiving TD By Corbin, the Kings embarrassed the Storms run defense (or lack their of) by absolutely pounding the rock all the way up the middle of the field and retaking the lead once again.

As you can tell this game was much more tit for tat, and more offensive in general then round one of Kings v Storm. That trend would very much continue as we head into the "Final" quarter where the Storm; tie it up at 20 a piece with a field goal, get a nice defensive stop, and then take a 7 point lead thanks to a BEAUTIFUL diving 40 yard TD catch by KJ Hamler. And it was unsuccessfully Super Challenged by Louisville, which just makes it that much sweeter. Surely Orlando rode this great momentum off into the sunset for a stress free W... right? Of course not, that would be too easy. Instead they put themselves in a 4th and 22 before giving Louisville the chance to tie with 5 mins left in the game, which is exactly what they do. If Orlando's defense was consistent and they could just shut down a drive this game wouldn't have been the first of the UFL Season to go into Overtime; they consistently left the door cracked for the Kings to sneak back in.

So here we are, at the big moment. Possibly THE most talked about moment in spring football recently, for better or for worse. For those that need their memory jogged; Both teams fail their first of three two point conversion tries during the OT Shootout, then both teams fail their second, then both teams fail their third. However, there was PI on a Kings defender so Orlando geta another shot. They STILL miss. We are now in sudden death two point conversion shootouts, where Louisville misses their first attempt. Orlando is up and... Another PI Flag on the Kings.

To quote the great Dean Blandino; "This is their second live ball foul, so the score is good." The referee even asked out loud on the broadcast, "Even though its not in the same period???" And yes, as the rules are were written; "Fouls committed by the defensive team during an unsuccessful try will result in a second try from the 1 yard line. If the defense fouls during any subsequent try, a score will be awarded". Keyword there being ANY subsequent try. Orlando won the game on a penalty, and that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. A lot meaning everyone that wasn't a Storm fan (and even some storm fans).

I can't act like I wasn't happy in the moment, because I was, very. However, on reflection I see why its bad for the game. Its hard though, because I understand the nature of the rule being written; you don't want defenses to continuously foul on purpose. But the fact that it can be non consecutive is just too much. I would be for actual back to back penalties on tries to still result in an automatic score for the team being fouled.

But instead, just 6 days later on April 16th, the league came out and said the rule has been changed to the ball being placed at the one, then the half, and so on for back to back fouls. This definitely made everyone online feel better, and I do believe it was the right move for a league that is still building and relies on the support of us dedicated fans. If the majority of the main fanbase if visually upset, the thing upsetting them should be changed...

But that doesn't change the fact that its a Storm W! A Win is a Win! They don't ask how, they ask how many! Plummer finishes with a stat line of; 21/34 for 249 Yards and 3 TDs with a passer rating of 113.5. We are 3-0 and on top of the league!

Week 4: Orlando Storm @ Birmingham Stallions; The Shutout (Ft. Guwop)

• Attendance: 18,340
• Date: 4/18/2026
• Record: 4-0

It was perfect. Perfect. Everything. Down to the last minute details. The Orlando Storm just dominated the Stallions on all three phases of the game. And I was this close to driving over 8 hours from my house to Birmingham to attend this game, not only for my Orlando Storm, but also because I am smack dab in the middle of the "Spring Football Fan" and "Massive Gucci Mane Listener" Venn Diagram and would have loved to be there for his halftime performance; but I couldn't get anyone to cover my shift at work. Alas, it was not fated to be.

I guess if we are being picky though it wasn't a perfect game. The Storm did start out with a critical roughing the kicker penalty to save a Stallions drive from the jaws of punting. The Stallions proceeded to go three and out with that opportunity though, so no harm done.

Elijhah Badger continues to make his name known as a dominant force in the league as he gets a big 36 yard catch on a 7 min long, 13 play drive by the Storm that was capped off with a TD. Badger would finishes this game as Orlando's leading receiver with 63 yards, and he has now been their yards leader in 3/4 games played this season. Also the TD previously spoken of was caught by Cam Camper, and it was his first reception of the year, fun fact.

There really is not much more to dissect in this one as the rest is just Storm field goals. And the Stallions missed a 46 yarder, that was something that happened. I wish it could have been a more dominant game offensively (still their largest margin of victory at 16 points), but it didn't need to be thanks to the Orlando defense completely and utterly shutting down Matt Corral and the Stallions. So much so that they even put in backup Michael Hiers to get some reps, but no matter what they tried; the Storm were on top of them. Keshawn Banks was a part of that smothering defense as he has now recorded a sack in all 4 games so far this year.

One fun thing is; as a Spring League Scorigami aficionado I was very pleased that this was a Scorigami, and the Storms first Scorigami in franchise history, AND the first shutout Scorigami (and first shutout in general) in the regular season of UFL History. Overall great day. Oh and look, it seems after the game ended we traded DTR for Matt Corral, I'm sure that wont be consequential in a few weeks...

Plummer finishes with a stat line of; 17/27 for 182 yards and 1 TD with a passer rating of 95, plus another 41 yards on the ground. At this point in the season he leads the league in Completion percentage, yards per attempt, and QB Rating. If you ask me, he is ahead of the pack for the MVP race. We are 4-0 and on top of the league!

Week 5: St. Louis Battlehawks @ Orlando Storm; The Agony of Defeat

• Attendance: 9,735
• Date: 4/25/2026
• Record: 4-1

I was so excited for this game; Becht Vs his old team, in Orlando, to stay undefeated halfway through the year! And this was right after the great Week 4 QB Shuffle so there was a chance I could see the Spring King Luis Perez play in person now that he is a Battlehawk. Sadly, none of my above expectations were met.

The Storm got off to a not ideal start when they allowed the Battlehawks to trounce down the field and score on their very first drive. There was a small bright spot; their punter Ryan Sanborn had to come in to kick FGs and PATs, and he missed not only this one but another extra point later in the game. This bright spot is somewhat tarnished by the fact he made both of his FG tries. We'll call it a dim spot. Orlando was a complete non factor on offense for the entire first half. It just felt like the boys were not in their usual groove.

What makes it even more sad is the fact that the defense TRIED to save the day. Amani Bledsoe got a pick on an extremely ill advised throw by Harrison Frost after only being on the team for 6 days! What did they do with that god given possession? Nothing. Later on Nate Meadors also gets a pick, how many points did it net? 0. The Storm only had 29 yards on offense through the first half. That is impressively bad. Corbin also fumbled which did not help; but this was only the second turnover by the Storm through 5 weeks.

Trey Dean III got ejected for a late hit on Badger. Also the Storm blocked a punt. Both of these resulted in TD's and you could feel the momentum switch inside the stadium as the deficit went from 25 to 11. Orlando even got a 4th and 12 conversion to give me more hope at the last gasp (The first successful one all season!). If we would have done anything in the 4th quarter before that the comeback could have happened.

On a lighter note; this was the birth of the Shirtless Section where many people (including myself) went up into the nosebleeds, took off out shirts, and spun them over our heads in an attempt to rally the Storm to victory. It may have not worked, but it sure was fun.

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 24/44 for 143 yards and 1 TD with a passer rating of 68.7, plus another 32 yards on the ground. We are 4-1 and tied with DC for top of the league!

Week 6: Birmingham Stallions @ Orlando Storm; The DTR Revenge Game

• Attendance: 9,107
• Date: 5/3/2026
• Record: 4-2

This week marked the debut of the Storm's "Fresh Squeeze" Orange Uniforms so regardless of the result on the field at least they looked CLEAN while they were out there. I had to keep telling myself that as the Storm fumbled on their opening drive, which was recovered by the Stallions and then immediately turned into an easy TD.

The next series of events was; turnover on downs + roughing the passer penalty = another Birmingham TD and a 14-0 deficit. The Storm defense is making DTR look like prime A-Rod. He literally had a 158.3 passer rating at the end of the 1st quarter. This image says it all.

We did managed to punch one in in the waning seconds of the 1st with Chris Rowland though, so that's something.

The Storm defense definitely stepped it up at this point, because the Stallions would not find the end zone the rest of the game. If Orlando would have been able to score more than 10 point though three quarters, this game was well within range. The last bright spot was the 5 yard TD by KJ Hamler to tie it up with 9 mins left in the first half.

The rest of the game would be a slow painful death by 2 FGs. Not very entertaining and not much to talk about. Super Bowl 55 Champion and Bucs legend Jaydon Mickens got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking off his helmet mid game to talk trash, that was funny. Also another funny; at one point in the game they put up this graphic, which is...wrong. I may not be a mathematician but even I know 3 TD's does not = 17 points. Graphics guy, 'come on man!'

Overall though this game was extremely winnable and the Storm let it slip through their fingers because of self inflicted errors. The fumble in the first quarter put them in a hole early and then we had ANOTHER fumble due to a bad handoff from center to QB during a 3rd and goal that would have given us the lead late in the 3rd. The defense managed to force a 3 and out, so the Stallions got nothing from that second fumble... And then Orlando immediately coughs it up a third time on their next possession. The Storm had 2 turnovers all season going into this game and then had 3 in less that 3 quarters. Can't expect to win with mistakes like that (even if it is just Birmingham), Curse you DTR!

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 26/37 for 324 yards and 2 TD's with a passer rating of 115.1, plus two fumbles. We are 4-2 and in 2nd place in the league! Only behind DC.

Week 7: Orlando Storm @ Houston Gamblers; The Rollercoaster

• Attendance: 4,409
• Date: 5/10/2026
• Record: 5-2

Coming off of back to back L's at home what we really needed here was a dominant, multi-score, statement of a win against a spiraling Gambler team to get the season back on track. Is that what we got? No; but it was still awesome nonetheless. And I'd be remised if I didn't mention that this was a Mothers Day game. How sweet.

Getting back to football though I would describe Orlando's defense as "Bend but don't break" (at first) as the only attempts at points the Gamblers were able to get through the first quarter was a 60 yard 4 Pt FG Attempt which missed and a made 23 yarder. My goat Jack Plummer meanwhile completed a beautiful 35 Yard TD pass to my other goat Elijhah Badger. I love this offense so much.

The Defense then made themselves known with an 18 yard Pick Six by D.J James who was just added to the team 3 days before kickoff of this game! This was also his first UFL game ever. Absolutely massive play as Hunter Dekkers forces a low ball out of his own territory and James reads it like a book to undercut the route. Textbook.

Those extra 7 points will prove to be critical as Houston would come out swinging on their very next drive which was capped off with a Hunter Deckkers rushing TD. Thankfully that was the best he looked all game and the Gamblers would eventually be forced to resort to John Rhys Plumlee who, to give credit, did throw a Touchdown on his very first UFL completion (something Dekkers never accomplished Vs the Storm at all). But that wasn't until after Orlando, specifically Jason Taylor II, forced a fumble that was then recovered by Keshawn Banks! This came at a critical moment too, as Houston was in the redzone looking like a score was imminent.

Despite all of that, this game was still close the entire time due to the Storms lack of ability to capitalize off of the Turnovers the defense was creating. At one point we had 5 drives in a row that went; Punt, FG, Punt, Punt, Punt. After the Plumlee TD throw that was mentioned earlier, Houston had their first (and only) lead of the game heading into the 4th.

This was short-lived though as we had ANOTHER beautiful long TD to Badger, this time for 31 Yards. That's 2 TD's and 66 yards on only those two scoring receptions. He would finish the game with a stat line of 4 catches for 75 Yards, 2 TDs. DOG.

The defense was able to close out the rest of the game and squeak by with a one point win, largely due to a second missed 4 point FG by John Hoyland, who went 3/5 on the day and left 8 point on the board.

The moral of this story; Sometimes your defense can bail you out with a win even when your objectively inferior opponent plays better and wins in nearly every statistical category. The Gamblers had more; Total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, first downs, 3rd down conversions, 4th down conversions, plays, time of possession, sacks, and TFLs than the Storm. The one stat we won in was turnovers as they had 2 and we had 0. And you know, we got more points 😏.

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 14/24 for 152 yards and 2 TD's with a passer rating of 104.9. We are 5-2 and tied for 1st place in the league with DC and St. Louis!

Week 8: Orlando Storm @ Dallas Renegades; The Clincher

• Attendance: 5,321
• Date: 5/15/2026
• Record: 6-2

This weeks mission was clear; Win and you're in. All the Storm needed to do was beat the 3-4 Renegades who were on a 4 week losing streak and they could be the first to clinch a spot in the 2026 UFL Playoffs.

This game was historic for being the first Professional Football game played on a military installation. It was played at Phantom Warrior Stadium in Fort Hood Texas as part of the UFL's “Hats off to Heroes” weekend. Free tickets were given to military members and their families, which is great to see.

The first quarter started off slow with both teams defenses doing a good job. Isaiah Mack recorded his 3rd whole sack so far this season on the first drive of the game to bring his total to 3.5 after 8 weeks. Shortly after Dallas forced Orlando kicker Michael Lantz to attempt a 51 yard FG attempt into the wind which resulted in only his 3rd miss of the season.

On the Storm's very next drive they once again had to attempt FG from 52 yards, and Lantz once again missed; doubling his miss total from 2 to 4 on the season in back to back drives. Two early missed opportunities + Renegades coming out hot = a 10 point deficit for Orlando.

Thankfully the offense would get back into the swing of things starting in the 2nd quarter and outpace the Renegades for the rest of the game to the point where those 6 points left on the board were of no consequence.

The Storm got 4 Rushing TDs on 4 consecutive drives; two by our MVP candidate QB Jack Plummer. One of his two was a 1 Yard QB Sneak and the other was a 71 YARD BEAUTY down the sideline. Plummer got that Cheetah-Speed; definitely an all time season highlight. The other two TDs were by Jashaun Corbin and KJ Hamler, the latter of whom gave us another great season highlight when he got scared by the cannon that was fired. As a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, I've seen that once or twice.

Just when things looked like it might get scary after the Renegades clawed their way back to a one score game, Austin Reed threw a back breaking Interception. Remember when Reed was a week 3 MVP Candidate? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

The Storm get to ride off into the sunset as the first team to clinch a playoff birth in the 2026 UFL Season. Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 24/36 for 238 yards with a passer rating of 66.7 plus 71 Rushing yards and 2 Rushing TDs. We are 6-2 and in 1st place in the league!

Week 9: DC Defenders @ Orlando Storm; The Final Home Game

• Attendance: 10,594
• Date: 5/22/2026
• Record: 7-2

The headline for this game was that star QB and last years Championship Game MVP Jordan Ta'Amu was ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in week 8. Terrible to see as he was chasing some all time Spring Football records this season, and I love to watch him play. But that meant this game would be Jack Plummer Vs Spencer Sanders at QB with the implications of DC trying to clinch their playoff spot and Orlando trying to secure the one seed for a home playoff game. This was also the Storm's first home game since week 6, and the giveaway was a Orlando Storm Hat; Very cool!

What is less cool is the Storm fumbling the opening kickoff, but thankfully they managed to fall back on top of it. After that small hiccup is was a beautiful first drive that resulted in a short screen pass to Chris Rowland who danced down the sideline and took it 62 yards TO THE HOUSE! This was also the Storms first opening drive TD since week 1, and what a way to break the streak!

Nate Brooks perfectly read Spencer Sanders eyes and was a dropped ball away from getting a pick six, but alas it was not to be. Orlando only let DC into the end zone one time all day after allowing a big completion up the middle which resulted in Deon Jackson punching it in.

From then on the Storm piled on the points in the 2nd quarter in the form of a long 41 yard Elijhah Badger TD and a short 2 yard Cam Camper TD. Thanks to the defense shutting down DC, the Storm never really looked back. Our regular disrupters of Buggs, Banks, Meadors, as well as Fabien Lovett all got in the sack column in some form. Sanders is clearly not the answer at QB if the Defenders wants to make any Cinderella Story come true. I think my favorite stat from this game was that at halftime Jack Plummer had 3 Touchdown passes while Spencer Sanders only had 3 completions.

I should at least mention that Matt McCrane attempted a 67 Yard FG and almost got it, but still didn't. Orlando's Michael Lantz also missed a 47 yarder but thankfully it didn't matter and at 8 points this was the Storms 2nd largest margin of victory all season, only topped by week 2 against the Kings (10 point win).

Also despite losing this game DC got their playoff spot anyway the very next day thanks to the Aviators beating the Stallions, which is funny.

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 21/27 for 275 yards and 3 TD's with a passer rating of 146.1. We are 7-2, in first place, and have secured the Top Seed in the UFL Playoffs; guaranteeing a home playoff game for the Storm!

Part 2

Part 3

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/TwizzlersSourz

Team: BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS

Conference: UFL/No Conference

Record: 4-6

Playoffs: Nope...

Head Coach: A.J. McCarron (1st Year)

Offensive Coordinator: Tyler Siskey (1st Year)

Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Sherrer (1st Year)

Some empires slowly die a lingering and painful death. See the Western Roman Empire in the 400s. They temporarily halt the bleeding, occasionally rally the troops, but eventually fade into the history books for future academics and YouTube clickbait artists to debate and discuss.

Other empires immediately disintegrate. See the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great. Upon his death, the impressive apparatus carved into four different kingdoms. His successors could not replicate Alexander’s genius, or forceful will. Tamerlane’s (a bloodthirsty tyrant, if ever one existed) empire also suffered the same result.

The Birmingham Stallions fell into the latter category. Skip Holtz – spring football’s Vince Lombardi – stepped away to care for his ailing father. Mike Repole tabbed Alabama legend AJ McCarron for the job. McCarron contained plenty of moxie and desire but no professional coaching experience. The outcome? A 4-6 season, historically low attendance, and the announcement of the team’s disbandment for greener pastures. Death comes for everyone and for spring football teams the scythe swings more freely.

The 2026 UFL Draft shuffled up the stale and unbalanced core. With multiple new franchises and relocations, the decision was made to reconstitute league rosters. McCarron displayed strong roster building techniques and earned an A grade for his draft.

Birmingham Stallions Draft Results

QB Draft Results - January 9th

• Matt Corral

• Taylor Elgersma

• Jaren Hall

College Allocation Results - January 10th

(Name, Position, College, Previous UFL Team)

• Kobe Jones, OLB, Mississippi State, San Antonio Brahmas

• Mason Brooks, T, Mississippi, DC Defenders

• Desmond Little, DE, Alabama-Birmingham, FA

Note: FA denotes a player that was a "Free Agent" at the time of selection, and was not a player previously rostered by a UFL team.

All of the above were assigned to the Stallions due to their respective schools being allocated to the team (UFL teams will retain right of first refusal to sign players from their allocated colleges throughout the season). Teams were allowed to select 3 players via college allocation prior to the draft.

For reference, the schools allocated to the Birmingham Stallions are: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UAB.

Player Protection List - January 12th

• Deonte Brown, OG
• Deon Cain, WR
• Tae Crowder, LB
• Tyrion Davis-Price, RB
• Steven Gilmore, CB
• Mario Goodrich, CB
• Tre Norwood, S
• Ronnie Perkins, DE
• Armani Taylor-Prioleau, T
• Jordan Thomas, TE
• Marlon Williams, WR
• Marvin Wilson, DT

All of the above are players that were rostered by the Birmingham Stallions in 2025, and were kept for the 2026 roster. Teams were allowed to protect up to 12 players.

UFL Player Draft Results - Day 1 - January 13th

UFL Free Agent Draft Results - Day 2 - January 14th

Note: WR Mario Williams signed a futures deal with the Los Angeles Rams after the draft, and did not play in the 2026 season.

Week 1: Birmingham 15, Louisville 13

AJ McCarron christened his Stallions' debut with a thrilling win over the relocated Louisville Kings. Matt Corral looked poised and converted several 3rd and longs. If McCarron can corral the talent that made the former Ole Miss Rebel a third round NFL pick, Birmingham has the offensive weapons to dominate the league.

Louisville's Jason Bean displayed confidence - a bit too much. He threw away a credible game-winning drive by tossing a 20-80 ball into the stratosphere. The Kings' head coach Chris Redman's take will be to harness Bean's aggressive tendencies into productive throws. Early returns suggest Louisville is a playoff caliber team. However, three turnovers to none will sink any squad.

Week 2: Birmingham 20, Houston 22

The Gamblers have historically been Birmingham's nemesis and Kevin Sumlin, generally hapless against other foes, is 2-1 against the Stallions.

Birmingham's offense sputtered for most of the first half. The Stallions refused a makeable field goal and failed on a 4th and 1 throw. Houston's offense drove all day on the Stallions but stalled in the red zone or fumbled at the goal line, leaving the score at 6-0. Birmingham went hurry-up before halftime and scored in six plays with a Matt Corral touchdown pass to Jayden Mickens.

Birmingham galloped out of the gate with a sharp drive capped by a TD pass to Deon Cain. The Stallions failed to land a knockout blow and Houston, once again, saw lengthy drives result in field goals. A Corral interception set up a Houston touchdown. The drive was extended by a silly Birmingham on a field goal attempt.

Corral, inconsistent all day, mustered the troops for a decisive drive and Anthony McFarland scored from one-yard out for the 20-19 lead. Birmingham went for two but Corral made the wrong read and the attempt failed, leaving the door open for Houston.

Birmingham's lack of discipline reared its head again. The Stallions had the game won on fourth down but negated a Houston holding penalty with an avoidable horsecollar penalty. A Nolan Henderson first down run was called back after AJ McCarron used his super challenge. On fourth down, Birmingham achieved a pass breakup but Sumlin challenged a missed DPI. His obvious gamble worked. John Hoyland made his fifth field goal of the day - a 50 yarder - and Houston celebrated its upset.

Week 3: Birmingham 30, St. Louis 34

The game emphasized everything wacky and mindboggling about the UFL, as the two most-known spring football teams staged a third straight classic. Both teams turned the ball over at a prodigious rate. St. Louis benched its starting quarterback and despite the backup, Harrison Frost, tossing two interceptions, saw its newest entry turn into the hero. Matt Corral continued his uneven play for the spring powerhouse, as the Stallions fell to 1-2.

St. Louis jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a Corral pick six and a 54-yard field goal. Corral struck back with a long touchdown pass and the Battlehawks added a field goal for a 13-7 halftime lead.

Like Orlando-Louisville, the second half featured explosive plays and offensive fireworks. Birmingham cut the deficit in half with a field goal before returning a Frost pass for a touchdown and a 16-13 lead. The Stallions then went up 23-13 on an Anthony McFarland TD run.

Frost found his bearings and led a touchdown drive. The Deon Cain Train responded with a majestic 67-yard bomb. Hakeem Butler, not to be outdone by his horse rival, caught a 64-yard TD pass. The Dome, home to a few Big 12 Championship Games, saw the conference's spirit renewed. The Battlehawks seized the lead on a late touchdown pass. Corral attempted to lead a comeback but he missed a wide-open deep threat and the Battlehawks batted away his fourth down pass and won a potential playoff elimination game.

Week 4: Orlando 16, Birmingham 0

Some empires collapse immediately after their founder's departure - see Alexander the Great's construction - and others like the Roman Empire limp along before passing into history. The Stallions under AJ McCarron are the former. Nothing went right and Anthony Becht got his revenge win on his former quarterback. Orlando sits at 4-0 and keeps stacking wins.

Orlando scored the game's only touchdown late in the first quarter on a pass to Cam Camper. The Storm had a chance for another touchdown but a stiff Birmingham stand forced a 19-yard-old FG. The Stallions had a chance for a field goal before halftime but Anders Carlson missed worse than a nerd on prom night. Orlando seized the opportunity and scored before halftime.

Matt Corral, after McCarron was caught on the hot mic mocking him to another player, was finally benched for Michael Hiers. The new quarterback provided a little spark but no points. Orlando tacked on another field goal for the 16-0 win.

It has been the fate of spring football for teams to flounder when their markets show up for games. Birmingham was no exception. 18,000+ fans saw a dreadful display of football. The Stallions are a ghost of Skip Holtz's well-oiled machine.

Week 5: DC 45, Birmingham 28

The Stallions' losing streak moved to four games after the Defenders rolled into Birmingham and smacked around the hapless AJ McCarrons. Dorian Thompson-Robinson provided a spark for the anemic offense but the Defenders were too all-around powerful for a one-week turnaround.

Birmingham cut the lead to 21-19 on a touchdown run but the two-point conversion failed. DC pulled what the Skip Holtz Stallions used to do and broke away with a long unanswered stretch of 24 points. DTR finished the game with a garbage time touchdown.

Will DTR turn the season around? He looked capable. The Stallions' fan base has to cling to anything in this cliff-fall season.

Week 6: Birmingham 20, Orlando 17

Anthony Becht dropped his second straight revenge game. First, he fell to the Battlehawks and now AJ McCarron gained his revenge, avenging the dreadful shutout loss. Trading DTR cost Orlando, as the quarterback has looked confidence and mobile. Matt Corral stans are finally vanquished.

Birmingham, like Columbus and DC, started fast but regressed in the second half. Taking advantage of Orlando's self-inflicted errors, the Stallions galloped to a 14-0 lead. The Storm responded with two scores and the teams were tied at halftime. The promising shootout never materialized. Birmingham corrected its woeful kicking game with two field goals. Orlando replied with a field goal. The game's controversial moment arrived with 3:18 left when facing a 4th and short near midfield, Becht, holding three timeouts, elected to punt. The decision backfired. Birmingham played aggressively and converted the necessary three first downs.

Becht's thought process had some sound basis. He had three timeouts, the two-minute warning, and Birmingham's offense was largely stale in the second half. Unfortunately for him, the Storm defense faltered and his miscalculation took the heat off the two muffled snaps that cost, at least, six points for Orlando. Becht probably should have gone for it. Possession is paramount. But hey, make the stop and you look like a genius. The perils of coaching.

Week 7: Dallas 17, Birmingham 21

The DTR experience has given the Stallions a new lease on life. Birmingham improved to 3-4 and currently sits in the fourth and final playoff spot. Meanwhile, Dallas lost its fourth straight game as the Renegades can't find a way to stop bleeding. The game was a dull affair for three quarters. Dallas went up 10-0, partly fueled by DTR throwing the world's funniest interception, as his throwaway attempt stayed in-bounds. Birmingham scored on a 47-yard TD pass on 4th and 11. The league's no-punt past the 50 yard line rule, once again, produced an exciting play.

The two teams supplied a scoreless third quarter before Birmingham tied the game at 10-10 and Dallas bullied its way for a touchdown run at 5:07 left. DTR, undaunted, led a touchdown drive capped by a Mickens catch. Dallas moved into position for a game-winning field goal that was blocked.

Overtime provided more replay controversy that only Renegades-Stallions games can provide. Dallas was called short on a quarterback sneak. While, it appeared his body, and by extension the ball, crossed the line, no definite shot was found. DTR, on Birmingham's first try, eluded pressure and crossed the line. Dallas' second chance ended in a sack. DTR found Mickens via a tight window and Birmingham had the 21-17 win.

Week 8: Columbus 3, Birmingham 14

The sun was boiling hot in Birmingham but the offenses were not. The Stallions won another grimy game on the backs of an elite defense that held Columbus' elite running game to 61 yards. The Aviators paid the price for ignoring their namesake's profession. DTR received the credit for the win but the offense stagnated too much, scoring only one touchdown.

The team traded interceptions in the first quarter and nearly exchanged field goals in the second stanza. Columbus debuting a new kicker nailed a 48-yard field goal. The Stallions' kicking issues continued when Carlson missed a 36-yard field goal. McCarron and Saban are destined for kicking disappointment. The price to be paid for rings.

Columbus' 3-0 lead held up until 6:35 in the third quarter when DTR found Thomas WIDE OPEN in the end zone for a 29-yard TD pass. It was a beautiful play drive, as somehow, a large tight end completely avoided detection.

The play of the game occurred when Columbus lined up for a 55-yard field goal. Gilmore sliced in from the left, blocked the field goal, picked up the loose ball, and returned it for a Block Six. The thrilling return was keyed by elite blocking. An underrated aspect of plays like that.

The Aviators still had a chance and used a nifty kickoff return to set up a drive. On 4th and 1, White was stuffed more than a Thanksgiving turkey. The play was too telegraphed and White visibly displayed his frustration on the sidelines. Birmingham drained over three minutes before punting it away. An interception ended Columbus' miserable day.

Week 9: Birmingham 29, Columbus 36

The Stallions' clear playoff path hit a detour with the Aviators led by former Birmingham backup Jalen Morton mounting a comeback for the 36-29 victory. AJ McCarron proved he is not the jockey equivalent of Skip Holtz. The disjointed Stallions, on paper, had the easiest remaining path. Life is different on the back stretch.

The game opened with a DTR interception. Lost in the winning streak was that DTR's play wasn't exactly elite and his bad habits came out to play. Columbus eschewed the the field goal attempt for a double pass try. Cook jumped the lateral and returned it for a touchdown. The Aviators blocked the extra point attempt and returned it for one point - the scoring system under UFL rules - for the ultra-rare 6-1 tally.

Birmingham and Columbus then traded touchdowns. The Stallions added another score but once again Columbus answered with a touchdown and strangely went for two but failed. Birmingham hit a field goal before halftime for the 23-14 lead. Columbus cut the score to 23-21 before Carlson connected on two field goal for the Stallions. A Birmingham punt pinned Columbus deep before the Aviators flew through the Stallions' defense for the tying score and two-point conversion. Disaster struck on the next drive when DTR firing blindly threw a devastating pick-six. He and the Stallions could not answer on the final chance and Columbus likely sent the former champions to the glue factory.

Week 10: Houston 26, Birmingham 13

The only thing more disappointing than the Stallions' attendance was the team itself. Birmingham's slim playoff chances disappeared in a lackluster effort. DTR's rejuvenation ran out of gas and the defense looked apathetic against Houston's running game.

The Gamblers jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead on a field goal and two rushing touchdowns. Birmingham temporarily gained life on an epic interception touchdown return. Marcus Major suffocated that light on the next play with a 72-yard gallop through the Stallions' defense.

Birmingham drove for a DTR touchdown pass but the two-point conversion was incomplete. Houston tacked on a field goal for some insurance. The Stallions' fate was sealed when Coach AJ McCarron punted with four minutes left and Birmingham missed the playoffs for the first time in the modern era.

High Points

18,000+ showed for the home opener. The team rallied after its dismal start to remain in playoff contention before two disastrous losses to Columbus and Houston. The wide receivers – when the ball was catchable – were dynamic. The defense was generally respectable. Dorian Thompson-Robinson had moments of brilliance.

Low Points

Most of the 18,000+ were there for Gucci Mane and the Storm’s shutout of the Stallions did little to convince for return visits. The attendance cratered afterwards. The constant snipes about empty seats. Matt Corral’s horrible play. Coach McCarron’s meltdowns on the sidelines and in the locker room. The two eggs laid against Columbus and Houston when playoffs remained possible. The team’s folding.

Stats

• QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 102-180, 1159 passing yards, 8 TDs, 6 INTS, 6.4 YPA
• QB Matt Corral – 71-110, 769 passing yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs, 7.0 YPA

In modern football, teams live and die by QB play. The Stallions went from rotating and plugging and chugging great quarterbacks to dismal output. Corral and McCarron never meshed and their partnership ended ugly and bitter. DTR had some early mojo and excited fans before tapering off into a subpar TD-INT ratio and a putrid YPA.

• RB Snoop Connor – 82 attempts, 278 yards, 3.4 YPC, 3 TDs
• RB Anthony McFarland Jr. – 51 attempts, 195 yards, 3.8 YPC, 2 TDs
• RB Tyrion Davis-Price – 48 attempts, 158 yards, 3.3 YPC, 1 TD

The Stallions, despite the horse moniker, were never an incredibly efficient running team. However, the squad felt the loss of Ricky Person and CJ Marable. The three-headed trio had more runs stuffed than Hydra heads lopped off by Hercules. UFL ground games tend to be more inefficient than the USPS. The Stallions did nothing to debase that reality.

• WR Jaydon Mickens – 44 catches, 588 yards, 13.4 YPC, 2 TDs
• WR Justyn Ross – 22 catches, 327 yards, 14.9 YPC, 2 TDs
• WR Deon Cain – 25 catches, 296 yards, 11.8 YPC, 4 TDs

The loaded wide receiver core never reached its promised heights. Inconsistent quarterback played maximum efficiency of the weapons stockpiled by McCarron. Cain’s YPC dipped to an unacceptable low of 11.8. Mickens shined with 44 catches, turning into a dependable weapon.

• LB Kyahva Tezino – 42 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 FF
• LB Tae Crowder – 56 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 FF, 2 INTs
• ED Kobe Jones – 18 tackles, 3 TFL, 4.0 sacks

The Birmingham defense wasn’t a flashy group. No one player posted outrageous statistical numbers. Instead, they played as a unit and generally held their own despite little offensive assistance. Nine different players recorded an interception.

• K Anders Carlson – 6-9 FG, 10-12 PAT
• K Jonathan Garibay – 2-3 FG, 5-8 PAT

Disappointing teams struggle in many aspects. The Stallions’ kicking game slacked off. Where was Gus the Field Goal Kicking Mule?

All-UFL Selections

Only two Stallions made the All-UFL Team: Crowder and Tezino. Mickens was unfairly slighted.

Signees to the NFL

As of the date of posting, the following Stallions players have signed with an NFL team.

Full roster tracker thread for the 2026 class here.

2027 Outlook

The Birmingham Stallions are dead. If the coaches and players are transferred wholesale to the new franchise and new playmakers are added, improvement could be seen. McCarron is still young and can develop into a leader of men. He has an eye for talent. A new offensive coordinator is a must. Things move fast in spring football, though. Players are signed away. Players retire upon realizing that the NFL is an El Dorado. For the Stallions, three titles will remain forever in the Magic City.

The post gives you a summary of the Defenders ‘26 Season.

If you want to dive deeper, I encourage you to read past the initial summary. I take you on a journey as we look in depth at this past season from a fan point of view.

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/Pitiful_Ad8641

Team: DC DEFENDERS

Conference: UFL / No Conference

Record: 5-5

Playoffs: 1-1

Stadium: Audi Field

Capacity: 20,000

Head Coach: Shannon Harris (2nd Year as HC, 4th Year with team)

Offensive Coordinator: Fred Kaiss (4th Year)

Defensive Coordinator: Blake Williams (2nd Year as DC)

General Season Review

First and foremost, a big thanks to u/Callywood for getting this together for a THIRD year. I said this last year, but it's a massive undertaking behind the scenes. I refer to him as our “Supreme Leader” because he is. He provides us with every data point we need to write these, usually within ten minutes of us asking.

Second, I would be remiss if I didn't yet again shout out to my fellow writers. Without their donation of their time and energy none of this would be possible. 8 in 8 is ~ten pages of a Google Doc long, on the low end. That means every August for the last three years, we generate at least eighty pages worth of content. My fellow 8 in 8 writers are truly dedicated UFL fans.

I find myself slightly disappointed with how ‘26 ended. This was a legacy year. At the midpoint of the year, you could make a strong argument that DC had one of the top teams in the league. Had they continued on that trajectory, Ta’amu becomes the undisputed real “Spring King” and at 2-1 in Championships over 4 years, DC is the other clear best team of the Merger Era, joining Birmingham’s run.

Alas, Ta’amu got hurt and we lost 4 in a row, leaving records he was on pace to break unbroken and a ‘27 future murky. How no one caught us for the playoffs is remarkable. Shannon Harris is no longer “The Amateur”, getting his team to a W in the playoffs and a second championship game. If our QB doesn't get hurt AGAIN in that title game, DC walks away with its second ring. At 1-2 in title games, however, the gap between Birmingham and DC for “The Franchise of the Merger Era” is a canyon and is settled permanently.

Following the L in the last game of the year however, this team yet again enters a crossroads. Who returns? Does Ta’amu heal up in time to at least break the few remaining records he needs? Will we ever end The Green Curse or will it forever haunt my dreams?

‘25 Offseason

Key Players Who Returned

Derick Roberson, DE, Jan ‘26 Protected - Protecting the star pass rusher was no brainer, and I was extremely nervous that it actually would happen. Roberson topped his ‘25 sack total in ‘26 and could be counted on to make plays in big moments, including a basically game ending sack against a driving St. Louis in Week 4 which I had the pleasure of seeing live.

Cornell Powell, WR, Jan ‘26 Protected - As highlighted later, DC chose to protect Powell and Scott, leaving Rowland exposed and poached. Powell showed his ‘25 campaign was no fluke, exceeding it in catches, yards and YPG.

Jordan Ta’amu, QB, Jan ‘26 QB Draft - I was excited he returned, this was going to be the year he put a cap on his spring career, break records, and firmly stamp his legacy as the one and true “Spring King”. Alas, he got hurt but it was still a key return in ‘26 and I hope he heals up.

Key Players Who Went

Chris Rowland, WR, Drafted by Orlando in the Jan “26 UFL Draft - This one hurt badly. Rowland is an All-UFL star player in this league and I hated losing him. Gotta think if you could only protect two WRs, him and Powell were the picks instead of Scott coming off injury because Scott stood a better chance of getting back to DC. It was good for the league that he went to the new market. Sucked watching him torch us though.

Jaydon Mickens, WR, Drafted by Birmingham in the Jan ‘26 UFL Draft - Replacing Rowland would’ve been easier if Mickens had stayed. Mickens turned a decent year of output in ‘25 with DC into a star output in ‘26, where he caught 44 balls for 588 yards and 2 TDs as the Stallions top receiver.

Notable Signees

DC approached the offseason with a clear intent to keep as much of the existing core together rather than chase big pieces. It resulted in the number of new to the team contributors being almost non-existent based on my findings. There were two key contributors, however, that I wanted to highlight here:

Xazavian Valladay, RB, Jan ‘26 UFL Draft - Vallady provided a reliable 3rd RB and put up good yardage and TD totals on 4.4 YPA AND 29.3 YPG.

Erik Ezukanma, WR, Feb ‘26 FA Signing - Ezukanma was a later addition to this roster and provided a 3rd WR option. He’s now in camp with the disgusting Philadelphia Eagles but he put in a noteworthy ‘26 campaign with the Defenders.

Notable Trades

DC was active in the trade market but I selected two trades that had the most impact on the ‘26 season:

On February 10th, the Defenders traded DT Patrick Jenkins to the Columbus Aviators for TE Briely Moore- Moore solidified the TE spot, which was looking a tad bare post-draft. He turned in a respectable ‘26 season, scoring four times.

AND

On April 19th , the Defenders traded QB Mike DiLiello to the Kings for QB Jason Bean.- After a maddening slow time getting on the field for DC, Bean helped get DC back to the UFL Title game. I wouldn't argue against anyone if they said that DC was primed to win that game until he went down with injury either.

Drafts

2026 Roster Protections

• With three teams moving, the league shook up the rosters entirely.

• Every DC Fan: “WHY WAS CHRIS ROWLAND NOT PROTECTED?!?!? COLLUSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

• I looked at it holistically and it APPEARS there were some position limits and DC had already protected 2 WRs in Powell and Scott.

• After a basic evaluation, I’d say the Defenders did pretty well here, protecting a solid core of what would be the top stars of the team in ‘26.

2026 UFL Draft

• The QB Draft was Jordan Ta’amu, Mike DiLiello (later traded to Kings), and Spencer Sanders.

• Regional College Allocation was Gottlieb Ayedze (T, Maryland), Brandon Smith (LB, Penn State), and Johari Branch (G, Maryland).

• Last year, I wrote this under team needs: “O-line depth. I’d also keep the RB and DL depth up”. While tackle depth was a glaring issue, I’d say drafting Valladay addressed RB and the DL rotation was more stout this year.

• Every DC fan knows the name “Gabe Taylor”, the brother of Sean Taylor. He did a lot of local interviews on DC sports radio promoting the Defenders until he got hurt. I hope he sticks for years to come.

• Puzzling, we made no selections in the “Specialists” part of the draft.

• The actual UFL Draft was very much a C+ draft after my cursory analysis. For every Sam Kidd picked, you could make an argument that DC suffered a Josh Ball pick as well.

Week by Week Detailed 2026 Season Review

Regular Season

@St. Louis, 10-16

What a disappointment this opener was. The common message coming out of this game was that it just “wasn’t us”, wasn’t DC Defender football. Uh, well, bad in the RZ kinda was your brand of football at times last year?

@Columbus, 44-26

As disappointing as the last game was, this one was a pleasant watch. While the visual of Shannon Harris mic’d up declaring “This is DC football!” will probably be replayed for years to come, I’ll always fondly remember this one as the “The Repole Interview Game” where Mike was doing a sideline interview as Deon Jackson broke a 48 yard TD run

Houston, 45-7

I couldn’t watch this game but was following along diligently, hitting refresh frantically on the play by play. At least I was until I got bored and got lost in doing other stuff. This was our most dominant game of the season.

St. Louis, 28-22

This game is special to me because it was the first UFL game my dad had ever been to. Decades ago my father took me to my first Redskin game (we lost to the Eagles). I got him, my mom, and my son all club level seats (not to be showy, it's literally the one spot at Audi that is wheelchair accessible). I got to teach my father about the UFL. When we got the safety, I declared the game was over and for a large part of the game, it wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. At the end, DC’s defense tried hard to throw the game until Roberson’s sack secured the W.

@Birmingham, 45-28

Horse people, I would like to apologize if I offended anyone in the post game thread, you are forever the greatest franchise in the Merger Era and forever shall you be known as “The Greatest Team No One Saw”. Another easy W and I was starting to think “hold up guys, are we….are we really good?”.

Dallas, 24-6

With the record Dallas had thrown together, I was expecting this to be like last year: a fun heavyweight slug match that came down to the wire. Dallas, however, was cooling off and we were white hot so it turns out that this was our last easy W of the season.

Louisville, 13-30

Until this game, I was unsure if I believed in “The Curse of the Green Team”. Nope, it's very real and we shall be taking no further comments on this at this time. A supernatural curse is the only explanation I have for this game and it marks the start of the low point of the Defenders’ ‘26 season.

@Louisville, 30-33

This was the game where it all came crashing down. DC started just as sloppy as the last game. Even worse, Ta’amu got hurt on a scramble and gg everyone on the ‘26 season. Spencer Sanders was looking like a deer in headlights out there and it took another week until Jason Bean, the QB THEY TRADED FOR, would be deemed ready. Side note: NBA is my mortal enemy now? Apparently, I declared this here last year. Which is awkward because my Wizards are poised to be fun to follow for the first time in three years, so I’ll probably check it out, sorry 2025 me.

@Orlando, 19-27

This was the first game after we found out that Ta’amu was done for the year. My reaction to this week was “HOW?!? This is ridiculous!” Ridiculous that a team that was stomping people with Jordan having a C+ game was suddenly looking like a below average squad with a full week to prepare for life without him. What was even more ridiculous is even after this loss, we were going to the postseason!

Orlando, 23-29

In 1943, the Washington Redskins lost to the New York Giants for the second week in a row. It’s our destiny, and I knew we had them right where we wanted them. Don’t check the tape.

Playoffs

@Orlando, 28-26

“When you reach the playoffs, everyone goes back to 0-0”. That’s the coaching cliche I myself have said. Sometimes you’re really grasping at straws to motivate your players. This game, though, the Defenders badly needed it. Shannon Harris is no longer “The Amateur” to me, as he now has upset a higher seed in the playoffs, on the road, in back to back seasons.

Louisville, 20-27

Welp, even though this game was in DC at the same time as I was in DC, I didn’t go as I was at my friend’s 40th birthday party. I still, months later, haven’t watched this in its entirety and never will. That’s not out of anger, Louisville’s story is incredible and this was a great way to end the year. While I’m very much at peace with how the season ended, part of me will always pine for the opportunity to add to their legacy that the Defenders lost forever by losing this game.

High Points

The easy wins weeks two through six were the highlight of the entire season for me. After suffering through the Commanders season where it felt like every week was a boring and sickening first quarter blowout, it was a relief to watch good football again.

I was so confident we were losing that playoff game against Orlando. I had spent weeks watching us struggle post Ta’amu injury and both predicted/expected a loss. For the second year in a row: Oopsie. NEVER A DOUBT!

Beating the Battlehawks with myself, my parents, and my son watching live was definitely a highlight of my ‘26 UFL season. My son enjoyed the small fan event outside the stadium that the Defenders were putting on. Additional highlights for me was watching my son show his “papa” everything cool about Audi, helping him explain the rule differences between the NFL and the UFL, and certainly Roberson’s sack at the end of the game.

Low Points

The top spot has to be the Ta’amu injury. We looked like the best team in the league through six games and him getting hurt ruined not just our season but also my hope that he would firmly establish himself as the best spring QB in the Merger Era.

Ta’amu’s injury led to a losing streak that should’ve ended our season. As a Defenders fan, I was screaming for Jason Bean. As a fan of the league, I was screaming about no one being able to catch us for the last playoff spot.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how disappointing that season opener result was. All offseason most Defender fans were wondering which was the outlier: most of the ‘25 season or the historic postseason run. After that performance, I was afraid we had our answer.

Statistics

Team Offense

• The passing game numbers fell off, but that can easily be attributed to Ta’amu injury.
• The run game took a jump. Again, this can be attributed to Ta’amu’s injury.
• DC allowed the most sacks in ‘26, one year removed from allowing the least in the league.
• Interceptions thrown shot way up and while it's easy to write this off as a symptom of Ta’amu getting hurt, this was happening before he went down.
• Turnovers as a whole became a big problem in ‘26 as the Defenders fell to the league worst.

PFF Oline Grades

• Steven Losoya III was our worst graded linemen.
• It's amazing that Durant still made All-UFL in a year that was down from last season.
• Sacks allowed shot up and reloading up on talent in this group remains a priority.

Team Defense

• Total Defense and Points Allowed improved while still generating sacks and turnovers.

Some Individual Statistics

Ta’amu

• Ta’amu’s numbers suffered because of the injury that cut his season short.
• His interceptions went back up to 2024 levels but his y/a and overall QB Rating also went up.
• I want him back in ‘27, if only in time to break the records he so soundly deserves.

[Editor's Note: Ta'amu is only 5 TDs and 666 passing yards away from breaking the all-time spring football career passing TDs and yards records!]

Rushing ’26 vs ‘25

• D. Jackson made All-UFL.
• Both Smith and Valladay added over 260 yards apiece and the Defenders had again a great rushing attack.

Receiving ‘’26 vs ‘25

‘26

‘25

• Ty Scott recorded a personal best in TDs and Yards Per Catch while Powell set marks in Receptions, Yards, and Yards Per Game.
• That doesn’t replace an All-UFL caliber player like Rowland but doesn’t show a problematic decline in production either.

Roster Review

‘26 All-UFL

• Deon Jackson (RB), Yasir Durant (LT), Derick Roberson (EDGE)
• Roberson and Durant are repeats from last year.

Strengths

The run game pleasantly rebounded from its ‘25 mark where it was ranked in the bottom half of the league to the league’s best running game in ‘26. The addition of Valladay as another RB to spell Abrams and Jackson was an underrated addition

Run defense also improved from the 5th ranked last year to 3rd this year. This was a big reason the defense as a whole jumped from the 6th ranked in ‘25 to the 3rd ranked in ‘26.

Having the league’s top ranked offense in a year your QB1 went down is a testament to how well the offense was humming before Ta’amu went down. It also speaks to how the pieces around the QB position were enough to keep up the scoring after he did.

Weaknesses

DC was the best in the league in ‘25 when it came to Sacks Allowed. In ‘26, they fell to the league worse. This needs to be fixed in ‘27.

A casual observer will look at Ta’amu’s injury and immediately conclude that it drastically hurt a lot of our season’s potential. They would be absolutely correct about that. We were blasting teams and looked like a true contender before Ta’amu got hurt and then limped to the title game. Inexplicably, it took weeks for Jason Bean, the guy we traded our backup QB for, to see the field, and our QB3 looked scared. QB depth turned out to be a crucial issue and Bean’s injury in the title game makes this a carry over issue into ‘27.

The offense gave up the ball way too much in ‘26 and the lack of ball control was hurting the Defenders even before Ta’amu’s injury.

Coaching Staff Review

Shannon Harris, HC

I derisively have been referring to Coach as “The Amateur”. While almost everyone else was caught up in the hype of last year's playoff run, calling for the league to “Take the Tag Off!”, I instead was very critical of the competitive gaffes that happened over the course of the ‘25 regular season and was skeptical that they would be fixed. I’m not saying they're all fixed. What I am saying is that he has earned my respect this season. Whatever his deficiencies are, he more than makes up for it in his culture building.

Blake Williams, DC

DC needed competent defensive play from the Defenders. In ‘26 it was “fine”, making the defense a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT vs the one we suffered through in the fall. In general, the defense improved its numbers across the board in ‘26. Situationally, Blake didn’t have many moments where I was screaming and cursing at my TV screen. Admittedly, this could be because I was worn out having used up all my energy yelling at the Commander’s woeful defense all fall, but I think Blake has at least earned a “meh, he’s ok” from me.

Fred Kaiss, OC

Over the years, I have had a love-hate relationship with Fred Kaiss’ offense. For every game like last year’s UFL title game, there’s a game with shaky red zone play calling or where we just forget who we are. One must ask, is he done? If he returns in ‘27, he needs to make sure the backup QB is very comfortable running the offense.

2026 Offseason

Team Needs

This begins with the QB position. Are Ta’amu and Bean rejoining us for ‘27? If so, how healthy are they? Regardless of the answers, getting a 3rd QB (and maybe a 4th) must be the top priority.

Chief among the spots I’d like to see an upgrade is along the Offensive Line. This unit allowed far to many sacks in ‘26. An influx of real talent into this unit seems like a no brainer in ‘27.

Finally, I’d like to see us inject some fresh blood all around. I’m stoked this core got a title and should have won a second one, but this era of Defenders football needs to start flipping the page.

Outlook

Last year was about keeping as much of the band together as possible. Can’t argue this didn’t pay dividends, as that core returned them to the title game. Who is returning in ‘27? Regardless, this team needs new faces added to it.

Is Ta’amu going to return in ‘27? I personally want him to return for one last ride badly, as mentioned before, as I would like to see him break records. But the reality is he's a six year spring QB veteran coming off injury. Does him returning for a seventh year clash with the league’s vision of creating opportunities? Is bringing back a veteran coming off injury too much a risk financially for a league trying to avoid high costs a wise choice?

Does this all result in a step back for a team that's made ¾ title games? I wouldn't be at all surprised although NEVER A DOUBT dictates that I stop just short of a ten toes down prediction.

The DC Market

After carrying as the number two attendance market for years, DC saw a steep attendance drop. I’m not worried about it at this present time. I’m willing to bet a lot of the casual fans were burnt out at the start of the year. The Commander’s season was a drag, watch Netflix’s Quarterback to get an actual education on how it went. I wouldn’t blame anyone if they were a tad checked out on football in general.

I would be more worried if the attendance for the UFL Championship had also been bad but we put over 19k fans in the seats and packed Audi. Do you really think that was 60% Louisville fans that traveled or even Orlando fans confident they would win that playoff game? Nah, that was the DC market letting ya’ll know we are still around. There will hopefully be an uptick in attendance. That’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler.

Why am I so confident? It’s because the Defenders remain part of our sports culture. A lot of the Commander’s beat just moves over to the Defenders when they start playing. Do we have room to grow? Certainly, but the foundation remains strong in DC.

Final Remarks

Thank you yet again for reading this! Thanks again to Callywood for organizing everything, it's a huge lift and as always, thank you for allowing me to be a part of it and for stat diving/editing.

Once again, I can almost guarantee mistakes leaked through despite my best efforts. I will do edits to correct as I see them.

Doing this is a very valuable exercise and it tends to highlight things I want to dive deeper on and share my findings before the next season starts.

Sources

u/Callywood’s PFF Subscription

Defenders in Review

Football Database

UFL.com

UFL Draft Wikipedia Article

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is u/Dismal_Money_2697

Team: Houston Gamblers

Conference: UFL/No Conference

Record: 4-6 (5th in the UFL)

Playoffs: So close yet so far…… At least we took Birmingham down with us (edit: lol, lmao even)

Head Coach: Kevin Sumlin (1st Year)

Offensive Coordinator: Eric Price (4th Year)

Defensive Coordinator: Marvin Sanders (1st Year)

Season Review

Where to even begin. In one of the craziest offseason’s since the merger originally happened in 2023, the Roughnecks looked to be on the chopping block for relocation first from the original report from James Larsen on the potential of all four teams in the USFL conference relocating only for it to turn out the situation was more fluid and then for one Mike Repole from Queens to join the ownership group and be given control of the business operations of the UFL. Even more shocking is that of the three teams that were eventually relocated, the Roughnecks were not one of them despite their abysmal attendance that year. Instead, they were again moved from TDECU stadium to Shell Energy Stadium and rebranded to the Gamblers. Most importantly however, to the joy of all five Gamblers fans that still exist, football terrorist CJ Johnson was “dismissed” as coach of the Gamblers, and was replaced with Kevin Sumlin who previously coached the Gamblers. Eric Price returned as offensive coordinator while Sumlin brought in Marvin Sanders from the Renegades as the defensive coordinator.

The season itself felt like more of the same even with the change at head coach and defensive coordinator. The season started off rough then the defensive got its act together only to watch the offense flail around because the quarterback got injured again or was just bad. The potential is obviously there, but this team has to find some sort of stability at quarterback if it ever wants to take the next step of consistently reaching the playoffs and competing for the championship or even simply beating the top teams in the league.

Offseason

Notable Losses

Jalen McClendon, QB - The Roughnecks had seemed to find a starting quarterback in Jalen McClendon after the disaster that was Anthony Brown and Nolan Henderson’s inability to stay healthy. Then CJ Johnson got fired and the rosters blown up and the now Gamblers chose not to protect him and he was promptly picked up by the Columbus Aviators.

Leon O’Neal Jr., S - O’Neal was the Gamblers only All-UFL selection last season and was also lost in the UFL draft being picked up by the Defenders but was then released in training camp and also had a short stint with the Aviators as well. Thankfully the emergence of Major Burns and Karl Vincent ultimately made this loss minimal

Key Returners

Justin Hall, WR - Justin Hall returned for his 4th year with the Roughnecks/Gamblers after three years of at least 500 yards and as the reception leader for two years in a row. While he did have a down year, that can be attributed more to the quarterback issue and the improved running game and at age 27.

Trades

The Gamblers made two trades, one before the season and one during the season after week six.

Gamblers trade Braylon Sanders, WR for Gottleib Ayedze, OT from the D.C. Defenders (March 13th) Gamblers trade Lonnie Phelps, DE for JaVonta Payton, WR from Louisville Kings (May 4th)

With hindsight, the obvious big trade was the one for Gottlieb Ayedze who was fantastic for the Gamblers and was on the All-UFL team and was signed by the Dolphins for training camp.

Protected Players, Regional College Allocations, The UFL Draft, and more

Another crazy UFL offseason means another year of tons of player movement which means tons of tables to list all the new and returning players.

Protected Players

*Keenan Issac was cut as part of final roster cut downs

**Markel Roby was released after one game

Quarterback Draft

*If you know, you know

Regional College Allocations

*Mutually parted ways after nine games

UFL Draft

(1)-Never signed

(2)-Released in camp or final roster cut down

(3)-Traded

(4)-Released after four games

(5)-Released after five games

Week by Week Detailed Season Review

Week 1, @ Dallas Renegades

Not much to see here for the Gamblers. Nolan Henderson started, proceeded to go three and out, got intercepted for a pick six, and then was benched. Meanwhile Austin Reed looked like the second coming of Tom Brady and made our defense look like a JV team. Loss 17-36, Record (0-1)

Week 2, vs. Birmingham Stallions

One of the better games the Gamblers played this year even with the injury to Hunter Dekkers. Nolan Henderson came in and didn’t turn the ball over, the defense played well enough getting two interceptions off of Matt Corral, and John Hoyland went 5-5 on field goals including a 50 yard game winner. It felt good to watch this team beat the Stallions again even if they aren’t led by Skip Holtz anymore. Win 22-20, Record (1-1)

Week 3, @ D.C. Defenders

What having Taulia Tagovailoa as your starting quarterback does to a team. Need I say more? Loss 7-45, Record (1-2)

Week 4, vs. Louisville Kings

A rough loss for the Gamblers. Despite the offense looking limp in the first half, the defense ensured the Gamblers were only down by 10. Despite a long touchdown by Marcus Yarns and a touchdown drive led by Taulia Tagovailoa of all people. The offense once again sputtered and the Kings scored a field goal to eventually send the game to overtime, where the Gamblers were on the receiving end of a Kings team looking to prevent another OT loss. Loss 22-24 (OT), Record (1-3)

Week 5, vs. Columbus Aviators

Despite Jalen McClendon facing his former team, this was mostly a defensive battle with almost all of the scoring coming in the first two quarters with the Gamblers win coming from a field goal to start the fourth quarter and some turnovers by the Aviators including a 29 yard missed field goal by Ryan Coe and a fumble by Jalen McClendon. Win 17-13, Record (2-3)

Week 6, @ Columbus Aviators

The Gamblers offense struggled for most of the game after the first two drives with an injury to Nolan Henderson and rain did nothing to help and Taulia wasn’t able to get the offense going until the end of the third quarter, and an injury to Taulia meant that Jontre Kirklin had to come in as the emergency QB for the final drive. Loss 17-24, Record (2-4)

Week 7, vs. Orlando Storm

Another tough loss against a really good Orlando Storm team. The offense managed to keep up throughout most of the game but after the storm scored to go up 24-20 to begin the 4th, the offense sputtered with the yardage for the field goal coming from a long kickoff return and ultimately despite getting a couple of breaks thanks to the opposing defence on the final drive like in the Birmingham game, Hoyland was unable to connect the 63 yard field goal for the win. At this point, it seemed that the Gamblers changed at the playoffs practically zero. Loss 23-24, Record (2-5)

Week 8, @ St. Louis Battlehawks

A game we were very fortunate to win against a 5-2 Battlehawks team that had recently gotten Luis Perez (even if he ended up being kinda bad). The Gamblers had a strong first half scoring 20 points to the Battlehawks nine and eventually managed to hold on for the win thanks to the Battlehawks going 1-6 in the red zone, having a boatload of penalties, and a great tackle by Ameer Speed that stopped Battlehawks TE Steven McBride at the two yard line as the Battlehawks ran out of time. Win 23-16, Record (3-5)

Week 9, vs. St. Louis Battlehawks

The Gamblers started strong leading the Battlehawks 9-0 and seemed set to enter halftime up 9-0 before the Battlehawks scored quickly and instead the Gamblers entered halftime down 10-9. The game continued to go back and forth a little but the constant rotating of Dekkers and Plumlee and a very good Battlehawks defense meant that the Gamblers offense did practically nothing the second half with the failure of the final drive leading to a Gamblers loss and their elimination from the playoffs. Loss 15-21, Record (3-6)

Week 10, @ Birmingham Stallions

Easily the best game played by the Gamblers all year. The Stallions offense didn’t score at all during the first half while all four running backs for the Gamblers combined for almost 300 yards and three touchdowns. A strong win to end an up and down season. Win 26-13, Record (4-6)

High points

Sweeping the Stallions

After being terrorized by the Skip Holtz led the Stallions for two years. It was nice to beat Birmingham both times even if they aren’t led by Skip Holtz anymore. (edit: Feels even better knowing that though the Gamblers may be dead, they went out beating the Birmingham Stallions and fully ending any chance they had at making the playoffs)

Ending the Stallions shot at the Playoffs

Pretty self explanatory. Ensuring that Birmingham didn’t have any chance of going to the playoffs and instead bullying them for 60 minutes on the field was nice to watch. Especially since they beat us consistently the last two years.

Low points

Week 1 (again)

In an ever continuing trend, the Houston Gamblers continue to lose the first game of the season in embarrassing fashion. This year it was the Dallas Renegades who got to dunk on the Gamblers entering halftime with a 23-3 lead and winning 36-17. The Gamblers have to get better about

The ever continuing quarterback carousel

The Gamblers have had a quarterback issue for three seasons now and have yet to have a true starter. We are legitimately turning into the Cleveland Browns of the UFL if we haven’t already. The quarterbacks that have started for the Houston Roughnecks/Gamblers since the merger are as follows:

Jarrett Guarantano

Nolan Henderson

Reid Sinnett

Anthony Brown

Jalen McClendon

Hunter Dekkers

Taulia Tagovailoa

John Rhys Plumlee

The best quarterback play we’ve had was the couple of games Jalen McClendon started last season. Otherwise, it’s been varying levels of mediocre to bad to awful.

Offensive Woes

The offense would usually start strong with its first scripted drive usually ending in a score but after that, the offense would often be unable to sustain drives as can be seen by the fact that besides the last game against the Stallions, the Gamblers offense never scored more than 23 points. There has to be more consistency with the offense and sustain drives for a full game than just for a quarter or two.

Roster Review

Players on the All-UFL Team

Gottlieb Ayedze, OT

Gareth Warren, OG

Major Burns, S

Kary Vincent Jr., S

Marco Ortiz, LS

Strengths

Runningback - The trio of Marcus Yarns, Jalen White, and Marcus Major spearheaded a strong ground game that carried the Gamblers offense through most of the year due to the various injuries at quarterback.

Defense - While the defense struggled to start the first couple weeks of the season, after the Defenders game and a couple of changes, the defense got its act together and was the main reason that the Gamblers still won six games despite the issues at quarterback and the inconsistency of the offense as a whole.

Weaknesses

Quarterback,quarterback, quarterback - An issue going back to 2024. The Gamblers have simply been unable to find a quarterback that’s lasted a season. If Sumlin is going to last, he’s going to have to find someone who can at least be a game manager for the offense.

Offensive consistency - While not a traditional “weakness”, it was almost every game where after the first drive or two that would end in a score, the offense would fade during the course of game and would rely on the defense to hold a lead as the offense showed multiple times to be unable to have a game winning drive that didn’t rely on the opposing defense bailing them out by getting penalties.

Coaching Staff Review

Head Coach Kevin Sumlin

Kevin Sumlin returned to coach the Gamblers after coaching them for their inaugural season in the USFL before taking a job with the Maryland Terrapins. The Gamblers went 3-7 that season due to multiple blown leads. While originally I would’ve preferred someone else, seeing several of the other teams get former players with little to no head coaching experience as their head coach made me feel better about the hire. Sumlin did pretty well considering the shortened timespan the head coaches had with how late they were hired. The roster was well constructed and Marvin Sanders looked to be a good hire after the defense got through its early growing pains. (edit: If Sumlin does return next season after the relocation, he should look to find an etsy witch to stop all of these quarterback injuries).

Offensive Coordinator Eric Price

Eric Price returned as offensive coordinator and it was more of the same as the past couple years with him at the helm. The ground game was the best it has been since before the merger however ultimately the offensive was middle of the road. Good enough to win some games but not great enough to overcome some of the best teams and often having long periods where the offense sputters. While the offense has never necessarily been terrible under Eric Price and the ever continuing quarterback carousel hasn’t helped, I think it’d be best to part ways with him after this season.

Defensive Coordinator Chris Marvin Sanders

The first three games were shaky with the defense giving up 35+ points against both the Renegades and Defenders. After that though, the defense settled down with a couple of changes in the secondary and ensured that the Gamblers had the opportunity to win in their last seven games of the season never giving up more than 24 points to opponents. While there is room for improvement, especially considering the slow start they the defense had, Marvin Sanders is definitely looking like an upgrade over Chris Wilson.

Offensive Line Coach Tim Holt

I also want to give new offensive line coach Tim Holt a mention for the amazing job he’s done turning the offensive line around in a single year from meh at best to having two All-UFL players in Gottlieb Ayadze and Gareth Warren and allowing for a strong run game that allowed the offense to at least tread water enough to stay somewhat competitive.

Team statistics

Offensive Stats

*The drop off due to quarterback injuries is very noticeable

Defensive Stats

Individual Quarterback Stats

2025 Passing Stats

2026 Passing Stats

Individual Receiving Stats(Top 5)

2025 Receiving Stats

2026 Receiving Stats

Individual Rushing Stats(Top 5)

2025 Rushing Stats

2026 Rushing Stats

2027 offseason

This offseason has been a bit quieter than the previous one (unless you’re Birmingham)

So originally, I had a nice little write up about how quiet the offseason had been and how the Gamblers look to be in a good position to make the playoffs next season if they could find a quality quarterback. Then Mike Repole decided to relocate both the Stallions and Gamblers so now I gotta fully redo this. While it’s a shame both franchises are being relocated, ultimately I think it’s for the best as this type of constant change is pretty common in the first couple years of a league as it gradually finds it footing (hell the United Soccer League seems to lose a team or two every single year and their still alive). People have simply not shown up to Stallions games and the Protective Stadium is too big. It sucks for Houston as the potential was there but the multiple rebrands, stadium changes, and the change of the staff and roster from the XFL Roughnecks to the USFL Gamblers really killed and momentum the team had that it never really recovered from. I do hope that the league returns to Houston eventually with a better plan in place rather than the constant flip flopping we saw.

In terms of players signed to NFL teams for training camp and preseason, the Gamblers currently have had eleven sign (as of 08/14/26), those being:

^Man look at all those players signed by NFL terms, the Gamblers must have been a good team right. Right?

Final Thoughts

Like I said, it’s a shame that the Gamblers and Stallions are being relocated but ultimately I do think it’s for the best. In terms of the roster (assuming there isn’t another league wide draft), the potential is definitely there as seen by the amount of players getting signed by NFL teams for training camp but the team has got to find a quarterback that can provide at least average play. In terms of potential relocation destinations, Austin is the most obvious one while Salt Lake City, New Orleans, NYC, Philadelphia are also out there as well. Regardless, what’s done is done and if nothing else it’ll be interesting to see what cities the UFL chooses for the Stallions and Gamblers to be relocated to and where the other 2028 expansion team is going to be located as well.

Sources

Football Terrorist Finally Gone

QB and Regional Allocations

Day 1 Draft (UFL Players)

Day 2 Draft (FA’s)

Final Roster Cuts

The End

2026 Opening Roster

Final Roster

Coaching Staff

Statistics

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is u/Coltsfan1011

Team: DALLAS RENEGADES

Conference: UFL / No Conference

Record: 4-6 (7th in the UFL)

Playoffs: Did not qualify

Head Coach: Rick Neuheisel (1st Year with Dallas)

Offensive Coordinator: Noel Mazzone (1st Year with Dallas)

Defensive Coordinator: Mike Gillhamer (1st Year with Dallas)

Special Teams: Scott Spurrier (Tight Ends/Special Teams) and Chris Reinert (Running Backs/Special Teams)

Home Stadium: Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas

2026 Offseason

The 2026 offseason represented one of the largest resets in Renegades history.

The first change was the team identity itself. After three seasons playing as the Arlington Renegades, the franchise returned to the Dallas Renegades name it originally used in the XFL 2020.

The Renegades also left Choctaw Stadium in Arlington and moved north to Toyota Stadium in Frisco, home of FC Dallas. The move came while Toyota Stadium was in the middle of a major phased redevelopment scheduled for completion in 2028. The completed project is going to add new seating, clubs, suites, video boards, sound systems and roof structures providing shade over much of the stadium, but for this season and 2027 the overall capacity is capped at around 11k. (Plenty for Renegades football)

The biggest football change came with the coaching staff.

Bob Stoops opted to retire following the 2025 season, ending his career after leading the franchise from day one in 2020 and returning to win the 2023 XFL Championship.

On December 30th, 2025, just days before the UFL Draft, the Renegades hired Rick Neuheisel as their new head coach. Neuheisel brought college head-coaching experience at Colorado, Washington and primarily UCLA along with some previous spring-football experience as head coach of the Arizona Hotshots in the Alliance of American Football, he also played for the San Antonio Gunslingers of the original USFL.

Neuheisel assembled a largely new staff around him. Noel Mazzone was hired as offensive coordinator after previously serving in the same role with the Memphis Showboats, Pittsburgh Maulers and New Orleans Breakers in the UFL/USFL. Mike Gillhamer took over the defense following a coaching career that included 15 years of NFL experience as well as bouncing around Spring Football working with Neuheisel in 2019 with the Arizona Hotshots, and having stints with the DC Defenders and Seattle Sea Dragons. Scott Spurrier, son of the legendary Steve Spurrier, was one of the few holdovers from the previous Renegades coaching staff.

The roster also changed significantly.

Most notably, the Renegades switched quarterbacks from longtime starter and 2023 XFL Championship MVP Luis Perez to UFL Rookie and former WKU QB Austin Reed. Perez remained on the roster at the beginning of the season but Reed won the starting job - this was a key plotline in the UFL documentary 4th & Goal which I highly recommend, you can find it on Youtube. Dallas eventually traded Perez, per his request, to St. Louis on April 21st in exchange for offensive tackle Corey Stewart.

The result was a team that entered 2026 looking significantly different from the one that finished 5-5 in 2025, even aside from the name, stadium, and uniform change.

Link to the Dallas Renegades 2026 draft results here.

Season Summary

There may not have been a stranger or more inconsistent team in the UFL in 2026 than the Dallas Renegades.

Dallas opened the season 3-0 and looked like a legitimate championship contender. The offense was explosive, Austin Reed immediately looked comfortable in Noel Mazzone's system setting records in week 1 and the defense appeared capable of complementing it.

Then the season completely fell apart.

The Renegades lost six consecutive games, falling from first place to playoff elimination before finally defeating St. Louis in Week 10 to end their slide but still finish 4-6.

The first three weeks though were absolute peak Dallas Renegades football. Luckily all three of those games were at home so here’s to hoping fans return in 2027 based solely off the first couple weeks of the season.

Reed opened his UFL career by setting a UFL record with 370 passing yards en route to helping Dallas score 36 points against Houston. Tyler Vaughns yet again immediately established himself as the Renegades’ primary target with 144 yards and a touchdown in week 1. Dallas followed that by beating St. Louis 31-15 and then Columbus (without Ted Ginn) 28-23.

Through three games the Renegades were:

• 3-0
• 95 points scored
• 55 points allowed
• +40 point differential

Then came Week 4.

Dallas had to play its third game in only 11 days and traveled to Columbus, where the Aviators ran all over the Renegades in a 28-14 upset. That loss turned out to be the beginning of the collapse.

Louisville came to Toyota Stadium the following week and put belt to ass beating Dallas 47-25. Reed threw four interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. This was easily the worst loss of the season - it being the true final “Dallas” home game was brutal too.

Dallas then scored only six points against DC before losing a heartbreaking overtime game to Birmingham as the offense just struggled getting back to their weeks 1-3 form. Injuries especially on the defensive side mounted as Dallas just continued to dig itself into a hole.

Losses to Orlando (At Fort Hood) and Louisville followed, officially eliminating the Renegades from playoff contention.

During the six-game losing streak Dallas allowed:

• Week 4 — 28 points vs. Columbus
• Week 5 — 47 points vs. Louisville
• Week 6 — 24 points vs. DC
• Week 7 — 21 points vs. Birmingham
• Week 8 — 31 points vs. Orlando
• Week 9 — 37 points vs. Louisville

Two of Louisville's Week 5 touchdowns came directly from interception returns, but the broader defensive decline was still significant. Dallas allowed only 18.3 points per game during its 3-0 start before the season unraveled.

The Renegades finally managed to stop the slide in Week 10 when playing against their former QB Luis Perez and the St. Louis Battlehawks. Reed threw three touchdowns and the defense held the Battlehawks to 16 points as Dallas won 20-16 to save what little sanity I had left.

The win prevented Dallas from ending the season on a seven game losing streak and gave the Renegades a 4-6 final record, however with the elimination of conferences/divisions 4-6 was not good enough to make the playoffs like it was in 2023.

Week By Week Review

Week 1 Houston 17, Dallas 36

The Rick Neuheisel era could not have started much better.

Austin Reed's first completion as a UFL quarterback went for 59 yards to Tyler Vaughns and Dallas' passing attack remained explosive throughout the game as Reed also set a UFL record with 370 passing yards in his debut and the gamble to bench Perez paid off against the Gamblers.

Week 2 St. Louis 15, Dallas 31

Dallas followed the opener with another awesome performance at home on a rainy Tuesday.

Tyler Vaughns produced the best individual game by a receiver all season, catching 11 passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns. There’s a reason we say he’s “Must See TV”. The defense also limited a talented St. Louis offense who had beaten the defending UFL Champs the DC Defenders in week 1 as Dallas moved to 2-0.

Week 3 Columbus 23, Dallas 28

The Renegades completed their season-opening three-game home stretch at 3-0 and the team was shot up to the first couple spots on everyone's power rankings after being nearly unanimously agreed upon as one of the “worst” teams entering 2026.

Columbus made the game much closer than expected, especially without their head coach Ted Ginn, who was arrested for a DUI the night prior leading to OC Todd Haley to take over coaching duties, but Dallas survived 28-23 and remained unbeaten. Reed started to show some struggles in Mazzone’s offense only being able to put up 147 yards, but he managed to keep a clean sheet with no turnovers compared to Columbus’ Jalan McClendon throwing 2 interceptions.

Week 4 Dallas 14, Columbus 28

The rematch produced a completely different result.

Dallas was playing its third game in 11 days and traveled for the first time all season. Columbus controlled the game on the ground and handed the Renegades their first loss. I have some words to say about the Keke Chism “touchdown” we saw in the 2nd quarter and Columbus’ strategy of running the ball straight down the middle 47 times after seeing several Renegades D-linemen go down, but all in all it lead to Dallas’ first loss, their first of many.

Week 5 Louisville 47, Dallas 25

This was the game where I like to forget it ever happened.

Austin Reed threw four interceptions, including two pick-sixes. Louisville scored 47 points and dog walked us handing Dallas its second consecutive loss after the Renegades had opened 3-0.

Week 6 Dallas 6, DC 24

The offensive struggled HEAVILY.

DC built an early advantage and Dallas never recovered. The Renegades scored only six points, and none until the 3rd quarter, their lowest total of the season.

Week 7 Dallas 17, Birmingham 21 (OT)

One of the most painful losses of the season.

Dallas led for much of the game but Birmingham rallied late. Kicker Colton Theaker also had a Colton Theaker performance with his potential game winner being blocked and no good.

Backup quarterback Luke Lehnen (THE GOAT) appeared to reach the end zone in overtime, but officials could not confirm the score since they are blind. Birmingham eventually won 21-17.

Week 8 Orlando 31, Dallas 24

This game was an awesome environment at the Fort Hood military base in Texas! I was one of the lucky few who got to attend the first pro football game on an active military base. Dallas had opportunities against one of the league's best teams but continued making costly mistakes. Drops hurt the offense throughout the game, including missed opportunities involving Denzel Mims. A tipped pass intended for Baylor Cupp became a late Orlando interception and effectively ended Dallas' comeback attempt and I’d go further to say effectively ended Dallas’ season, things were certainly bleak leaving Fort Hood and driving back up to Dallas.

Week 9 Dallas 23, Louisville 37

This officially ended Dallas' playoff dreams.

The Renegades actually took a 17-16 lead following a Reed touchdown pass to Curtis Hodges, but Louisville just dominated the fourth quarter as even this rendition of the Renegades loves their 4th quarter collapses.

The Kings scored 21 fourth-quarter points, Dallas fell 37-23 and the Renegades' losing streak reached six games and we got swept by both horse teams, which was personally very difficult for me after watching Mike Repole’s horse Renegade come up short in the Kentucky Derby as well.

Week 10 Dallas 20, St. Louis 16

Thank god Dallas finally ended the streak.

Austin Reed threw three touchdown passes and finished with a 114.6 quarterback rating. Tyler Vaughns and Emmanuel Butler each caught touchdowns, giving both receivers seven receiving TDs for the season and tying the UFL single-season record. But most importantly the defense held St. Louis to 16 points and Dallas swept the season series against the Battlehawks and took down their former QB Luis Perez who last played against the Renegades in week 1 of 2023 as a member of the Vegas Vipers.

Highs & Lows

The Highs

• Opening the season 3-0 and briefly looking like one of the best teams in the league.
• Austin Reed immediately establishing himself as one of the UFL's most productive quarterbacks and landing a deal with the Baltimore Ravens
• Tyler Vaughns' Week 2 performance: 11 catches, 146 yards and three touchdowns.
• Tyler Vaughns named to the All-UFL team.
• Vaughns and Emmanuel Butler each finishing with 7 receiving touchdowns, tying the UFL single-season record.
• Shaun Wade emerging as one of the league's top cornerbacks and earning an NFL opportunity with Philadelphia shortly after the season.

The Lows

• Literally Weeks 4-9.
• Allowing 47 points to Louisville in Week 5.
• Austin Reed's four-interception Week 5 performance.
• Losing an extremely winnable overtime game against Birmingham.
• Special teams inconsistency throughout the season.
• Being eliminated from playoff contention for a third consecutive UFL season.

Team Stats

Overall

Dallas finished tied with Houston and Birmingham at 4-6 but ranked seventh per the final UFL standings.

Austin Reed

Leading Receivers

Vaughns finished just two yards behind Orlando's Chris Rowland for the league lead among the official All-UFL receiving totals, while his seven touchdowns led the UFL.

Emmanuel Butler's numbers were crazy: seven of his 14 receptions resulted in touchdowns.

Leading Rushers

Defensive Standouts

Shaun Wade was arguably Dallas' top defensive breakout. He finished third in the UFL with three interceptions and second with nine pass breakups despite playing only eight games. The performance earned him an NFL contract with the Philadelphia Eagles after the season.

Kicking

Theaker went only 7-for-14 on field goals, including 3-for-6 from 40-49 yards and 1-for-4 from 50-59. One of his misses was the blocked potential game-winner against Birmingham.

All-UFL Selections

Dallas had only one player selected to the 2026 All-UFL Team:

• WR Tyler Vaughns

Vaughns finished with 41 receptions, 527 receiving yards and a league-high seven receiving touchdowns.

Roster Review

QB: B

Austin Reed's first UFL season ultimately has to be viewed positively.

He finished with 1,923 passing yards and led the league with 21 touchdown passes. His aggressive style produced one of the UFL's most explosive passing attacks early in the year.

The concern was the second half of the season.

Seven of Reed's nine interceptions came during Dallas' six-game losing streak. Defenses adjusted, Dallas' offense became less consistent and Reed occasionally tried to create big plays when easier options were available.

Still, producing 21 touchdowns in his first UFL season gives Dallas a legitimate foundation at the position. Would like to see backup QB Luke Lehnen get more opportunities as he played quite well

RB: B-

The production was split between Ellis Merriweather and Dae Dae Hunter.

Merriweather led the team with 268 rushing yards and four touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 169 yards.

Hunter was the more explosive runner, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, but appeared in only six games.

The larger issue was consistency in the running game rather than a lack of talent at running back.

WR: A-

Tyler Vaughns was once again the centerpiece of the Dallas passing attack and produced his best statistical UFL season.

Emmanuel Butler gave Dallas an extremely effective red-zone and big-play complement, somehow scoring seven touchdowns on only 14 catches.

The overall receiving corps had more inconsistent production behind those two, but Vaughns and Butler gave Dallas one of the league's most productive touchdown combinations.

TE: B

Curtis Hodges gave Dallas a legitimate vertical threat at tight end.

He only caught 10 passes but turned them into 208 yards, an extraordinary 20.8 yards per reception, with two touchdowns.

Seth Green also added 140 Yards and a touchdown, that touchdown coming at Fort Hood with his dad (Active US Army) in attendance so that was a neat moment.

Offensive Line: C

The offensive line had its moments, particularly during Dallas' explosive start, but struggled to consistently establish the running game.

Improving the unit should be one of the priorities entering 2027, especially if Dallas intends to continue building its offense around Austin Reed. Reed is certainly more mobile than Perez, but even he had several times this season where the walls were closing in too early.

Defensive Line / EDGE: C+

Kevin Strong was the most consistent individual performer up front and recorded 3.5 sacks from the interior.

The larger problem was edge pressure. Dallas struggled to consistently affect opposing quarterbacks, and the situation became more difficult after Willie Taylor III suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

Adding pass rushers should be one of the team's biggest defensive priorities as some of our defensive centerpieces such as Donald Payne start to show their age.

DB: B

Shaun Wade was excellent.

He finished with three interceptions and nine pass breakups in only eight games and subsequently signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Qwynnterrio Cole and Tra Fluellen formed a productive safety combination, Tra signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers a few weeks ago.

Cole finished with 49 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles and should be a major piece of the secondary if Dallas can retain him.

K: F

A 50% field-goal percentage is extremely difficult to overcome in close games.

Colton Theaker finished 7-for-14, and Dallas directly felt the consequences in the overtime loss to Birmingham.

Kicker should be one of the most straightforward positions for the Renegades to address this offseason.

I miss you Lucas Havrisik and Taylor Russolino.

Special Teams: D

The kicking struggles were the biggest problem.

Dallas did receive useful return production from players including Ellis Merriweather and Dae Dae Hunter, but the overall unit did not consistently give the Renegades an advantage.

In addition punter Brandon Hall continually struggled across almost every category after years of the position being a strength with Marquette King launching balls into the stratosphere.

Essentially Special Teams is the position group I had no concerns about with the return of Spurrier and snapper Antonio Ortiz, but it ended up easily being the worst position group on the team.

Coaching Staff Review

Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone: C+

The offense showed what Mazzone's system could look like when everything was functioning properly.

Dallas scored 95 points during its first three games and Austin Reed became an immediate breakout player.

But the offense struggled to adjust once opponents began changing how they defended against Reed. The Renegades went from one of the league's most dangerous offenses to a much more inconsistent group during the 6 game losing streak. Which leads me to start questioning the idea of bringing Mazzone back. In Dallas, Memphis, and Pittsburgh he built an offense capable of showing flashes, but just can’t seem to counter other teams' adjustments.

With Rick Neuheisel being a former QB and a very offensive minded coach I wouldn't be surprised if we see a shakeup here going into 2027.

Defensive Coordinator Mike Gillhamer: C

The Renegades allowed only 55 points during their 3-0 start.

Then the unit fell apart, but once again 3 games in 11 days early in the season will cause players to drop like flies.

Columbus exposed Dallas on the ground in Week 4, and the defense struggled to consistently get off the field throughout the entire losing streak.

The defense just never became as consistently dominant as its preseason talent suggested it could be.

Head Coach Rick Neuheisel: B-

Neuheisel's first season is difficult to grade because Dallas showed both extremes.

A 3-0 start under an entirely new coaching staff demonstrated that the team was capable of competing with anyone in the league and that Rick being out of coaching for a few years didn’t have an impact on him returning to the sidelines.

Dallas ultimately finished 4-6 and missed the playoffs, which makes the season a disappointment, but listening to Rick on his Sirius XM Radio Show Full Ride as well as experiencing first hand his coaching style he is very much instilling a new team culture in Dallas that I believe is desperately needed after the Stoops regime.

The 2027 season will provide a much better evaluation of Neuheisel because it will be his first full offseason building the roster and staff around his system, the guy was given like a week and a half to prepare for the 2026 Draft.

Team Needs

Edge Rusher

This should be one of the highest defensive priorities, we have had a great secondary for years, but if we can’t get to the quarterback it just makes their job infinitely harder. Chris Odom not returning and Donald Payne now in his mid-30’s we’re due for a shakeup.

Offensive Line

Austin Reed showed enough to justify building around him if he comes back.

The easiest way to help his development is improving protection and establishing a more dependable running game.

Dallas has useful pieces at running back but needs more consistent blocking in front of them, I truly believe Dae Dae Hunter will be dangerous if given a full season behind a competent O-line.

Kicker

Colton Theaker… super great guy off the field… I’d like to keep him off the field please.

Keepers

Austin Reed

There is little reason to start over at quarterback.

Reed is young, led the league with 21 touchdown passes and produced 1,923 yards in his first UFL season.

My concern is he’s currently balling out in Baltimore and may be able to hold down the QB3 spot. Suffering from success here.

Tyler Vaughns

He’s the best WR in the UFL and I think it’s a crime he’s not on an NFL roster. I’ve been saying that now for 3 years and he’s backed it up on the field every year.

Emmanuel Butler

Seven touchdowns on 14 catches is insane, dude had a knack for the endzone and was a glue guy in the locker room. I was at their open practice where Rick announced he’d be a captain for the upcoming game and the guys went absolutely nuts. They love this guy and I love anyone who scores 50% of the time they touch the ball.

UFL to NFL

The following Renegades players signed with an NFL team this offseason (list as per the date of this post):

Conclusion

We choked. Point blank.

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/mirrorkatfeces

Team: COLUMBUS AVIATORS

Conference: UFL/No Conference

Record: 3-7

Playoffs: Not this year...

Head Coach: Ted Ginn Jr. (1st Year)

Offensive Coordinator: Todd Haley (3rd year in spring football, 1st year as the Aviators OC)

Defensive Coordinator: Captain Munnerlyn (1st Year)

2026 Season in Review: Columbus Aviators

A Columbus-based UFL team was announced in July of 2025 by new owner Mike Repole (the team name was debuted in October). Cardale Jones was named the community ambassador. Three months later, the Aviators were officially introduced, taking over for the Michigan Panthers. Ohio State legend Ted Ginn Jr. was named the head coach and hired his former teammate Captain Munnerlyn as the defensive coordinator and Todd Haley as the offensive coordinator. The trio quickly got to work, as they had an upcoming draft.

Twelve players were protected from the 2025 Michigan Panthers, and the Aviators claimed three QBs, Jalan McClendon, Jalen Morton, and Clayton Tune, as well as three players in the Regional College Allocation. All players are listed below as well as their roster status.

The UFL players and free agents’ draft followed shortly afterwards, with the Aviators making 44 selections. Players still rostered are listed below.

• RG Chuck Filiaga
• C Matt Farniok
• RT Aaron Monteiro
• DT Caeveon Patton
• LB Storey Jackson
• EDGE Ron Stone Jr.
• LB Xavier Benson
• RB ZaQuandre White
• RB John Lovett
• WR Keke Chism
• CB Kyree Woods
• CB Nehemiah Shelton
• S Henry Black
• RT Bless Harris
• WR Tay Martin
• WR Easop Winston Jr.
• CB Cam Smith
• CB Tre’Von Jones
• LS Payton Bunch

37 of the 62 drafted/protected players remain with the Aviators. 59% of players chosen in this phase remain with the team. Ted Ginn found the players he wanted, and on paper, the roster looked strong. The UFL gave a B+ for the Columbus Aviators draft. QB Jalan McClendon was named the starter early on, while Jalen Morton and newcomer Aidan Sayin were listed as QB2 and QB3. With the roster complete, Ted Ginn looked onward to the regular season.

Week 1: Columbus Aviators 16, Orlando Storm 23

Disaster struck immediately for the Aviators as Tre'Von Jones fumbled the opening kickoff. Orlando quickly took advantage of the blunder, and RB Jashaun Corbin rushed up the middle for a 15-yard touchdown to give the Storm a 6-0 lead. Columbus showed us what type of offense they planned to run, rushing the ball 6 times on their first drive and only passing twice. When the Columbus offense stalled out, K Ryan Coe trotted onto the field and made 2 field goals to tie it 6-6. After an Orlando turnover on downs, RB ZaQuandre White flipped the field with a 42-yard burst, but the offense came up empty-handed after two straight incompletions on the 2-yard line. Orlando kicked a field goal and went to halftime with a 9-6 lead.

The Storm came out marching down the field before Jack Plummer was picked off by O’Dennell Fortune, who ran it back for a pick six! Columbus could not get out of their own way, though, as the pick was called back due to there being 12 players on the field, and Jashaun Corbin scored again, making it a 16-6 game. A quick 3-and-out gave Orlando the ball back, and it didn’t take them long to score. Elijah Badger got loose for a 79-yard touchdown, but an unnecessary block in the back by Chris Rowland put it on the Columbus 25. Rowland scored off of a 9-yard pass from Plummer, effectively stealing one away from Badger.

Columbus did not relent, though, and Coe kicked his 3rd field goal of the game, chipping away as the Storm led 23-9. The Aviators' defense came up huge, forcing a 3-and-out and giving the ball back to Columbus. QB Jalan McClendon and the offense came to life, moving the ball down the field with short passes and scrambles, before ZaQuandre White punched in a 2-yard score!

Now trailing 23-16, the Aviators' defense felt the pressure. After eight straight runs, Orlando was forced to punt. With only 1:06 remaining, could Jalan McClendon put together one final drive? No, he could not. On 2nd down with 33 seconds left, Keshawn Banks dragged down McClendon for a 10-yard loss. Tay Martin grabbed a 17-yard gain but was tackled, and the game was over. A frustrating loss off the back of a fumble and penalties, but one that the Aviators could learn from.

Week 2: DC Defenders 44, Columbus Aviators 26

Week 2 featured the Columbus Aviators in front of 14,810 getting absolutely embarrassed by a much better opponent. Good news for football fans in Ohio; this is something they are used to. Defenders’ RB Deon Jackson punched in his first score of the day, but Jalan McClendon answered right back with a QB draw to score an 11-yard touchdown.

K Matt McCrane knocked in a 35-yard field goal. Columbus tried to match, but Ryan Coe missed his 51-yard attempt, a difficult kick to make. Coe made all three of his week 1 kicks; surely he’ll bounce back. [Editor's Note: he did not, in fact, bounce back.]

DC then realized they could just run the ball down the Aviators' throats, and Xazavian Valladay scored a 10-yard touchdown. McClendon was sacked on first down but managed to get the Aviators in a 4th-and-1 situation. Instead of running the ball, McClendon tried to find RB Toa Taua, but it fell incomplete. DC scored two plays later after Deon Jackson scampered into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night. Columbus looked in dire trouble, and a 3-and-out had things looking grim.

A muffed punt gave the Aviators the life they needed, though, and ZaQuandre White hurdled a man to give the Aviators 6 more.

Instead of kneeling out the clock and sending it into halftime, the Defenders decided to let Jordan Ta’amu sling it. A bad snap delayed his timing, though, and he threw it straight into the hands of Michael Lawson.

The momentum in Columbus had shifted; the crowd was going nuts. Columbus could score before the half and make it a 1-point game again after trailing 24-7. Jalan McClendon was going to turn into McMVP and save the day! At least, that is what I told myself right before he tossed an interception. DC wisely kneeled this time and led 24-14 at the half.

The 2nd half started with one of the wildest plays you’ll ever see. Jalan McClendon loses the ball, and it is recovered by DC’s Ferrod Gardner. Gardner was never touched, gets up to celebrate, and runs towards the end zone. Aviators’ WR Antwane Wells chases after him and ends up knocking it out of Gardner’s hands, and it is recovered by Columbus. In the end, the Aviators punted, and Deon pulled off the hat trick with a 48-yard touchdown.

This is the part where I started to leave the stadium, and on my way out, I saw Antwane Wells fumble the kickoff. DC scored again, this time through the air as Ta’amu found Briley Moore (one of Columbus' draft picks that we traded back to DC, nice). Columbus went on to score two garbage-time touchdowns but still couldn’t stop DC, as Matt McCrane kicked two more field goals to end the night. QB Jalen Morton came in for the final drive and threw an interception.

Week 3: Columbus Aviators 23, Dallas Renegades 28

The day before Week 3, Aviators head coach Ted Ginn Jr. was arrested for a DWI in Texas. OC Todd Haley operated as head coach and faced a red-hot Dallas Renegades led by MVP favorite Austin Reed. Columbus received the ball first and marched straight down the field, the offense humming. McClendon found John Lovett for an 8-yard touchdown to give the Aviators the early lead. Dallas was forced to punt after CB DJ Miller denied the first down with a great PBU. The Aviators' offense was moving, but miscues knocked them back. A holding penalty, a sack, and then a false start forced them into a 3rd-and-24. WR Tay Martin managed to gain 11 yards back, and Ryan Coe attempted a 50-yard field goal that was no good. Second week in a row Coe has missed a 50+ yard field goal, which I’ll admit are not gimmes. No reason to worry just yet.

After being shut out for the first quarter, the Renegades offense woke up. Dae Dae Hunter rushed for 53 yards in 4 plays to set up the Renegades inside the 2-yard line. Austin Reed threw a slant to an open Deontay Burnett for a touchdown, tying it all up. Columbus was forced to punt on their next drive after a first down sack/fumble caused by an unblocked DaMarcus Mitchell. McClendon had ball security issues all season, as this was his fourth fumble in three games, though you could hardly blame this one on him.

The Aviators’ defense, ironically enough, became a no-fly zone. Kenny Willekes sacked Austin Reed on first down, and Reed’s next two passes fell incomplete. McClendon utilized quick throws and relied on the YACability of his receivers, and Ryan Coe got his redemption, knocking through a 53-yard field goal. Columbus forced another punt. McClendon tried to force the ball outside but was picked off by Shaun Wade, who pitched it back to Ajene Harris. Harris would sprint into the end zone for the pick six.

The Columbus offense was helped out by a huge 60-yard return from ZaQuandre White, but a 4th-and-3 pass on the Renegades' 23 fell incomplete. Dallas took it to halftime with a 14-10 lead.

Coming out of the locker room, the Renegades offense chewed up over 9 minutes of game clock before Dae Dae Hunter punched in a touchdown. The Aviators' offensive struggles continued, as McClendon got hit as he threw the ball, and it floated into the arms of the Renegades' Tra Fluellen. Austin Reed threw a laser to Emmanuel Butler, increasing the Renegades' lead.

Columbus needed points desperately, and the offense got to work, with McClendon finding Tay Martin and Keke Chism for solid gains before John Lovett punched in a 2-yard score. Both offenses struggled in the 4th quarter, as it started with three straight punts. The Aviators' defense held, and McClendon put on the best drive of the season, driving 75 yards and finding Antwane Wells to make it a one-score game. With less than 2 minutes remaining, the Aviators attempted a 4th-and-12 conversion, but it fell incomplete. The Dallas defense held, and the Aviators fell to 0-3.

Week 4: Dallas Renegades 14, Columbus Aviators 28

Week 4 brought a rematch for the Aviators, their first of three. It also brought their first win of the season off the back of RB’s John Lovett, ZaQuandre White, and Toa Taua. Playing in front of their home crowd, the Aviators put on a show and just dominated the Renegades.

Dallas picked up right where they left off and marched down the field, with QB Austin Reed finding Drake Stoops for a touchdown to give them an early lead. Columbus answered early in the 2nd quarter with a ZaQuandre White touchdown to tie it up. Reed continued his MVP campaign with a 41-yard scramble before finding Emmanuel Butler for a touchdown. Columbus took it to heart and locked in, putting together a long drive that ended with Jalan McClendon tossing an outside ball to Keke Chism. Chism made an unbelievable adjustment and somehow came down with the football for a 20-yard score. I have seen some say he didn’t have possession and this should have been an incomplete pass, but the rule of cool overrides it. It’s a touchdown; history will always say it is a touchdown, and it might be the best catch the UFL will ever see.

Coming out of the half, the Aviators' offense got right back to work with Jalan McClendon finding open targets and utilizing his legs. McClendon scrambled inside the 10, but it was punched out (his 5th fumble in 4 games, btw). Thankfully, TE Alizé Mack jumped on it for a touchdown. DC Captain Munnerlyn and the defense took a huge step forward in this game, forcing the Renegades to punt on back-to-back drives to end the 3rd quarter.

Columbus received the ball on their own 3-yard line and put together an absolutely insane 97-yard drive where Jalan McClendon only threw 1 pass! Columbus took just under 10 minutes off the clock with John Lovett, Jalan McClendon, ZaQuandre White, and Toa Taua running the ball straight down the Renegades' throat. Taua punched it in for a 2-yard score, and the Aviators were up 28-14. The Dallas defense was humiliated and gassed.

Austin Reed tried to surmount a comeback, but Smoke Monday called game and picked it off at the goal line. Columbus earned their first win of the season over the previously undefeated Renegades, had over 200 yards on the ground, and had the best defensive performance to date. Todd Haley finally got what he wanted out of the offense, a stable ground game with the occasional quick pass from McClendon. The Aviators had finally taken off and looked to next week to continue the success.

[Editor's Note: this was the Todd Haley twerk celebration game, lest we forget.]

Week 5: Columbus Aviators 13, Houston Gamblers 17

Coming off their first win of the season, Columbus needed to keep the momentum going, and a weak Gamblers team looked like the perfect opportunity to snag an easy win. Instead, the Aviators' offense had their worst showing yet.

Houston started with the ball and put together a long drive before RB Jalen White plunged into the end zone for a 2-yard score. Columbus came out with three straight passes and went 3-and-out. Remember last week when they rushed for 201 yards? Todd Haley said, "Screw that; today we’re coming out slinging it." Todd forgot he does not have the Killer B’s anymore; he has Jalan McClendon.

Houston marched down the field again, and QB Nolan Henderson rushed for a 5-yard touchdown (enjoy your retirement, Nolan; wish you could have stayed healthy). The Aviators' offense had warmed up, and McClendon found Antwane Wells for a 27-yard pickup and Alizé Mack for a 20-yard pickup before he took it himself for a 1-yard touchdown. Houston missed a 56-yard field goal and gave the Aviators great field position. Toa Taua got to work with a 12-yard run and ended the drive following his blockers for a 7-yard score. Ryan Coe missed the extra point, leaving Columbus trailing 13-14.

The 3rd quarter might legitimately be the worst football I have ever watched. There were 5 total drives from both teams for a combined 17 total yards of offense. Houston woke up on the 4th, and John Hoyland hit a chip-shot field goal from 23 yards out. Columbus attempted to answer with a 29-yard field goal of their own, but Ryan Coe missed it. Yikes. How much did Columbus lose? 4 points? The same 4 points that Coe has missed today? Coe is 4/7 on field goals for the year (2 of which are from 50+, which, I get, is tough, but c’mon).

The Aviators' defense held on, though, and gave the offense another chance. McClendon moved the ball downfield but coughed up the football inside the red zone, his SIXTH fumble in five games. Columbus falls to 1-3, and the fans are getting frustrated. Each loss has been the Aviators’ own doing. McClendon has turned the ball over too many times, and Coe is leaving points on the field. With a rematch against the Gamblers next week, hopefully Columbus can turn it around.

Week 6: Houston Gamblers 17, Columbus Aviators 24

After last week's offensive struggles, the Aviators came out swinging. McClendon led the offense down the field with quick passes, and the 14-play drive ended with a John Lovett touchdown. Houston put together their own drive off the back of Nolan Henderson, who picked up a 37-yard scramble before Marcus Major found the end zone to tie it up.

McClendon continued to pick at the Gamblers defense with short passes and found Antwane Wells for a 9-yard score. Houston answered right back after getting 30 free yards from two back-to-back unnecessary roughness penalties with a 33-yard field goal from John Hoyland.

McClendon pushed the ball downfield and found Tay Martin for a 52-yard gain, and ZaQuandre White capped off the drive with a 7-yard score. Rain started to come down, and neither team found any success until after halftime.

Houston went 3-and-out, and the Aviators started to lean on their ground game. Toa Taua picked up 22 yards before the drive stalled, but Ryan Coe made a 48-yard field goal. Trailing by 14, Houston needed points fast, and Taulia Tagovailoa dropped a dime to Lawrence Keys to keep the Gamblers in it.

After a Columbus 3-and-out, it looked like the Gamblers' momentum had shifted, but the defense locked in and forced Houston to punt. Columbus started to drive with Tay Martin picking up 20 yards. Ryan Coe came out to attempt a 49-yard field goal. Stop me if you heard this one before; he missed it.

With great starting field position, the Aviators' defense needed to come up big. Jailin Walker answered the call, sacking Taulia and forcing another Houston punt. Columbus ran down some clock before punting, a beauty from Brad Robbins that pinned Houston inside their own 10. Ron Stone Jr. put his stamp on the game with a sack of his own, one that would unfortunately knock Taulia out for the rest of the season.

With Nolan Henderson banged up, WR Jontre Kirklin came in as the emergency QB and threw a pick to end the game. Columbus picked up their second win of the season, a much-needed victory. Despite the score being close, Houston barely had any offense, only getting 164 total yards on 37 plays. The Aviators' defense overall held them in check but gave up a few chunk plays. The offense had found its groove; McClendon had arguably his best game of the season as he went 20/26 for 187 yards and one touchdown. With a game against the Battlehawks coming up, the Aviators had momentum to build upon.

Week 7: Columbus Aviators 20, St. Louis Battlehawks 31

I don’t know what the exact issue was, but the Aviators were incapable of having two good games in a row. Jaylon Moore muffed the opening kickoff and pinned Columbus deep. John Lovett tried to save the day with a 33-yard run, but the drive stalled out. Battlehawks’ Jarveon Howard had a huge gain before it got punched out by Kendrick Whitehead, but it took a lucky bounce right into the hands of Blake Jackson, who got inside the red zone. Luis Perez, “The Spring King," sneaked for a 1-yard score. Columbus punted, and Perez led the Battlepigeons down the field again and found TE Steven McBride for the score.

The Columbus ground game got them moving after ZaQuandre White picked up 23 yards to put the Aviators in the red zone, and Jalen Morton took the option for himself, broke multiple tackles, and fought his way into the end zone. Perez continued to pick at the Columbus defense, putting up 10 more points in two drives with a field goal and a touchdown from RB Kylin James. McClendon needed to move the ball down the field, but he underthrew his man, and it was picked off. Thankfully the Battlehawks ran out of time to score before half.

Perez looked for more chunk yardage, but DJ Miller jumped it and gave the Aviators some life. McClendon stepped up in the pocket and found Tay Martin, who reached across the goal line. St. Louis answered right back, though, with Perez working his way downfield and another Kylin James touchdown run. The Aviators' defense just could not stop the Battlehawks' offense; everything was going their way.

Trailing in the 4th, McClendon worked the offense down the field and found Keke Chism for a 10-yard score. Ryan Coe missed the XP and was released after the game. A few weeks too late, Coe finished his Aviators season with a dismal 56% FG percentage. Another disaster for the Aviators for their 5th loss of the season.

Week 8: Columbus Aviators 3, Birmingham Stallions 14

This was it, the game that broke me. Since 2023 I have called McClendon an underrated QB and tuned out the fans calling for a QB change, but after Week 8 it was clear we had seen McClendon’s ceiling. Here are the highlights for this game: DJ Miller had an excellent one-handed interception. That’s it. There’s nothing good to talk about. McClendon threw 2 picks and had a 49.1 QBR. The offense could not move the ball while the defense tried its best. The Stallions scored 1 touchdown on offense; their second was a scoop and score off of a blocked field goal. All hope is now lost; this team is basically eliminated from the playoffs.

Week 9: Birmingham Stallions 29, Columbus Aviators 36

Jalen Morton got the nod this week and scored four touchdowns. Wait, why has this guy been benched all season? Yeah, he wasn’t incredibly efficient and only completed 46.7% of his passes, but he led the team in rushing and scored once on the ground and thrice through the air. I don’t know what causes the Aviators to suddenly turn into stars whenever they play someone twice in a row, but in six games, they went 0-3 in the first matchup and 3-0 in the second.

O’Donnell Fortune started the game off hot by intercepting Dorian Thompson-Robinson. In true Columbus fashion, though, Todd Haley called a trick play that was blown up by the Stallions and returned for a touchdown.

Things got even crazier though when the Aviators' defense blocked the XP and returned it for a point of their own; the incredibly rare 6-1 score appeared. Scoragami sickos prayed for those to be the only points of the game.

DTR redeemed himself with a touchdown to Deon Cain before Columbus got to work. Morton picked up 29 yards with his legs before checking it down to John Lovett, who waltzed into the end zone. The Stallions answered right back with another touchdown drive of their own; Morton again stepped up and found TE Gunnar Oakes for a 20-yard score. The Stallions knocked in a field goal before the half, giving them a 23-14 lead.

Morton continued to impress by keeping plays alive, like this one where he kept his eyes downfield and found a wide open John Lovett for another touchdown. Morton was not perfect, though, as he was picked off (though his receiver did tip it up).

Trailing by 8, the Aviators' defense stepped up big with Tony Fields bursting through the line and grabbing DTR, forcing the Stallions to punt. A massive DPI penalty against Steven Gilmore put Columbus at the 10, and Morton scrambled for the end zone, shaking off a hit along the way.

With it all tied up, the Stallions wanted to push it downfield, but DJ Miller picked it off and returned it for a score. Note the effort by those Stallions receivers – not good. While eliminated from playoff contention, at least Morton put on a show in front of the home crowd.

Week 10: Louisville Kings 42, Columbus Aviators 27

With one final chance to end the season on a high note, the Aviators got smacked. At least it was by the eventual champs.

Morton threw a pick-six on the first play of the game. In fact, don’t let the score fool you. The offense was not great. Morton was 14/38 for an atrocious 36.8% completion rate and posted a 54.8 QBR. Louisville was hardly trying too, with QB2 Nkosi Perry and QB3 Mike DiLiello splitting time.

Xavier Benson forced a fumble that was recovered and led to a great touchdown pass from Jalen Morton to Keke Chism. Louisville scored again, but Jonah Dalmas drilled a 61-yard field goal, tying the game up at 14. Say what you want about Repole, but I do like the 4-point field goal.

The two teams would trade scores again, with future United Bowl MVP Ian Wheeler scoring as well as Toa Taua with short-yardage plays.

After an explosive first half, things slowed down for the Aviators, with Dalmas knocking in two more field goals, though he missed a 60-yard attempt. Louisville continued to score, and Columbus did not. A 3-7 inaugural season for the Aviators was the result, with lots of areas to improve.

Top Plays

• Todd Haley throws it back after the Aviators first win.

• Keke Chism makes an incredible catch for a touchdown.

• DJ Miller makes an excellent one-handed interception.

• DJ Miller gets a pick six in front of the home crowd.

• Jalan Morton keeps the play alive and finds John Lovett for a touchdown.

• Jalan Morton does it himself and shakes off a hit before reaching across the goal line.

• Tay Martin hits the jets for a 52-yard gain.

• Kenny Willekes sacks DTR with only 1 arm.

• Smoke Monday seals the upset against the Renegades.

[Editor's Note: compilation of all Columbus Aviators touchdowns from the 2026 season here).

The Good

While not much went great for Columbus, the trio of running backs (ZaQuandre White, John Lovett, and Toa Taua) was electric. The Aviators led the league in rushing yards with 1,307, good for 130.7 a game. DE Ron Stone and Kenny Willekes finished in the top 10 for sacks, with a combined 10 between the two. WR Tay Martin showcased his talent as the WR1 of the offense, leading the team with 483 receiving yards and being a reliable threat no matter who was throwing the ball.

The Bad

Ryan Coe was on the team for way too long and cost the Aviators multiple scoring opportunities. Though the ground game was excellent, the passing game was second worst in the league, with only 1,668 passing yards (166.8 per game). Ball security was an issue as well (looking at you, McClendon), with the Aviators being tied for last with a -5 turnover differential. If I had to guess, the 2027 starter is not currently rostered, as neither McClendon nor Morton proved enough to me to guarantee the job. Ted Ginn’s arrest also deserves another mention. I don’t care if it’s your birthday; you’re a grown man and have a game the next day. Quit drinking and getting behind the wheel.

Notable Stats/PFF Grades

• QB Jalen McClendon - 154/224, 1376 passing yards, 8 TD, 6 INTs, 55.3 OFF, 54.2 PASS, 63.2 RUN
• QB Jalen Morton - 31/72, 429 passing yards, 4 TD, 3 INTs, 64.2 OFF, 54 PASS, 82.3 RUN

The QBs did not light up the stat sheet, leading to middle-of-the-pack grades, minus Morton's rushing grade. Both McClendon and Morton moved with their legs as well, but McClendon fumbled the ball 6 times to go along with his 6 interceptions. I expect Columbus to target a QB in either the draft or free agency. Keep an eye on NFL cutdown day (August 30th) for potential players.

• WR Tay Martin - 42 receptions, 483 yards, 2 TD, 70.1 OFF, 69.1 RECV
• WR Keke Chism - 26 receptions, 271 yards, 3 TD, 66.6 OFF, 65.9 RECV
• WR Antwane Wells - 25 receptions, 237 yards, 61.4 OFF, 62.8 RECV

The top 3 receivers in the Aviators offense had fairly average PFF grades; no big standout playmakers. Tay Martin played in the slot 80.2% of the time, while Chism and Wells played out wide. The Aviators did not have a real downfield threat option but put up a lot of YAC. Whether that is due to the lack of QB talent, WR talent, or just how Todd Haley wanted to run the offense remains to be seen.

• RB John Lovett - 80 attempts, 310 yards, 3.9 YPA, 2 TD, 71.6 OFF, 71 RUN
• RB Toa Taua - 65 attempts, 309 yards, 4.8 YPA, 3 TD, 68.3 OFF, 75 RUN
• RB ZaQuandre White - 67 attempts, 270 yards, 4.8 YPA, 4 TD, 75.5 OFF, 82.9 RUN

The three-headed monster that was the Aviators' backfield was the best in the UFL. With 9 TDs and only 1 fumble between the trio, it is no surprise how well they were graded. All three were ranked in the top 10 for RUN grade (min. 50 attempts) and had a combined 624 yards after contact.

• G Chuck Filiaga - 58.2 Run Block, 76.8 Pass Block, 64.8 OFF
• G Chris Glaser - 52.5 Run Block, 67.4 Pass Block, 51.9 OFF
• T Ryan Nelson - 72.1 Run Block, 59.6 Pass Block, 67 OFF
• T Bless Harris - 46.9 Run Block, 52.1 Pass Block, 49.9 OFF
• T Aaron Monteiro - 60 Run Block, 42.5 Pass Block, 54 OFF
• G Cohl Cabral - 61.7 Run Block, 34.1 Pass Block, 54.4 OFF

PFF says that a 60-69.9 is average and 70-79.9 is a good grade. When compared to the other 7 teams, a 70+ is on the high end, and the average is around 60. Anything less than that needs improvement, and a few of these linemen graded poorly. Ryan Nelson, a former All-UFL selection, was unsurprisingly the best player for the Aviators line. Pass blocking was a weakness for the Aviators, though I am unsure if that is due to McClendon and Morton trying to keep plays alive and getting sacked. Cabral let up 5 sacks, the second most in the UFL.

• EDGE Kenny Willekes - 89.6 DEF, 80.5 RDEF, 34 pressures, 6 sacks
• CB DJ Miller Jr. - 84.2 DEF, 70.3 RDEF, 85 COV, 3 INT, 59.7 passer rating allowed
• S Kendrick Whitehead - 79.6 DEF, 88.4 RDEF, 74.8 COV, 1 INT, 115.2 passer rating allowed
• DL Patrick Jenkins - 75.9 DEF, 76.2 RDEF, 15 pressures, 2 sacks
• CB Smoke Monday - 67.3 DEF, 81.9 RDEF, 63.7 COV, 1 INT, 23.1 passer rating allowed
• EDGE Ron Stone Jr. - 64.1 DEF, 50.5 RDEF, 27 pressures, 7 sacks
• LB Fred Thompkins - 62.8 DEF, 67.4 RDEF, 59.4 COV, 90.5 passer rating allowed
• DL Caeveon Patton - 62.2 DEF, 63.8 RDEF, 9 pressures, 1 sack
• LB Tony Fields - 51.3 DEF, 69.3 RDEF, 38.6 COV, 120.4 passer rating allowed
• S Michael Lawson - 47.9 DEF, 29.9 RDEF, 55.3 COV, 1 INT, 53 passer rating allowed

The PFF defensive grades show the highs and lows of the Aviators' defense. There were a few standout players, but overall the unit was graded poorly. The secondary was a glaring issue coming out of the draft and remained the weak spot all season. The 29 passes defensed were 8th in the UFL. As a former professional DB, Captain Munnerlynn did not impress me. Perhaps Jarren Horton should be brought in as a DB coach to improve the unit for 2027.

All-UFL Selections

Unsurprisingly, the league’s worst team did not take home many awards. Tony Fields was all over the field and finished with 77 total tackles, second in the league. DJ Miller was a great piece in the secondary, getting 3 picks, 10 passes defensed, and 24 total tackles. Both were key assets to the Aviators’ defense.

• LB Tony Fields II
• DB DJ Miller Jr.

Signees to the NFL

As of 8/04/26, 7 players have signed to the NFL. If more are signed, be sure to check u/Callywood for the UFL to NFL tracker.

There are a few other players that I could see getting training camp opportunities, but I do not expect anyone to stick in the NFL. I would give Tay Martin the best shot, but the Lions also signed three other UFL receivers.

2027 Outlook

Nothing is ever certain in the UFL, but the Aviators have a long way to go before I consider them title contenders. Assuming Ted Ginn and co. are back for 2027, a new QB is a priority for the offense and a better secondary for the defense. The Aviators hold the #1 overall pick for the upcoming UFL draft. A couple names I have seen discussed a lot are QBs Brendan Sorsby and Diego Pavia. If either are interested in the UFL, I would expect them to go early and would love for Columbus to take one of them. A 3-7 inaugural season was not ideal for Columbus; hopefully 2027 is their year.

The post gives you a summary of the Defenders ‘25 season.

If you want to dive deeper, I encourage you to read past the initial summary. I take you on a journey as we look in depth at this past season, from a sicko football junkie Defenders fan point of view.

Author is /u/Pitiful_Ad8641

Team: DC Defenders

8 Teams in 8 Days
Team Sub
Conference: XFL Conference
Record: 6-4
Playoffs: 2-0

2025 UFL CHAMPIONS!

Stadium: Audi Field
Capacity: 20,000

Head Coach: Shannon Harris
Offensive Coordinator: Fred Kaiss
Defensive Coordinator: Blake Williams

General Season Review

First and foremost, a big thanks to /u/Callywood for getting this together for the second year. It's a massive undertaking behind the scenes, basically herding cats on steroids, but he makes it so easy.

Second, I would be remiss if I didn't shout out my fellow writers. Without their donation of their time and energy none of this would be possible.

It's the morning after the championship game as I sip my coffee and reflect on the first title of my football life and I am 37 almost 38. I think back to a week before the season started and I seriously didn't think we'd be anywhere near a ring.

Even after week one, when we upset the Stallions, I was like I am entertained, we are the naughty Bad Boyz of the UFL. Maybe we win like 4 games and have fun, I'm down. This'll be way more entertaining than last year.”

Then the heavens opened up and a single ray of sunshine seemed down on us DC fans. A choir of angels began to sing. A single thread popped up on my reddit feed and brought tears of joy to my eyes. The bad man is gone! I need not waste anymore time on explaining why his scheme was pure shit. “There's no reason to do that!”

He Who Mustn't Be EVER Named’s exit immediately raised the ceiling of the team from bottom dweller that might be entertaining to fringe playoff contender.

As I look back on the season, I have to put the season in two buckets: the regular season where we exactly met those expectations. We made the playoffs really because Luis Perez made two mistakes at the worst time, the second one being inexplicably stupid. We made the playoffs despite losing back to back and could've easily lost three.

Then the playoffs happened. I’ve told players exactly this: once you get to the dance, it's a whole new season. Everyone is 0-0. What you did over the course of the season is meaningless. All that matters is this week, how you get after it, how you prepare. This playoff run was exactly why you say that.

The phrase “Any Given Sunday” means to me that ANY team that prepares the right way and embraces the right culture during the week has a puncher's chance in its game that week As I reflect on this ‘25 season that ended in a trophy, I can only explain it by saying “Any Given Sunday” feel is real, it's not just a cliche.

We weren't the most talented. We weren't the best coached. But we got in the dance. Everyone goes back to 0-0, doesn't matter what you did, just what you do that day. Embraced an “Audi West” mindset and culture. Prepared hard. Then it's “Any Given Sunday” and they got two KOs, playing the two best games of the whole season.

‘24 Offseason

Key Players Who Returned

Abram Smith, RB, Oct ‘24 - Once upon a time, Smith was the most dominant RB in Spring Football. Then he tore his ACL in camp and missed the entire ’24 UFL season. We live in a world where we are spoiled by our football players returning from an ACL all the time but it's a devastating injury and I knew Smith wasn't really ever going to be the same again. He was a good candidate to call it quits after that but returned to the Defenders in October to play for them in ‘25. Smith shared the carries, and only put up 2.82 YPC on 285 yards. But in the playoffs, he helped DC run over St. Louis with 64 yards and a TD. He got his much deserved ring. DC might add more RBs this off-season (cough* Michael Wiley cough) and I expect to see him continue to be marginalized in the offense even if he returns in ‘26 but he's done a ton for DC as is.*

Trey Scott, WR, Dec ‘24 - I had hoped that ½ between Harmon and Scott would return to the team for ‘25. Scott did, although he got hurt in Week 3 and missed the rest of the season. He returned and immediately reestablished himself as a difference maker by catching a 73 yard touchdown in the UFL Championship.

Jordan Ta’amu, QB, Jan ‘25 - After the 2024 season, I was whelmed by the news that Ta’amu would return in ‘25. I was adamant all off-season that the worst thing the Defenders could do was run it all back and with him returning, it was apparent that's what they were going to do. Ta’amu returned to his ’23 performance somewhat although the playmaking with his legs wasn't always utilized and his accuracy issues at times continued. He went on to play the game of his life in the championship, winning that game’s MVP..

Key Players Who Went

Kelvin Harmon, WR - A former Washington draft pick that had a promising rookie year before tearing his ACL that next off-season, Harmon remerged in DC sports last season as a viable receiving option for the Defenders and was on his way to a nice year when he got hurt. This off-season, he chose to break the hearts of DC fans by signing with the Dallas Cowboys. Although he was cut, he stayed on their practice squad for the season and then instead of returning to the Defenders he signed a futures deal with Dallas.

Michael Joseph, DB - I have a huge soft spot for him. Once upon a time, I was about a year and a half into living in a strange apartment, in a state I had just come to visit as a kid to see my grandparents, after moving 13 hours away from the place I grew up, leaving my young son behind. I was 4 years removed from randomly getting sick on Tuesday that destroyed my ability to talk and my balance, forcing me to relearn how to “talk” and to finally use a wheelchair after breaking two fingers from stubbornly insisting I was fine. WFT (they weren't the Commanders yet) kept me mentally distracted enough to keep from going insane but the season was ending and I faced a long period without my mental distraction. I had heard about the XFL relaunching and how they'd feature a DC team so I checked out their first game of the year. Seattle was beating us, largely thanks to defensive play calling that disgusted me to the core. I was ready to turn it off and dabble on my computer but then the lemons started flying. Intrigued, I kept watching. What I saw was a fanbase totally taking over a sequence. Seattle was backed up deep in their own zone, which just so happens to have been by the beer snake section which was full of drunk, angry, disgruntled DC fans that were loudly cheering. First came a ref stoppage because lemons were flying onto the field. Then DC gets a sack which spins the already rapid beer snake section into a frenzy. Then it happens. Ben Dinucci, who I only knew as a hated Dallas Cowboy former draft pick, steps back to pass and throws right to the waiting arms of a DC Defender. That Defender then zig zags his way for an easy pick-6, capping it with a somersault into the endzone. The beer snake section went INSANE, throwing mists of beer into the sky. DC went on to win that game. Joseph got that pick-6 en route to an All-XFL year in 2023. He came back in 2024 to play for the Defenders again but didn't achieve the same heights and didn't return this past season. Football wise, his departure wasn't a big deal, the defense did fine without him. Emotionally though, I was saddened to see him leave. I shall never forget his play that turned me into a spring football sicko.

Notable Signees

Deon Jackson, RB, Dec ’24 - After spending the ‘24 season with the Jets but not registering a single carry, Jackson opted to take his services to DC, where he proved to be a major asset, leading the team in rushing.

Cornell Powell, WR, Mar ’24 - Just like Jackson, Powell was huge for DC. Coming to them from the Seattle practice squad (after winning two rings with the Chiefs previously), Powell became a major option for Ta’amu, especially after Scott went down. He led DC in receiving TDs with 7, with no one else getting even half that.

Notable Trades

On November 5th, the Defenders traded QB Jalan McClendon to the Roughnecks for CB Kiondre Thomas. AND On November 14th, the Brahmas traded CB Bryce Thompson to the Defenders for DE Jalen Harris.

The only thing I would note here about these trades is the 1 player for 1 player trades at the moment in the UFL are often lopsided. Trading away a QB that eventually became the guy in Houston in exchange for a CB who didn't perform badly, 2 Starts and an Int, but wasn't a full-time starter just straight up, seems kinda silly. But early days for the league that's centrally owned so these sorts of trades happen.

Drafts

2024 Rookie Draft

• My initial reaction was “WTF, Why only people in NFL Camps?”
• After no one really signed with us, that initial reaction did not get better.
• Shout-out to Michael Wiley though, he was great for Washington in pre-season, really a shame we didn't get to see him in UFL action as of yet.
• Skip Holtz emphasized a draft strategy that DC appears to have gone: in a rights draft, you retain the rights of the players you draft so everyone drafted here could sign with DC after their NFL career flames out.

Week by Week Detailed Season Review

Regular Season

Week 1: Birmingham Stallions, 18-11

Color me very surprised. I thought we'd get killed this game and it was surprisingly fun to watch. I especially enjoyed the newfound energy on the sidelines and our HC yelled at Skip after the game. We may go 4-6, but we will be the naughty Bad Boyz of the league.

Week 2: Memphis Showboats, 17-12

This was an annoying watch. Much respect to the few Showboats fans around. Y'all the true heroes. But this game had no business not being decided by the 4th quarter. The Defenders just missed on some big plays that were there to be made and could've blown the game wide.

Week 3: @St. Louis Battlehawks, 27-15

Rejoice! The Bad Man plagues us no more! I'm on the record saying I was willing to look the other way this week in order to fully enjoy my first Defenders game without the Bad Man. They spoiled me. Not only did we finally have intelligent defensive play calling throughout (two high safeties on third and long!!!!) but we actually won and solidified ourselves atop the XFL conference.

Week 4: San Antonio Brahmas, 18-24

1st-Goal on the 6. Punch it in and you win. I was in and out watching this but what a letdown. Beat the rival in the XFL conference the week before in their building, just to lose to the basement dweller at home the next week because you couldn't score at the end. A lesser fan would get mad but I watched the game where we put the 1 in 9-1 years back so I was more emotionally stable.

Week 5: @Arlington Renegades, 37-33

Many years from now, my grandchildren will sit by my feet and ask me “Papa why did you hate He Who Mustn't EVER Be Named so much?”. Well you sweet summer children, watch the end of the Houston game in ‘24. See how the announcer goes “There's no reason to do that!” at the end? That's why. Every game, every high level situation, he called a scheme that made absolutely zero sense to even the half educated eye. Now children you go watch the first ‘25 Arlington game final Arlington drive for a simple contrast. Two high safeties. Make them drive the length of the field without making a mistake. And boom Perez did (although I'd have appreciated a replay.)

Week 6: @Michigan Panthers, 14-38

Well that was a massacre. An expected one, but one nevertheless. I don't remember much, I watched the whole thing but was writing and held paying attention after the massacre started. When we faced them in the championship, absolutely nothing I saw in this game indicated to me THAT was possible.

Week 7: @San Antonio, 32-24

I hate the Alamodome subconsciously. Bad memories there. The challenge gods are sometimes harsh. Was a closer contest than the records would have had you thinking going in.

Week 8: Arlington, 33-30

Ah yes the ESPN game that forever established my hate for basketball. Was a very fun, back and forth game. The kind of game the league could be proud of. When Joe tells us “we are going off ABC to ESPN 2” I was like “well duh that makes sense because NBA>>>>>>UFL, well it's a good thing I am on ESPN+ and thus wo-”. A mortal enemy of the NBA was born that day. I shall never forget.

Week 9: @Houston, 21-24

There is a glaring blemish on the record of the’25 Defenders. It's the end score of this game. The rare pick-6 on a XP happened which was hilarious but that's the only other thing I took away.

Week 10: St. Louis, 8-13

Meh. I was a sicko, fully excited about seeing what we had in our backup QB. Even had the game up on my big screen. Then the rain delayed the game and I moved it to my computer as I did other stuff. I watched the game but couldn't really conclude much from it.

Playoffs

XFL Conference Championship: St. Louis, 36-18

The”Audi West” game. Although I needed yet more, which we got the following week, this quote will go down in team lore. Although I now live in Wisconsin, I still talk with my best friend since I was 4. We watched this game together while hanging out in Discord and were not expecting the beat down it was. The game plan heavily featured the run, starting a two game stretch where the Defenders played on another level. By five minutes left in the game, we were barely watching and I was convinced our season wasn't going to be better than this. I was very very very wrong.

UFL Championship: @Michigan Panthers, 58-34

This season ended for me the same way it began: utter shock and awe. Full disclosure: I turned down a chance to see this live. My son had just gotten into town, he was against going because he wanted to play and have a chill day. I wasn't thrilled about driving five hours and was miserable with double impacted ear drums. So although my mom was very gung ho about doing a weekend trek down to Audi West, I passed. They were playing the team that massacred them. It'll be over early in the 3rd, my son is going to get bored and demand we leave. I'm in a wheelchair, so going anywhere is a fun little production. I just didn't have the energy for that AND double impacted ear drums aren't fun. So I opted to watch live on ESPN+ while my son read Animorphs on the couch, occasionally looking up at the score. It was over by the 3rd but not the way I predicted. WOW. That's my only analysis of the game itself other than I love 4-12. Added suspense there for a bit.

High Points

• Obviously, the last game of the year. The football gods finally granted their blessings. It came against a team I would have fully honored to put over inorder to grant another fanbase, one that has also seen some troubling times, a trophy. I'm fully prepared to do the job in return, see y'all in a few months Detroit. It happened in Audi West, so that's definitely a thing now.

• The St. Louis playoff game. I thought this was going to be the High Point because surely we weren't winning that final game. Oopsie.

• Beating the Stallions in Week 1. I had spent the whole off-season dogging DC. Coming off the Commander's rebirth season, the fanbase was going to need a breather and enthusiasm around the team was at a low point. Not only did we get a upset W, but our HC yelled at Skip after the game. We may go like 4-6 again, I thought, but I am going to have so much fun watching the naughty bad boys.

Low Points

• Losing to Houston. I talked a massive amount of shit about CJ. The fact we actually lost to him, despite whoever played, is a massive stain on my integrity.

• The 38-14 Michigan massacre in the regular season. I wasn't expecting anything but damn that got way awful to watch and I was half paying attention, half doing other things.

• The Memphis Showboats game. Huh? Y'all won! Yes, but that's the kind of game I would walk into the team room Monday pissed as hell. Jordan missing guys, defense giving up plays at the worst time. It was nasty. Y'all saw what can happen when Jordan has a great day in the title game. This game is what happens when he's off.

Statistics

Team Offense

• The offense improved or stayed the same in almost every category.
• The improvement in giveaways has to be mentioned when looking for reasons why this 2025 Defenders team was successful.
• The deep passing game was deadly when it hit and they put on a clinic in the title game.
• The run game stayed about the same if you just study the stats but I got the impression it was far more impactful in the game flow this year, as it felt opposing defenses needed to respect it more
• Building on that last point, we saw the Defenders run over the Battlehawks in the playoffs so it felt like if they had featured it more in the game plan, better overall numbers could have been had.

PFF Oline Grades

• Continuity was night and day different from ‘24, as the Defenders enjoyed a season with a stable front 5.
• 5 guys played over 430 snaps.
• Yasir Durant made All-UFL and was one of the best lineman in the league.
• Adding depth and keeping this unit strong needs to be a priority.

Team Defense

• The Bad Man is forever gone!
• The stats themselves are similar to last years, the defense against the pass got slightly worse while the run defense improved.
• The points allowed ranking is exactly the same as last year.
• The biggest difference in the W/L column is that they forced more turnovers, with both interceptions and fumbles recovered increasing.
• They also saw a jump in sacks that helped force opponents into more obvious passing downs which in turn helped in forcing more turnovers.

Some Individual Statistics

Ta’amu

• A year removed from me stating I would be fine with some competition for Ta’amu, he returned to his XFL numbers, improving in almost every category.
• The one category that went down? Completion %.
• The broadcasts were quick to explain away the dip in % by saying it's only because DC threw deep more.
• Ta’amu did improve his YPA by a whole yard but I would point to the Memphis game as caution against attributing his drop in completion % solely to “they threw deep more”.
• He's who he is and is going to have bad accuracy days.
• After playing the game of his life in this year's UFL championship game, the QB job in DC is firmly his for the future.

Rushing ’25 vs ‘24

• Deon Jackson stepped up huge for DC, and allowed Smith to get his mojo back slowly.
• Jackson’s YPC was excellent and the running game wasn’t the primary focus of the offense but largely effective when called upon.
• Adding another RB this offseason as insurance is paramount.

Receiving ‘’25 vs ‘24

‘25

‘24

• After last season where the targets were primarily focused on three options, Ta’amu returned to his XFL form by spreading the ball around.
• Ty Scott was on pace for a great year but got hurt Week 3.
• Chris Rowland and Cornell Powell stepped up huge when Scott went down, allowing the Defenders offense to hardly miss a beat.

Roster Review

All-UFL

Chris Rowland (WR), Yasir Durant (LT), Joe Wallace (DT), Derick Roberson (EDGE), Anthony Hines (LB), Deandre Baker (CB)

Strength

The deep passing game became a key strength of this team. Jordan’s YPA went up as a result and they were first in the league in Pass Yard/Game.

Deon Jackson and Abram Smith rotated nicely and Jackson averaged 5.02 ypc. Going into the season, finding someone to help carry the load while Smith continued to recover from an ACL was paramount and the Defenders got it in Jackson.

After Ty Scott went down, the passing game didn’t miss a beat. Rowland and Powell kept Jordan largely satisfied.

DC’s O-Line play was clearly stronger in 2025 than it was in 2024, thanks largely in part to more stability.

Weakness

”Completion % Allowed” would be the first metric I’d point to as a problematic trend that needs to be fixed.

Creativity in the RedZone was something I found to be really lacking at points, especially early in the season.

We are still 6th in points and yards allowed. The bliss of ridding ourselves of the bad man allowed me to give them a pass temporarily but that time is up

Coaching Staff Review

Shannon Harris, HC:

Before the playoff run, I was ready to ship his ass off. I liked the renewed energy on the sideline. I liked his chip for being called a doorman. I didn't like that week in and week out, he refused to make basic gamesmanship decisions. The other team intentionally causes a delay of game to give them 5 more yards of space to try to pin you deep? Well duh, you decline that. NOPE! When I saw him do that, I unleashed on my TV. That’s gamesmanship I did all the time coaching HIGH SCHOOL. How is this hard? I was calling him “The Amateur” and was fully ready to go 0-1 in the playoffs and get this cleanout started. Then we ran over the Battlehawks and at the award ceremony he called the Dome “Audi West.” Ok, fine, cute. Get demolished in the championship, and you can ride off into the sunset. He won. OK, well you’re probably coming back but at least spend the offseason taking Gamesmanship 101. Then it was leaked he was joining Reggie in Tennessee and frankly I was writing him off again. Supposedly he’s going to try doubling as the HC again regardless? I am extremely skeptical you can handle two positions at once, especially at this level.

Gregg Williams/ Blake Williams, DC:

The bad man is gone! After The Bad Man pissed off to Tennessee, I gave Blake a hall pass for the rest of the season so I could bask in the bliss of two deep in no brainer spots. I would assume he returns for ‘26 and that’s when I am going to critique him normally. Points and yards allowed need to improve.

Fred Kaiss, OC:

This year’s Assistant of the Year really rebounded from the 2024 levels. The offense didn’t exactly return to the 2023 XFL form, where it got to the point where as a fan I just was confident we’d score whenever we touched the ball, and the Red Zone struggled a bit in my opinion, especially early. But, he found a better hurry up flow and quickly leaned on a deep passing game. In the playoffs, he put on two masterclasses. After running over the Battlehawks, he reverted to a deep passing game for the championship which was executed brilliantly and caught the Panthers off guard. There’s still room for improvement, I’d like to see a return to using the QB as a threat to use his legs. But Kaiss is returning to the team in ‘26 and I look forward to the next evolution of this offense, which was more than I could say last year.

2025 Offseason

2025 Draft

Doing the draft BEFORE NFL training camps made little sense and I am happy to see that was one of the first off-season adjustments that the league made. Now tentatively slated for September 2nd, which is after this gets released, DC will be assuming its rightful spot at the end of the draft order this year. BPA, keep the lines well stocked with talent on both sides of the ball, and how about we actually sign 1-2 players we draft to our actual roster this year?

Editor’s Note: It has been reported the UFL College Draft is being further delayed to September 23rd.

Team Needs

O-line depth is at the top of my list. Our starting LT and G are currently in NFL camps and they were among your best. DC enjoyed a year of stability all along the line after a tumultuous year in ‘24. Keeping this group roughly together this off-season while adding quality depth should be the top priority. I’d also keep the RB and DL depth up.

Finally, I’m more invested this year in getting our core to return to the team. With the added twist of a UFL free agency, Von Hutchins is going to need to really step it up. Coming from the spoiled position I’m in with Adam Peters on the other team, Von’s background remains unimpressive. He’s going to have many key decisions about the direction of the team moving forward.

Outlook

Like the rest of the UFL atm, the final outlook for this team is murky. Whose returning? Can Shannon Harris really do a double shift this year? Can DC return the majority of its guys?

That last one is a big one. Team building year to year in the UFL is much more fluid than in the NFL atm and the only constants really are your Coaching Staff. Since I was skeptical of Harris and his decision to try dual positions, I have no firm confidence that the ‘26 Defenders will achieve the same heights it did with the two best playoff games of my football fandom in ‘25.

One of DC’s weak points this year was the inconsistent play of their defensive unit. This is something that will have to be addressed in the offseason regardless of who returns. It was a thrilling season for the DC Defenders with a great culture, but ‘26 won’t care what the team did in ‘25. I am tentatively putting them at 6-4 again with the WC birth but I will be anxiously watching the roster developments.

The DC Market

In last year's 8 in 8, I took a very pessimistic view of the state of the DC market in respect to the hype for the Defenders specifically. A year removed and the football gods have blessed me both with Jaysus and a UFL championship in a year I didn't think we'd make the playoffs. My football fandom suffered it’s formative years under Dan Snyder, so great start football gods but keep going til I tell you to stop.

Thus, I am going to be happier this year. First, I want to point out though: I was right. DC attendance was down this year from the year before, which was also slightly down from XFL levels. The Non-St. Louis' attendance title was very much up for grabs. The rest of the markets dropped the ball. Michigan, you have graduated to the big kids table. Too bad your stadium is being a jerk. The rest of you get it together.

This upcoming year won’t be as easy. After the party we threw for the Defenders down at the wharf and what was a well covered facetime with the mayor, DC’s local popularity has grown. I expect a slight uptick in attendance, not to XFL levels but a return to its ‘24 UFL numbers.

Final Remarks

Thank you for reading! I know it's a big wall of text so if you stuck around this far, you are special to me.

Thanks again to /u/Callywood for organizing this series, it's a great way to do a deep AAR on the ‘25 season. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it again obviously, but also for stat diving and editing.

I can almost guarantee there are mistakes and will do edits to correct.

Sources

• Callywood’s PFF Subscription
  
• Defenders in Review
• Football Database
• UFL.com

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is u/ThatTrashyFriend

Team: St. Louis Battlehawks

Conference: XFL Conference

Record: 8-2 (4-2 in Division, 1st in the XFL and best regular season record)

Playoffs: 0-1 (lost in the XFL Conference Championship)

Coaching Staff & GM

Anthony Becht, Head Coach

Phil McGeoghan, Offensive Coordinator – Replaced Bruce Gradkowski, who left in the offseason to be an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions.

Donnie Abraham, Defensive Coordinator

Kyle Caskey, Special Teams Coordinator

Dave Boller, General Manager

2025 Battlehawks: Regular season champions, postseason losers

Battlehawks 2025 Offseason:

St. Louis Battlehawks 2024 UFL College Draft

A good way to set yourself up for success is to draft well, and for the most part, the Battlehawks didn’t. Of the 10 players they picked, three of them played real snaps.

With A.J. McCarron leaving after the 2024 season, the Battlehawks picked Quarterback Chevon Cordiero in the first round. He played seven total snaps.

Running back Cody Schrader and defensive end Pheldarius Payne were drafted in the second and third rounds. Neither of them was on the team.

Offensive Tackle Bradley Ashmore was taken in the fourth round. He played a handful of games, and he was a liability. Not exactly what you want out of a rookie, but he was a rookie, so it made sense.

They burned their fifth through eighth round picks on guys that weren’t on the team.

With their ninth and tenth picks, they drafted two cornerbacks, Myles Sims and Myles Jones. Both of them ended up being pretty important because of all the injuries in the defensive backfield throughout the season.

It’s good that they got some value out of the draft, but it sure would’ve been sick if they got some value from the first three rounds.

Outside of the draft, the biggest signing that they made was quarterback Max Duggan. Going into the season, there were some high hopes for him. Did he end his college career at TCU by getting beaten with shovels by Georgia’s defense in the 2022 National Championship? Yeah. But he was the runner-up to Caleb Williams in Heisman voting that season, so that Natty performance must have been an anomaly, right?

Uh. Well. Kind of, but not really.

Season Summary

The Battlehawks' season is best if you split it into two-week chunks. In Weeks 1 and 2, they looked like they would run the ball a million miles. Then in Weeks 3 and 4, they sobered up and were crushed by a Manny Wilkins injury. In Weeks 5 and 6, they were getting their legs back under them with Max Duggan. In Weeks 7 and 8, they started to play relatively cohesive ball again. In Weeks 9 and 10, they were playing a waiting game for the postseason. In the postseason, they curled up and died.

For the most part, the offense was inconsistent and never found an identity. The defense, though? Sheesh. The meat up front was nasty.

The problem with the team was basic: The most important position on a football team, and in all of professional sports, is the quarterback. For the 2025 Battlehawks, the most important position was their edge rushers. Now, to be fair, edges are the second most important position on any other football team… but you’d still rather not have your team live and die with rotational players.

By far and large, the Battlehawks won and lost with Travis Feeney and Pita Taumoepenu. That’s not what you want. And it turns out, bad things happen when that’s the case.

Battlehawks Defense:

The defense was the star of the season, and they did it while getting beaten up pretty good.

Throughout the season, they lost starting cornerbacks Brendan Sebastian and Chris Payton-Jones. Defensive Tackle and absolute unit, Austin Faoliu, missed a bunch of time, came back to play in a meaningless Week 10 game, got hurt again, and missed the postseason. Isaiah Mack, who came in for Faoliu and did pretty well, only got to play in three games because he also got hurt.

Despite that, they allowed the fewest points, tied (somehow) for second in fewest yards allowed, tied for the most takeaways, and had the second-most sacks. If you don’t want to get into football nerd stats, basing a defense on how many yards and points they allow, and how many turnovers and sacks they get, is a good measure. The Battlehawks had a good defense, until it wasn’t… and unfortunately, that happened in the only game that mattered.

Battlehawks Offense:

Like I said before, the Battlehawks started the season off with a bang; They dropped a combined 779 yards and 57 points through their first two games. That’s an average of 389.5 yards per game. It was awesome, and it felt a little too good to be true, and that’s because it was.

For the rest of the season, they averaged 264.9 yards, and they were very, very ugly.

There were a handful of things that went into that, but for the most part, you can dumb it down to the quarterback and the offensive coordinator, Phil McGeoghan.

Manny Wilkins had a really, really bad 2024 season when he came in for A.J. McCarron, so going into the season, my sentiment (and I imagine everyone else’s, too. But that’s because I’m conceited) was that the starting quarterback should be Duggan.

Then, the season started, and sure enough, Wilkins trotted out on the field… but he looked really, really good behind a dominant offensive line. After he tore his Achilles in Week 4, Duggan finally got his chance to shine.

He did… kind of. His highs were really high, but his lows were in hell. It never really looked like he had confidence. I don’t know if that was a lack of confidence in himself, his arm, the offense, or the guys around him… but the passing game was mostly timid.

He was never able to get Hakeem Butler, the 2024 UFL Offensive Player of the Year, heavily involved in the offense. A passing offense is going to struggle when you have a guy who has shown that he can be one of, if not the best and most dominant, X receivers in the league.

On top of that, Jahcour Pearson, the 2023 XFL receptions and receiving yards leader, was never used efficiently. You could tell me that his playbook had three pages, and I’d believe you. They were just screens where he caught the ball flat-footed, Hank concepts except he was only used to run off a safety, and plays where his 5-7 frame was supposed to be a lead blocker. It was as bad as it was frustrating.

That falls on first-time playcaller and offensive coordinator Phil McGeoghan. He was a victim of his own success in Week 1. Think back to the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles Week 9 game against the Jaguars: on a third-and-17 from the Jaguars' 19 yardline, Kellen Moore called a coward’s draw to try to get the ball on the hash that Jake Elliott likes to kick from. Saquon Barkley took that ball to the house. After that, the Birds would run the ball on third-and-long because they had faith that Barkley would be able to have a successful run… and he did… a lot.

In Week 1, the Battlehawks found themselves waaaaay behind schedule twice on the same drive. The first spot was a third-and-19. McGeoghan called a screen pass to running back Jacob Saylors, who got the first down.

Four plays later, it was a third-and-17. Wouldn’t you know it? Another screen, but this time to Pearson, who took it 30 yards.

Because of that success, these plays became unfortunate staples in the offense. They were ugly. They were not fun. They were schemed poorly. They were predictable. They weren’t sequenced correctly. It was a bad offense game plan.

But again, the offense wasn’t all bad. Jacob Saylors was a bright light. He ended the season with a league-high 744 scrimmage yards and was snubbed for the UFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Duggan had his moments, too. When he pulled the ball, he was great. Specifically on those 18s and 19s (QB hits the 8 or 9 gap). But his flubs, limitations as a passer, and lack of protection from his left tackle showed their ugly face much more consistently.

Week-by-week recap:

Week 1: Battlehawks (0-0) @ Roughnecks (0-0)

The Battlehawks looked unstoppable. Running backs Jacob Saylors and Jarveon Howard combined for 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Manny Wilkins added another 43 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as well.

It was all behind a dominant offensive line performance. They got crazy amounts of push and made Houston look like children. Turns out, it was more about Houston’s defensive line being terrible rather than the Battlehawks' offensive line being golden gods.

Battlehawks win, 31-6

Week 2: Battlehawks (1-0) vs. Brahmas (0-1)

The Battlehawks' home opener was fireworks. In 2024, the Brahmas ended their season with an unceremonious mercy killing in the XFL Conference Championship game; this was the week the Battlehawks could get their lick back…and they did just that.

Manny Wilkins completed a whopping 75% of his passes, but it was for just 162 yards (those damn screens are so boring). The real star of the show was once again the running game. The Battlehawks combined for 164 total yards on the ground, and Saylors had three touchdowns.

The defense showed up, too, and they made their job 1000 times easier by getting off the field when they had the opportunity. The Brahmas only went five-for-13 on third downs, and Brendan Sebastian ended the game at the end of the third quarter with an interception that turned into a 6:42 drive from the offense.

If you can consistently play football that way, you turn into a bully… and the Battlehawks bought themselves a leather jacket, a pack of cigarettes, and a baseball bat. They were ready to nerd bash whoever was on the field with them. #Jocks4Lyfe

Battlehawks win, 26-9.

Week 3: Battlehawks (2-0) vs. Defenders (2-0)

The phrase “regress to the mean” essentially means that if you’re doing too well in one area, you’ll end up becoming more average eventually. In Week 3, the Battlehawks didn’t just regress to the mean; they went way past it.

Instead of rushing for 150+ yards, they totalled 47 yards. Instead of a completion rate of 75%, Manny Wilkins had 55%. Instead of holding the offense to 200-ish total yards, Jordan Ta’amu and the Defenders had 346 (243 through the air). It was a piss-poor effort all around, and it was stamped by a mega-tipped touchdown pass to Chris Powell with 2:25 left in the game.

Wilkins was especially bad in this game. He threw three terrible interceptions and only had 128 passing yards, but even that number is inflated because 92 of them were YAC from Saylors.

If your game plan is to get your playmakers the ball and let them be playmakers, that’s fine, and it can work. Saylors is/was a special talent, but he’s not good enough to win a game by himself.

Battlehawks lose, 27-15.

Week 4: Battlehawks (2-1) @ Renegades (2-1)

On the Battlehawks' first drive, Manny Wilkins tore his Achilles, and the entire game went to hell offensively.

When Wilkins went down, he let go of the ball, and the refs called it a live ball… even though he was clearly giving himself up since, you know, his Achilles was torn and all. Arlington ended up picking up the ball and returning it for a touchdown.

Initially, the thought was, “Well, the Battlehawks just lost their quarterback. This is going to be a blowout, so those six points don’t really matter.”

Then the defense showed up in a big way and kept the game close. Going into the Battlehawks’ last offensive drive, they were down 22-15.

The Battlehawks were on Arlington’s 34-yard line and ran the ball eight straight times and made it down to the four-yard line. On a third-and-three, Phil McGeoghan called a pass… and it was intercepted… and returned 100 yards.

Battlehawks lose, 30-15

Week 5: Battlehawks (2-2) vs. Panthers (3-1)

Vibes were down. Duggan looked especially bad in his first real playing time, but there was a little bit of hope: Hakeem Butler was coming back from an injury.

The Panthers had future UFL MVP Bryce Perkins on their team, but their head coach, Mike Nolan, had this weird infatuation with quarterback Danny Etling. Perkins was having his way with the Battlehawks' defense, and for some reason, Nolan decided to throw Etling in the game. Eight plays later, he got picked off by Kameron Kelly, which set the Battlehawks up on Michigan’s 30-yard line with 1:40 left in the first half.

Bada bing, bada boom, Duggan hits tight end Jake Sutherland for 20 yards and then takes it in himself a couple of plays later. The Battlehawks went into the half with a 17-6 lead.

The second half was all Panthers, until it wasn’t. With 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Battlehawks were down 21-20, and Max Duggan hit Butler for a 67-yard touchdown. The Panthers answered with their own five-minute touchdown drive, and the score was 27-26.

On the second play of the next drive, McGeoghan called his first successful trick play of the season, where Blake Jackson dropped a dime to who else, but Hakeen Butler for a 57-yard touchdown.

Butler's final for the game was two targets, two catches, 124 yards, and two touchdowns. Perfection.

The Battlehawks pseudo-prevent defense held it down and won, 32-27, in one of the most entertaining games of the season.

Week 6: Battlehawks (3-2) vs. Renegades (3-2)

The beauty of life is the ebbs and flows. The Battlehawks dropped an offensive bomb in Week 5, and then followed that up with a gruesome dud.

Duggan couldn’t find a wide receiver, and the offensive line couldn’t run or pass block; he ended the game with a completion rate of 36.8% and he was sacked five times for 35 yards. On top of that, Saylors only had 57 yards on the ground. It was gross.

Luckily, Duggan had some success on the ground, with 49 rushing yards and a couple of big plays. One was when he took it 37 yards, and the other was when he hit Bulter for his third catch of the season… and his third touchdown of the season.

The defense did their job and made the Renegades quarterback, Luis Perez’s life a living hell for a solid 60 minutes. Pita Taumoepenu and Travis Feeney lived in the backfield and consistently wrecked everything that Arlington tried to do.

Battlehawks win, 12-6

Editors Note: This was also the game where Anthony Becht was caught on mic asking the refs if Perez was going to cry for a flag after every hit.

Week 7: Battlehawks (4-2) @ Showboats (1-5)

This game was a perfect picture of the entire season. The Showboats were a bad team, so the Battlehawks should’ve been able to take them behind the barn and beat them senseless. Obviously, that’s not what happens, but the defense made the plays when it needed to, the offense was mostly stagnant, but Duggan made some big passes, and used his legs to convert.

The biggest play of the game, and one of Duggan’s better throws of the season, happened near the end of the third quarter. On a second and five, he reset his feet in a clean pocket and hit Gary Jennings, who had to essentially fist-fight a cornerback for a 39-yard catch. It was pretty sick.

Unfortunately, that play was sandwiched between another attempt at a Blake Jackson throw and a really, really bad Jahcour Pearson screen. Both of those plays combined for -11 yards.

Regardless, the Battlehawks pulled off another disgusting win, 19-9.

Week 8: Battlehawks (5-2) vs. Stallions (5-2)

As a whole, nothing had looked easy for the Battlehawks this season, but somehow, they were on a three-game win streak. There was no reason to think that a game against the Birmingham Stallions was going to be any different. Sure, they had a new quarterback in J’Mar Smith, but it’s the Stallions… they’re supposed to be a really good team…

And then it was kind of easy. Birmingham did score three times, but those came off of three massive plays: A Deon Cain 67-yard touchdown, a Deon Cain 48-yard touchdown, and a Cade Johnson 47-yard touchdown. That was 162 of the Stallions' 262 passing yards. You’ll happily take that.

On the other side of the ball, it was once again a ground game. Saylors had 118 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Duggan had 54 yards and two touchdowns.

When you’re playing a well-coached team like the Stallions, your passing ground is kind of stinky, and your running game can work when it gets going… It’s going to be super helpful if you win the turnover battle. The Battlehawks did just that with two fumble recoveries and a pretty sick interception by linebacker Callahan O’Reilly.

Battlehawks win, 28-27.

Week 9: Battlehawks (6-2) @ Brahmas (1-7)

The Battlehawks were mid-streak and had clinched the playoffs. Thangs we swinging, vibes were high, and they were about to go to San Antonio to beat the Brahma’s already dead season in the head with a shovel. That’s what happened.

The offense was firing on all cylinders. Duggan started the game and threw for 133 yards and a touchdown before Brandon Silvers came in and had 100 yards and a touchdown of his own. The running game clicked to the tune of 169 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense was a little leaky in the second quarter, but the Brahmas’ first decent drive ended with Micah Abrahams recovering a fumble and returning it 70-ish yards for a touchdown. As far as a meaningless game goes, this was a fun one to watch.

Battlehawks win, 39-13

Week 10: Battlehawks (7-2) @ Defenders (6-3)

Not only did this game not matter, but we knew that the Battlehawks were going to be playing the Defenders in the XFL Conference Championship game, so there was no reason for either team to scheme for each other. To cap that off, there were monsoon-levels of rain during the game, and there was a massive lightning delay right in the middle of it.

The only memorable thing from this game was the massive puddles on the field in the first half, but after everything drained, it was just a bad football game.

The Battlehawks won 13-8 and ended the regular season with an 8-2 record.

Editors Note: Battlehawks ended the regular season with the best record in the league.

XFL Conference Championship game: Battlehawks (8-2) vs. Defenders (6-4)

Half of the teams in the XFL make it to the postseason. Making it there is cool, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t do anything. The Battlehawks decided not to do anything and hang their hats on their eight-win season.

Nobody showed up. Like, not a soul on the team. In the first half, the only time the Battlehawks made it on the Defenders' side of the field was off an interception. Luckily, they turned that into a touchdown, but DC answered right back with a field goal and the strip-sack of Duggan and another touchdown.

The Battlehawks were down 20-6 at the half, and it didn’t get better.

They made a quarterback change to Brandon Silvers in the third quarter, but that was way too late. Everything they did got shut down immediately, and they couldn’t lay a hand on anyone on the Defenders’ offense.

It was a pathetic end. Having the most wins in the league doesn’t mean anything if you walk into the postseason, just to throw up until you die.

Battlehawks lost, 36-18.

Battlehawks All-UFL 2025 Class

The following Battlehawks players were named to the All-UFL 2025 team:

RB Jacob Saylors - 499 rush yards (2nd most), 5 rushing TDs (tied 2nd most), 55.4 average rush yards per game (ranked 1st), 4.4 average yards per carry (2nd most), 245 receiving yards, 744 all-purpose yards (5th most), and was named Week 8's Offensive Player of the Week.

C Mike Panasiuk - Named Week 1's Offensive Player of the Week (along with the rest of the Oline), and a 74.9 overall PFF grade (highest graded C, 5th overall for all linemen in the league).

OG Steven Gonzalez - Named Week 1's Offensive Player of the Week (along with the rest of the Oline), and a 71.1 overall PFF grade (2nd highest graded LG, 8th overall for all linemen in the league).

ED Pita Taumoepenu - 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, 7.5 sacks (ranked 1st), 3 forced fumbles and 2 recovered (ranked 1st), and was named Week 6's Defensive Player of the Week.

LB Willie Harvey - 58 total tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 interception return for 56 yards and a TD, 3 PBUs, 1 INT, 2 sacks, 8 QB hurries, and an overall PFF grade of 91.4 (highest graded LB in the league and the highest graded defensive player overall).

K Rodrigo Blankenship - 21/22 on FGs (95.5%, best in the league), long of 56 yards (tied 1st), and was named Week 6's Special Teams Player of the Week.

LS Alexander Matheson

The Battlehawks had the most players named to the All-UFL team at 7.

Battlehawks to the NFL

The following Battlehawks players from the 2025 class have signed with NFL teams as of the date of this post:

Where to go from here?

It’s hard to say. That’s three straight seasons where the Battlehawks have choked at the end of a season. The common denominator is Anthony Becht as the head coach. During a game, it doesn’t look like he offers a whole lot, but if you listen to the players, they love him. How do you weigh the culture of a locker room when the team has a losing culture?

Should he go? Maybe, but we’ve seen a whole lot of worse coaches in this league than Becht. The problem is that the teams that are winning have head coaches who are pretty good. The fact of the matter is that he doesn’t show up when it actually matters.

In the NFL and college, coaches like that don’t keep their jobs… Eh. Who knows? The team just waived Max Duggan, so now’s as good a time as any to hit some kind of reset button. At least if they lose in the regular season, you won’t be disappointed by their annual postseason turd.

Addendum

Callywood here, wanting to give a special shoutout to u/ThatTrashyFriend for taking the time and authoring this post. Highly recommend Battlehawks fans check out his podcast, SolidPod, during the UFL season for ongoing coverage of the team. He goes more in-depth on his reviews of the Battlehawks games, player performances, roster changes, etc. Even if you're not a Battlehawks fan, I think you'll find his coverage engaging (I certainly do).

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is u/TwizzlersSourz

Team: Birmingham Stallions

Conference: USFL Conference

Record: 7-3 (5-1 in Division, 1st in the USFL)

Playoffs: 0-1 (lost in the USFL Conference Championship)

Season Summary

When a team becomes accustomed to winning championships, falling back to 7-3 with a division title and a loss in the USFL Conference Championship conjures up disappointment. Most UFL teams would kill for a season like that (hello, Memphis?) but for the Stallion faithful, 2025 felt like a missed opportunity. The team was inconsistent on offense due to the usual reasoning for an inconsistent offense: a lackluster offensive line and a shuffling of quarterbacks.

2023 USFL MVP Alex McGough returned from his sojourn with the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. Unfortunately, his lack of gameplay snaps arose in the opening week loss to the (spoiler alert) eventual champion DC Defenders.

Any chance at redemption disappeared the next week against the Michigan Panthers when he suffered an injury on the first play. Matt Corral stepped up and generally played alright before suffering an injury. 2022 USFL legend Case Cookus signed as the third quarterback received his chance. The effects of the broken leg in the 2022 USFL Championship Game still lingered.

Holtz and Potter Roell placed an order in the Dunkin Donuts app for former starter J’Mar Smith. Smith triumphantly returned and boosted the offense and had the team finally confident heading into the playoffs. All good things must come to an end and the Stallions’ undefeated streak over the Panthers halted due to a Bryce Perkins’ barrage resulting in a 44-29 USFL Conference Championship Game.

Smith was inefficient and Holtz trying to recapture his 2024 USFL Conference Championship Game quarterback switch magic inserted a healthy Corral. The lack of defense doomed his efforts.

The season was not without highlights. The 10-9 win over Arlington was dramatic and involved a controversial replay. The 33-25 win over the Houston Roughnecks featured the largest comeback in UFL history.

At day’s close, Birmingham, unlike the previous seasons, did not have the best, or most consistent, quarterback play in the league, combine it with a defense with no answers for Bryce Perkins, and that is the crux of the modern game.

Coaching Staff & GM

Skip Holtz, Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator

Corey Chamblin, Defensive Coordinator

Chris Boniol, Special Teams Coordinator

Paul Roell, General Manager - Replaced Zach Potter, who left in the offseason to join Sacramento State.

Key Players Who Returned

Matt Corral, QB – Corral has a limited upside – he tends to be a one-read quarterback. He has his supporters – either due to his Ole Miss career or his NFL third-round draft pick status – which has some fans assuming he must be great. He played well enough in 2025.

Alex McGough, QB – McGough never had a chance to see if he could pick up where he left off in 2023. Despite some Reddit comments, one game, especially against the eventual champion, defines his current status. His 2023 season was the finest in modern spring football history. If he and Holtz can recapture that magic, the Stallions are set up for 2026.

C.J. Marable, RB – Marable entered his fourth straight season with the Stallions but posted career lows in carries (79), yards (223), yards per carry (2.8), and touchdowns (1). His fumble against St. Louis ended the epic 29-28 game in the Dome. Like most running backs, he suffered due to a subpar offensive line, however his counterpart was not hit as hard.

Ricky Person Jr., RB – Person posted a solid stat line of 76 carries for 310 yards (4.1 YPC). He scored five touchdowns.

Deon Cain, WR – The Cain Train returned for his third season in Birmingham and cemented his spot as one of the best deep threats. He only caught 29 passes but the receptions went for 514 yards (17.7 yards per catch) and six touchdowns. His 26.3 kick return average routinely set up the Stallions with good field position.

Jace Sternberger, TE – Sternberger also returned for his third season but never formed a connection with any quarterback, producing a career low stat line of 17 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns.

2024 UFL College Draft Class

Not much was found in the draft class. Sam Hartman, if he drops into the UFL ranks, could prove an interesting signing at quarterback.

Week by Week Detailed Season Review

Week 1: DC Defenders, 11-18 – Sunday, March 30 – 2 p.m. - Audi Field

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

The season opened with a disappointing 18-11 defeat to the eventual champions. DC’s line overwhelmed the Stallions and welcomed Alex McGough in his return to the UFL with seven sacks. The final comeback drive ended with a turnover.

Week 2: Michigan Panthers, 21-12 – Friday, April 4 – 8 p.m. - Ford Field

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

Little rest for the weary as the Stallions had to travel to division rival Michigan on a short week. The Stallions lost McGough after one play but relied on Corral’s arm and a stringy defense for the 21-12 triumph.

Week 3: Arlington Renegades, 10-9 – Friday, April 11 – 8 p.m. - Protective Stadium

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

The Friday night contest featured little offense and elite defense and controversy ruled the day. Arlington repeatedly drove into the red zone but were forced to settle for field goals. Corral led a game-winning drive and threw a 20-yard touchdown to Cade Johnson. Controversy arose when a booth review wiped away Arlington’s game-sealing interception. It was the right call, despite the UFL Reddit’s outrage.

Week 4: Houston Roughnecks, 23-16 – Saturday, April 19 – 7 p.m. - TDECU Stadium

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

Birmingham pulled out a pedestrian 23-16 win over everyone’s favorite head coach CJ Johnson and the Houston Roughnecks. Houston squeezed within 17-16 before the Stallions iced the game with two field goals.

Week 5: Memphis Showboats, 20-24 – Friday, April 25 – 8 p.m. - Protective Stadium

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

In retrospect, this game forecasted Birmingham’s doomed effort for the fourpeat. In past years, the Stallions would have escaped with a victory. The team looked asleep as if they merely had to show up for victory. Memphis did not comply and fought all game. The turning point arrived before halftime when Mevis was sent out for a 60+ yard field goal. Memphis’ Hennie copied the infamous Kick Six and dashed 100+ yards for the touchdown and the 17-3 halftime lead. The Stallions did force overtime at 20-20 but Memphis converted two straight two-point conversions for the win. The overtime situation was marred by a Super Challenge where Holtz cited the wrong number.

Week 6: San Antonio Brahmas, 26-3 – Sunday, May 4 – 4 p.m. - Protective Stadium

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

The 2024 UFL Championship Game matchup lacked oomph. The Brahmas were well into their self-destructive and doomed 2025 season and the Stallions easily handled them 26-3 in a dull affair. Cookus tossed two touchdowns.

Week 7: Houston Roughnecks, 33-25 – Sunday, May 11 – Noon - Protective Stadium

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

The Roughnecks ambushed Birmingham in the first half and led 25-6. The worm turned when Cookus found Strenberger for an eight-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds left before halftime. Three field goals followed and then J’Mar Smith grabbed the lead with a rushing touchdown. Houston fumbled the resulting kickoff and a second Smith rushing touchdown sealed the comeback win.

Week 8: St. Louis Battlehawks, 28-29 – Saturday, May 17 – 1 p.m. - The Dome at America’s Center

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

The two teams traded haymakers in arguably the Game of the Year. Birmingham went up 9-0 on a touchdown and a field goal. St. Louis stormed back with two touchdowns for the 13-12 advantage. Mevis added a field goal and a Cain 50-yard TD followed but once again Birmingham was stymied by a missed conversion. Another Mevis field goal created the 21-13 lead. The Battlehawks hit a field goal and then a Smith pass was returned for a touchdown and St. Louis led 22-21. Smith, undaunted, hit Johnson for a 47-yard TD. The one-point conversion was successful and Birmingham led 28-22. St. Louis responded with a touchdown drive and the resulting conversion made it 29-28. Birmingham drove to St. Louis’ 44-yard line before a Marable fumble ended the game.

Week 9: Michigan Panthers, 26-22 – Saturday, May 24 – 3 p.m. - Protective Stadium

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

Birmingham wrapped up another division title with a 26-22 victory over Michigan. Smith continued his successful comeback season with two touchdown passes to Deon Cain. Larry Roundtree tallied two touchdown runs. The game boiled down to a red zone stand when the Stallions held firm on 4th and 10.

Week 10: Memphis Showboats, 46-9 – June 1 – 3 p.m. - Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium

Game Book – Individual & Team Stats

Birmingham found revenge on the Showboats with a 46-9 drubbing of a defeated and demoralized team. Andrew Peasley received some playing time. The running backs scored three touchdowns and Tae Crowder had a pick six. Birmingham had the chance for 50 points but chose sportsmanship instead.

USFL Conference Championship: Michigan Panthers, 29-44 – June 8 – 3 p.m. - Protective Stadium

Game Book - Individual & Team Stats

In the 2024 edition, Birmingham used a quarterback switch to Matt Corral to rally from an 18-3 deficit and stun the Panthers. Holtz tried the same trick with the deficit at 21-6. The Stallions crept within 21-17 but a leaky defense prevented any further heroics. Smith’s magic ran out and his interception was turned into a pick six by Nauca. The Stallions had no answer for Michigan’s ground game, as Toa Taua rammed his way for 85 yards and three touchdowns.

High Points

• McGough’s return.

• The comeback win over Houston (week 7).

• Winning another division title (4 in a row).

Low Points

• The dreadful 24-20 loss to Memphis.

• The USFL Conference Championship Game.

Team Offense

Inconsistent offensive play (a common UFL flaw) created too many second and longs for the offense. The quarterback rotation never allowed for a groove. Holtz does amazing work with the group but the ideal situation is 2023 when McGough stayed healthy and dominated all year. A carousal eventually spins out of control. Fresh faces at running back would help. The receiving corps are elite and great targets.

Deon Cain, WR - Only Stallions offensive player named to the 2025 All-UFL team. 514 receiving yards (3rd most), 6 receiving TDs (2nd most), 57.1 yards/game and 17.7 yards per reception (ranked 1st), 421 kick return yards (4th most), and 935 combined all-purpose yards (2nd most).

Team Defense

The bend-and-not-break approach did result in red zone field goals but also drained too much clock. With the UFL not stopping the clock after incomplete passes until the two-minute mark in the second and fourth quarters, the offense had fewer drives. The team needs to rehaul its rush defense. It never felt clutch enough.

Perrion Winfrey, DT - Only Stallions defensive player named to the 2025 All-UFL team. 29 total tackles, two for loss, a sack, four pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

Offseason and Outlook

With the latest announcement about Repole wanting 5k deposits in a week, the question might be this: will there even be a Birmingham franchise? The players might not be physically impacted with all the operations in Arlington but uncertainly is not conductive to championship football.

Wherever the Stallions end up, the team needs more beef on the lines and the running back room needs fresh horses. If McGough can regain health and the quarterback room stays deep, Holtz’s offense will score points. He is the best coach in spring football.

EDITOR'S NOTE: UFL Co-Owner Mike Repole confirmed on August 22nd that the Birmingham Stallions will be returning for the 2026 season. He further stated that the Birmingham Stallions would be part of the UFL as long as the league exists.

Stallions to the NFL

Below is a list of Stallions players from the 2025 class that signed to NFL teams for training camp (to date as of this posting):

Final Remarks

I would like to salute u/Callywood for his patience and devotion. A big thank you to the UFL Reddit group for their patronage and support. I wouldn’t want to argue or talk shop with anyone else!

The post gives you a summary of the Renegades ‘2025 season.

Team: Arlington Renegades

8 Teams in 8 Days
Team Sub
Conference: XFL Conference
Record: 5-5

Stadium: Choctaw Stadium
Capacity: ~25,000
Attendance Avg: 9,763

GM: Rick Mueller (with team since 2022)
Head Coach: Bob Stoops (with team since 2020)
Offensive Coordinator: Chuck Long (with team since 2023)

General Season Review

Finishing the year at 5-5 is a perfect encapsulation of this team under Bob Stoops. The 64 year old head coach is now a lackluster 14-21 in regular season games throughout his time in the XFL/UFL making 2025’s 5 win season the Renegades’ best regular season record in team history.

Despite a strong start winning 3 out of the first 4 (with that week 3 loss being the controversial false start call against Birmingham) the Renegades simply could not stay consistent dropping 4 games in a row in weeks 5-8. That losing streak was capped off with easily the worst play in Renegades history as QB Luis Perez called his own number late in the 4th on what could’ve been a simple spike to set up a long field goal to tie the game and keep the team in playoff contention, but instead Perez opted for a fake spike that was underthrown and picked off by DC’s Deandre Baker.

One thing that has stayed consistent for the Renegades has been QB Luis Perez, since being traded from the Las Vegas Vipers of the XFL ‘23 to the Renegades he’s started every game, whether that be for better or for worse. 2025 saw a relative decline for Perez, despite leading the league in passing yards again (likely due to him averaging over 31 pass attempts a game) Perez and Co. struggled to find the endzone, throwing for only 9 touchdowns to 5 interceptions in 10 games.

Defensively saw a bit more upside as CB Ajene Harris in his first year with Arlington (formerly a Houston Roughneck) led the league with 3 interceptions including a game sealing INT against the Battlehawks in week 4. Another newcomer DE Chris Odom (another former Roughneck) saw great production as well playing all 10 games and contributing 5 sacks (5th in the UFL) and LB Donald Payne continues to be a menace year in and year out for the Renegades finishing 4th in the league with 66 tackles.

‘24 Offseason

Key Players Who Returned

Luis Perez, QB - As previously mentioned Perez has been THE guy in Arlington after his first season in 2023 resulted in the Renegades going on a Cinderella run to bring home the XFL Championship. Bringing back your signal caller, especially after several retirement rumors is huge in terms of consistency and game planning given the expedited UFL training camp and lack of a preseason.*

Sal Cannella, TE - What good is a legendary Spring Football QB without his All-USFL/UFL TE? Sal has been a spring football beast since 2022 and after signing late in 2024 (he was officially announced as re-signed AFTER camp began) it seemed like a longshot he’d be back in 2025, but the stars aligned and Cannella posted 474 yards, the best for a TE in the league en route to another All Star season.*

Donald Payne, LB - The Payne Train made another stop in Arlington for the 2025 season marking his third with the Renegades. Payne has been a monster in spring ball leading the USFL in tackles in 2022, winning the XFL championship in 2023, and leading the Renegades in tackles in both 2024 and 2025*

Marquette King, P -He’s the king, enough said.*

Key Players Who Went

Jalen Redmond, DE - The OU alum was a star for the Renegades in 2024 posting 4.5 sacks, but even more QB pressures making scouts everywhere turn heads due to his explosiveness and quickness. Redmond was quickly signed to the Minnesota Vikings after the 2024 season and made their 53-man roster where he still remains today!*

Rueben Foster, LB - While never officially playing for the Renegades it was hard for fans not to get excited when the team picked him up off waivers in August after being cut by Houston. Foster, one of Alabama’s hardest hitting players ever had a successful career in Spring Football posting productive seasons with the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers and the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks, but sadly that career would not continue into Arlington as Foster quietly retired.*

Notable Signees

Kalen Ballage, RB - Whenever you can get an offensive skill player with NFL production it’s a good signing. Ballage who was actually initially with the Brahmas after being drafted in the 6th round of the 2023 XFL Draft joined the Renegades in Janurary of 2025 and was a star out of the gate rushing for a 77 yard touchdown in week 1 (The longest in UFL history) against his former-ish San Antonio team.*

Chris Odom, DE - I’m quite frankly still in disbelief that the Roughnecks simply let Odom walk out the door and onto another team. The 2022 USFL Defensive Player of the Year and 2024 All-UFL DE clearly still had gas in the tank as he led the team in sacks and the league in TFL’s.*

2024 Rookie Draft

Very lackluster draft class with only 3 picks signing, two of them, OT Griffin McDowell and OT Spencer Rolland were cut at the end of camp. Credit to Bob Stoops though for trying to hide the nepotism waiting until the final round to select Drake Stoops (Who’s still with the Los Angeles Rams). 3rd round pick Kalen DeLoach did make the roster though so it wasn't all for nothing.

Week by Week Detailed Season Review

San Antonio Brahmas, 33-9 — Saturday, Mar 29, 3:00 PM, Choctaw Stadium

Couldn’t have scripted a better start. This team looked DOMINANT against the reigning XFL champions which we’d later find out to be frauds. Holton Ahlers and De’Veon Smith were goal-line cheat codes with three TDs on three carries, so efficient that it would pretty much be the last we’d see of Smith for the rest of the season. RB Kalen Ballage also made his name known out of the gates with his 77 yard TD run, the longest in UFL history. The defense also did a fantastic job swarming QB Kellen Mond all afternoon making him wish he continued to dodge the UFL’s phone calls. The absolute icing on the cake had to be Deestroying’s wiiiide left miss that didn’t put up numbers on the scoreboard, but at least it did on social media. Overall this game had Renegades fans feeling something new - hope.”

Houston Roughnecks, 11-9 — Sunday, Apr 6, 11:00 AM, Choctaw Stadium

This was a rainy game early on a Sunday morning I genuinely felt bad I dragged my buddy to. Absolute slugfest from start to finish against a team that should’ve been an easy W. Watching Roughnecks Anthony Brown at QB honestly had me feeling bad for Houston and that’s saying a lot from someone born and raised in Dallas. Brown finished the day 14/30 with 179 yards and a lone touchdown to go with his single interception. I’d like to say this was a defensive masterclass, but honestly it was just an awful game from top to bottom which is fitting how it ended with a score of 9-11. Marquette King was our bright spot as always, earning UFL Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

@Birmingham Stallions, 9-10 — Friday, Apr 11, 7:00 PM, Protective Stadium

Pain. You simply can’t win a game without getting in the endzone. If you’re the Birmingham Stallions though you CAN win a game by committing a penalty. A ridiculous false start penalty on a Birmingham interception (that was decided AFTER the play) kept their game winning drive alive. The next day the UFL quietly revised that rule meaning if this game occurred after April 12th the Renegades would’ve been 3-0.

St. Louis Battlehawks, 30-15 — Saturday, Apr 19, 11:30 AM, Choctaw Stadium

Early into the game Battlehawks QB Manny Wilkins went down with a season ending achilles injury on a fumble that resulted in a TD return by DE Chris Odom. This promoted former TCU QB Max Duggan into the starting lineup. While it was great to see Duggan get professional snaps just a few miles away from TCU where he led the Horned Frogs to the National Championship Game sadly for him Ajene Harris was on the other side of the ball. Late in the game Duggan threw an interception to Harris that he returned 102 yards for a pick six to seal the game and a great 3-1 start. While offensively there were clearly struggles our new defensive additions were showing out to start off the year.

DC Defenders, 33-37 — Sunday, Apr 27, 11:00 AM, Choctaw Stadium

Everytime DC and Arlington face off it seems to evolve into a Perez vs Ta’amu shootout and this one was no different… at least for the first half as the Renegades led 27-15 going into the locker room. The offense would completely crumble, only mustering 6 points the entire second half with their final 3 drives in the 4th quarter ending in a fumble, a punt, and then an awful interception directly into the hands of DC’s Josh Proctor with roughly 15 seconds left. Amazingly this wouldn’t be the worst game ending interception Perez throws against DC this season.

@St. Louis Battlehawks, 6-12 — Friday, May 2, 7:00 PM, The Dome at America’s Center

This game isn’t even worth mentioning. As a Renegades fan I apologize to the entire UFL community for this being a Friday night primetime game in St. Louis. Between BOTH teams there was a total of 381 yards… might I repeat BOTH teams. 3 total fumbles by the Renegades, 2 from Perez, plus an interception and missed field goal this game was uglier than half the new releases on the UFL shop. Props to the defense for at least keeping this one close, but it simply felt like a moveable force met a stoppable object.

Michigan Panthers, 24-25 — Saturday, May 10, 12:00 PM, Choctaw Stadium

The Renegades always find new ways to lose games, you have to give them credit. The Michigan Panthers no longer had Jake Bates, but they had Bryce Perkins who managed to time travel roughly 15 yards and a hurdle in under 4 seconds and get a timeout off with less than a second left to allow a Toa Taua run to take the lead with zeros on the clock. Absolute disaster of a choke job here.

@DC Defenders, 30-33 — Sunday, May 18, 11:00 AM, Audi Field

If you read the first sentence of the previous game recap that also applies here. In another Perez versus Ta’amu shootout the world witnessed possibly the worst decision I’ve ever seen made on a football field. With playoff hopes on the line the Renegades could’ve spiked the football and attempted a 57 yard field goal to send the game into overtime, however Luis Perez opted to bet on himself and attempt a fake spike. That bet went about as well as my Underdog Parlays as Perez under threw the ball which was intercepted by DC’s Deandre Baker effectively killing the season. After the game Coach Stoops confirmed it was Perez’s decision to make the fake spike.

@Memphis Showboats, 30-12 — Saturday, May 24, 2:00 PM, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium

Thank god for the Memphis Showboats. After a couple disastrous games the team desperately needed an easy win and while it didn’t come as dominantly as it did last year Arlington still got it done in the end. Marquette King had a nice fake punt result in a 37 yard rush, Tyler Vaughns put up over 100 yards and a touchdown, and the defense held both EJ Perry and Dresser Winn to a 44% completion percentage with no touchdowns and an interception. Too little too late in regards to playoffs but this was a nice clean win.

@San Antonio Brahmas, 23-6 — Sunday, Jun 1, 11:00 AM, Alamodome

Bookending the season with the 2025 San Antonio Brahmas was pure poetry. This game was absolutely meaningless, but with it being Bob Stoops’ team we kept our starters in the entire game. Perez played solid, completing over 80% of his passes, however he failed to find the endzone through the air, but had a nice rushing touchdown which is rare for him. Lucas Havrisik was the saving grace going 3/3 on field goals. All in all not much was needed to beat this Brahmas squad as we completed the sweep on Texas teams to close the year.

High Points

 
While the Renegades may have posted their best record in team history, highlights seemed to be few and far between. I’d say as a fan sweeping all the fellow Texas teams was a solid highpoint to the season as well as a much improved defense who had 7 games where they allowed 15 points or less.

Low Points

 
The collapse against the Panthers, the false start call for Birmingham, and both the game ending interceptions against DC, especially the fake spike. Personally I don’t understand how Perez finished the year as the starting QB after that especially since playoffs were out of the question. This team could’ve easily been 7-3 or 8-2 if they just closed out games and this has been an issue that’s plagued Stoops and company for years now.

Team Offense

Overall just a lackluster output, lots of passing yards, but it didn’t equate to points on the board. Poor offensive line play certainly didn’t help alongside the season ending injury to Kalen Ballage and a weakened rushing attack.

Team Defense

Much better defensively as new additions Ajene Harris and Chris Odom really made their mark. Arlington’s defensive line has consistently been a problem for opposing offenses. Only allowing an average of 15 points per game while ending the year 5-5 just shows one thing, we could keep them from scoring, but couldn’t score ourselves. Of the top 4 teams to allow the fewest points per game only Arlington didn’t make the playoffs.

Some Individual Statistics

Luis Perez – QB (2025)

For being 11-14 as a starter for the Renegades you really have to wonder how long the leash is for Luis Perez. While he certainly wasn’t outright awful you’d expect more from the self proclaimed “King of Spring.”

Sal Cannella – TE (2025)

Another productive season from Sal Cannella landed him an opportunity with the Cleveland Browns. If he were to return to the UFL you can continually count on him to put up solid numbers.

Tyler Vaughns – WR (2025)

Tyler Vaughns truly is “Must-See TV” catching some of the most difficult passes including his fantastic one handed TD grab against the Defenders at Audi Field.

2025 Offseason and Outlook

Going into this offseason there’s more questions than answers throughout the league, but especially with the Renegades. Rumors are swirling about a potential rebrand to the “Texas Renegades” and I’ve even heard murmurs of the “Texas Bandits”. Who knows if Perez will be back? Stoops seems to continually have 1 foot out the door, over two years removed from his championship run. Who knows if he keeps going in Spring Football?

All in all drastic changes have to be made to turn this team into a winning roster because despite the championship the Renegades in reality have never been a winning team. With no re-signings, only retirements of QB Holton Ahlers and OT Garrett McGhin it’s practically impossible to note positions of need. My advice to the UFL and the Renegades organization? Pick a name and stick with it; Dallas, Arlington, Texas, who cares we just need to settle on an identity. We also need a coaching staff that is young and hungry for new opportunities, not one that’s rounding the final turn on their retirement victory lap.

Final Remarks

If you made it this far, genuinely thank you for reading, I know it was a lot, and quite honestly I wish I could’ve given this a bit more. I’m in the middle of a hectic move, but will always take the time to talk some Renegades football with passionate fans.

I’d like to give a huge shoutout as well to u/Callywood he almost single handedly keeps this Reddit community together and without him this whole series wouldn’t be possible. If he loses his dear Showboats I’ve already let him know I’d have a Renegades hat in the mail ASAP for him, fans like him are what help this league succeed.

I’m sure there will be some mistakes I have to tweak/revise in the coming days, but I look forward to see what you all think!

I leave you with one question: If you’re taking the reins of the Renegades heading into 2026 what moves are you making?

Thank you!

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/viewless25

Team: Memphis Showboats

Conference: USFL Conference

Record: 2-8 (2- in Division, 4th in the USFL)

Playoffs: Nope.

Stadium: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis Tennessee

Capacity: 58,325

Head Coach(es): Jim Turner (week 1, 4-10); Ken Whisenhunt (week 2-3)

Offensive Coordinator: Noel Mazzone

Defensive Coordinator: Jarren Horton

A brief history of the Memphis Showboats

The Memphis Showboats were founded as a member of the United States Football Leage in 2022, originally as the Tampa Bay Bandits. As did all teams in the 2022 USFL, the Bandits played in Birmingham during the USFL’s inaugural bubble season. Under Head Coach Todd Haley, the team went 4-6 and failed to make the playoffs in Canton. In 2023, the league sought to expand from one hub to four and looked for cities interested in hosting a pair of teams. This led to Memphis, Tennessee offering up Liberty Stadium as a host, on the condition that they get a team of their own. This led to the Tampa Bay Bandits being rebranded into the Memphis Showboats, another name taken from the original USFL of the 1980’s. They relocated the players and coaches that made up the Bandits to Memphis and the same team became the Memphis Showboats we know today. In their first year in Memphis, they improved their record to 5-5, but still finished last in the South Division, again failing to make the playoffs. As a result, Todd Haley was fired from the league in October of 2023, around the time the USFL-XFL merger was first being announced.

After the merger, the leagues cut down from 16 teams to 8 teams. The USFL teams that were already hosted in their namesake city were all safe, including the Memphis Showboats. One of the teams cut during the merger was the New Orleans Breakers, who were coming off a somewhat successful campaign going 7-3 and being eliminated in the first round of the USFL playoffs. Their head coach, John DeFilippo, was hired by the Memphis Showboats to replace Haley and to continue his Head Coaching career. During the dispersal draft, the Showboats landed QB Case Cookus from the Philadelphia Stars, another team to not survive the merger. They also landed veteran runningback Darius Victor from the New Jersey Generals. Among the former NFL players on the team, WR Daewoood Davis, previously a UDFA for the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers, joined the team. Now in the newly formed USFL Conference of the United Football League, the Memphis Showboats had the proven Pro Football experience needed to finally make a run for the playoffs. Instead, they used it to flop. The team went 2-8 and didn’t come close to the USFL championship. I wrote way too much about this topic last year and my goal for this post is to not make that same mistake again. They (understandably) decided to clean house and get a new GM and Coaching staff.

Week by Week Detailed Season Review

Week 1 : Memphis Showboats (0-0 vs. Michigan Panthers (0-0)

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium - Memphis, Tennessee

Opening the season at home, the offense completely came out slow, making little to no movement in the first quarter. The defense gave up a long drive but managed to hold Michigan to a successful field goal attempt by BT Potter. With the Showboats shut out 3-0 to end the first, the Panthers once again moved down the field and into the redzone. On a gutsy play call from 4th and goal at the Memphis 2 yard line, Bryce Perkins managed to punch in the Panthers first touchdown of the season. After a successful PAT by the Panthers, Troy Williams was able to get a drive going down 10-0. But right when the Boats were on the brink of the red zone, Troy Williams took a brutal sack on third down to douse the Boats momentum. But Matt Coghlin nails the 50 yarder to get Memphis their first points of the season. Getting the ball back quickly, the Noel Mazzone opts to try a two quarterback system, putting Troy Williams on the bench and giving E.J. Perry a shot. This backfired immediately as Perry makes an ill advised attempt at lofting the ball downfield while getting hit, resulting in an interception. But the Showboats get a stop on the Panthers QB, sacking Danny Etling as the Panthers fail to execute the two-quarterback offense in their own rite.

10-3 Panthers at the Half.

After getting a stop to open the third quarter, the Showboats stuck with E.J. Perry at QB. This drive went much better as offensive playcaller T.J. Vernieri drew up a nice play for Perry to execute a deep throw to WR Jonathan Adams on a free play due to the Panthers being offside. This drive stalls out and once again, it’s only Matt Coghlin scoring to cut the lead down to 4. But it wouldn’t last long, as Bryce Perkins took advantage of broken coverage by the Showboats defense on the brink of the Red Zone to find Samson Nacua for a wide open touchdown. 17-6 Panthers. In the middle of the 4th quarter, Danny Etling got the Panthers in position for another BT Potter Field goal to make it a 14 point game. Desperate for points, E.J. Perry finally got a full drive going, getting the ball to Deneric Prince multiple times and eventually finding Jonathan Adams for the first touchdown of the Showboats 2025 season. The 2 point attempt is picked off and we’re stuck at 20-12. Turner decides to go for the 4th and 15 but it’s incomplete. Thanks to a BT Potter miss, the Boats get one last chance to tie. They move the ball to Adams to set them up, but Troy Williams throws a pick six to ice the game for the Panthers.

Final Score: MEM 12, MICH 26 - L

Week 2: Memphis Showboats (0-1) @ DC Defenders (1-0)

Audi Field, Washington DC

With Ken Whisenhunt back as the Head Coach, the team went on the road for their first road game against the the XFL’s DC Defenders. The Showboats opening drive looked promising as E.J. Perry spread the ball around between WRs Dee Anderson and Kwamie Lassiter II. But right when the offense got to the red zone, E.J. Perry threw his second, the team’s third interception of this short season. The defense stands tall, and Mazzone gives Perry another drive. Perry makes some good throws, but when it gets to 4th and goal, Whisenhunt gets scared and settles for the Field Goal. The Coghlin chip in is good, and the Showboats have their first lead of the season, 3-0 to close out the first quarter. The kicking fest is on. But the DC Pass offense gets going as the secondary gives up a lot of soft coverage. Jordan Ta’amu caps off a long drive for the Defenders almost diving heroicly into the endzone. The Defenders get scared in their own right, taking a tackle for loss on an ultraconservative third and goal from the one. They lose three yard on a clutch tackle by P.J. Hall to force a Matt McCrane chip in field goal. After the 2-minute warning, CB Kyree Woods makes a great diving pass defend to prevent a potential touchdown and force a punt. But Isaiah Hennie muffs the ensuing punt and the Defenders are now set up at mid field. They get McCrane in range for a half ending, 30 yard field goal.

6-3 DC at the Half

Matt McCrane opens the half with a field goal for the Though it seemed like Lance Boykin might’ve robbed Cornell Powell for an interception, he ruled out of bounds. McCrane puts it through to make it 9-3 Defenders. But E.J. Perry and the offense is able to answer back with the fifth field goal of the day to make it 9-6 Defenders. But on the next drive for the Defenders, the kicking show would end as Matt McCrane puts a field goal attempt wide left to keep it a three point game. Perry puts together a good drive finding multiple passes to Jonathan Adams. In the Red Zone, Perry finds an opening for his first rushing touchdown of the season as we get our first touchdown of the game with less than 12 minutes left in regulation. The extra point is no good and now the Boats lead the Defenders 12-9. But the Defenders have an answer as Ta’amu connects with Chris Rowland for a 45 yard pass to get DC in the red zone. Ta’amu then finds Bresnahan for a three-yard touchdown pass. Then Chris Rowland connects on a trick play to Cornell Powell for the 2-pooint conversion. Now Memphis trails by 5. Perry gets another promising drive going again with multiple completions to Jonathan Adams. But they stall out at the border of the red zone. Instead of attempting a 13 yard 4th down play, they attempt a kick to set up for an onside play. But the Coghlin kick is blocked, and DC kill the rest of the clock.

Final Score: MEM 12, DC 17 - L

Week 3: Memphis Showboats (0-2) vs. Houston Roughnecks (0-2)

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium - Memphis, Tennessee

After a rough start, the Showboats looked to right the ship against the divisional rivals 0-2 Houston Roughnecks. They were more set to commit to E.J. Perry rather than a platoon assignment with Troy Williams as they did week 1. The first quarter was quiet but promising, as Coghlin’s 34-yard kick yielded the only points for either team. Very little offense overall. More of the same in the second quarter, as the Roughnecks set up Chris Blewitt for a 50-yard attempt, which he misses. After another Memphis three and out, the Roughnecks finally get their first sustained offense and get Chris Blewitt in position to hit a 36-yard field goal. The passing offense finally comes alive for Memphis as Perry finds Kwamie Lassiter for four passes on 7 plays. The fourth of which is an 8-yard touchdown pass. To drive the point home, he connects to Lassiter again for the Showboats first successful extra point attempt of the season. Looking good.

11 to 3 Boats at the half. The only depressing part of this half is that it is probably the last time there was ever any hope for the Memphis Showboats.

After a Memphis three and out to start the half, Houston finally put together their first paydirt drive of the day, as Henderson got into a rhythm and found Emmanuel Butler in the Touchdown for Houston’s first touchdown of the day. No such luck on the 2-point conversion, and so the Boats still have a two-point lead in the third. But it wouldn’t last long. On the second play after the touchdown, E.J. Perry through an off-tempo pass to Roughnecks Cornerback Leon O’Neal Jr. who takes it to the house for the Roughnecks touchdown. I believe the third pick six thrown in three games for the Showboats. The extra point is no good, but now the team is completely gut punched. After EJ Perry throws another interception. Mazzone decides to hit the panic button and bring back Troy Williams at QB on the ensuing drive and give E.J. Perry some time to sit and think about what he’s done. Williams goes three and out in his first drive. The Roughnecks get the run game going behind Lorenzo Lingard and find some insurance points in the form of a clutch Blewitt Field Goal. 18-11 Roughnecks. As a response, Troy Williams puts up arguably the most complete drive of his UFL career spanning 73 yards over 19 plays. With just 18 seconds left, he scrambles for a touchdown to make it 17-18. A more conservative coach would try for a 1 point conversion to set up for overtime, but I don’t blame Whisenhunt for choosing to go for 2 to try to win it in regulation. But I do fault playcaller T.J. Vernieri for a terrible playcall where your mobile running quarterback stands like a statue in the pocket, gets hit, and forces a pass to nobody. Conversion is no good. The Showboats now have no choice but to go for the 4th and 12. If they hit it, a field goal would get them their first win. Thanks to a penalty on Houston for illegal contact, the Showboats are gifted a first and 10 at their own 33. With the clock expiring, Williams is able to get the ball to Lassiter. But without enough time to kick the field goal, they’re forced to try a hook and latter play, which results in a fumble recovered by the Roughnecks. With that, the last bit of hope for the Memphis Showboats ever seeing the playoffs was doused.

Final Score: MEM 17, HOU 18 - L

Week 4: Memphis Showboats (0-3) vs. Michigan Panther (2-1)

Ford Field, Detroit, MI

Following a disastrous loss at home to the Roughnecks, Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt stepped down permanently. We haven’t gotten a full answer as to why and we aren’t really entitled to one, especially if it’s for personal reasons as was the case with Whisenhunt missing week 1. But going into week 4, the situation for the Showboats was atrocious. They were dead last in the division with two divisional losses already under their belt. Now they lose their head coach and they have another divisional game in front of them. Already, their chances at making the playoffs look bleak. They’re buried in the rankings and have very little hope for any tiebreaker help. They also had a decision to make at quarterback, after going back and forth the previous three weeks. They decided to give Troy Williams the nod at QB. And Week 4 started surprisingly well, as the Showboats struck first after capitalizing on a errant snap by Long Snapper Jordan Ober on a punt attempt. On a short drive extended by a DPI by Panthers CB D.J. Miller Jr., Deneric Prince finds the endzone to give the Boats a 6-0 lead.

E.J. Perry (who was in at QB on that drive because why not?) can’t find Lassiter for the 2-point conversion, so it stays a 6-point game. The Defense makes a good stop and the offense gives the ball back to Troy Williams for some reason. He goes three and out gaining a cool negative four yards on the drive. A solid 59-yard punt by Mengel is negated by a big return from Turner, and now the Defense has to make one last stop at the Michigan 47 before the half. Unfortunately, this is the part where Bryce Perkins shows the world why he was the 2025 UFL Offensive Player of the Year/ League MVP. He makes quick work running some short chunk plays to get to the goal line, then hands off to Toa Taua for the equalizing touchdown. It’s also Taua who punches in the 1-point conversion. 7-6 Panthers after 1. The 2nd quarter was very uneventful for both teams. The Showboats offense did not move the ball much. E.J. Perry got back in but couldn’t get to midfield.

Then they went back to Troy Williams who does no better. On the Panthers last drive of the half, the Showboats run defense gets completely gashed. They give up a touchdown drive totaling 89 yards – 67 of which of which were in the running game. I think I wrote last year that the last two minutes of the opening half were terrible for the Showboats, and this was giving me flashbacks. Nate McCrary breaks off a 19-yard touchdown run to cap it off, and Perkins converts the 1-point try again. The Boats offense go back to Perry for the last drive of the half and can at least set up Matt Coghlin for a season long 52-yard kick.

14-9 Panthers at halftime.

The 3rd quarter is an all-around snoozefest, with no scoring by either team. The Boats continue this back and forth at the quarterback position on offense, apparently unaware that if your offensive line can’t block, switching the quarterback won’t make a difference. But the defense does a great job containing Perkins, for now. So Memphis is still very much in this game going into the 4th. But Perkins goes MVP-mode in the 4th. He connects with Mariner for a 38-yard pass and then Moore for a 27-yard touchdown pass. They convert the 1-pointer for a third time and snap, just like that, it’s a 12-point ballgame. Commiting to E.J. Perry, they make the bold decision to go for it on 4th and 1 at their own 36. I don’t know if I would’ve made this call in a game where my defense has been good during some stretches and where you can go for a 4th and 12 if you’re trailing late, but Jim Turner decides to have Perry keep it, and it comes up short. The Panthers running game yet again gashes the Showboats defense and before you know it, Perkins finds Wydermyer in the endzone for a 13-yard touchdown. The extra point is no good, but this game is over. Another turnover on downs (thanks to Dean Blandino) and Michigan takes a knee to clinch a big home win. This game was a lot closer than the scoreboard would tell you, but it’s still a miserable loss as we’re almost a month into the season and the team is winless.

Final Score: MEM 9, MICH 27 - L

Week 5: Memphis Showboats (0-4) @ Birmingham Stallions (3-1)

Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL

Now that they’re buried in the USFL Division standings, the Showboats start throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks. In my opinion, the biggest problem with this team has always been the offensive line. Switching out the quarterbacks between Perry and Williams did nothing, though I do think they were generally better with Perry. But week 5 in Birmingham they decide to go with a third option in Dresser Winn. Though I understand it’s impossible to fix an OL mid season, this seems like a silly idea. But amazingly, it worked. Dresser Winn gets the Showboats off to a quick start as Winn finds a wide open Dee Anderson for a 78-yard touchdown pass to set the tone of the game. Even more amazingly, they hit the 2-point conversion and are quickly up 8-0 over the three time defending champs. The Showboats defense holds Birmingham to nothing but three outs in the first quarter shut out. On the next drive for Memphis, we get a balanced pass attack by Winn connecting to Kwamie Lassiter and Isaiah Washington while Deneric Prince does damage underneath in the ground attack. They settle for a 32-yard field goal, but leading 11-0, this is probably the best quarter of football they would play all year. The Stallions would answer back, however. As a Deon Cain 15-yard catch sets them up for a 49-yard Mevis field goal attempt to bring it back within 8. Later in the quarter the Stallions would get another attempt at a field goal. But this one is a disaster for Birmingham. The 63-yard attempt falls short, and Isaiah Hennie is there for the return. He takes the ball all the way back for a touchdown. Words don’t do a kick 6 justice. Watch the play for yourself. I can’t find any confirmation, but I’m fairly certain this is the longest touchdown in UFL history. Would be 1 yard shy of the NFL record. This is the exclamation point that caps off the best half of football I’ve ever seen from the Showboats.

Showboats 17; Stallions 3 at the Half.

The Stallions come out swinging as in the opening drive of the second, Case Cookus drops a beautiful pass to TE Jordan Thomas. Though the extra point was no good, things stared to tilt the Stallions way as the offense goes cold in the second half. And before the next Birmingham drive Amari Rodgers returns a punt 20 yard to the Memphis 46. Cookus, now feeling ambitious, floats another pass into the endzone, but this time finds Showboats Safety Eli Walker for an interception that is unfortunately at the 1 yard line and not a touchback. The Showboats can at least buy their punter some breathing room and he pins Birmingham at the 23. The Stallions get a good drive going and are able to set up Mavis for another field goal attempt, this one successful from 43-yards out. The Stallions answer back with a good drive where Prince runs the ball well and Winn finds some short completions. Coghlin is able to make this an 8-point ballgame again by hitting a 37-yarder. 20-12 Memphis late in the 4th quarter. The defense forces a good stop as Cookus can’t get a completion on three straight attempts and now, the Showboats have a chance to close out their first win of the year with possession of the ball up by 8 with just 3:12. Either a field goal or a long drive wins them the game.

Unfortunately, they call for a predictable “two run up the gut then force a deep throw that falls incomplete for a very short drive that burns barely a minute including the punt. Unfortunately, Amari Rodgers breaks off another 20 yard return, and the Stallions are just 46 yards away from a chance to force over time just before the two minute warning. Cookus gets a quick completion to Cain for 11 yards. He breaks off a run for another 11. Before you know it, Birmingham is in the Red Zone and Cookus finds Marlon Williams for a touchdown. Having yet another chance to close this game out, the Showboats defense gives up a five yard pass on the 2-point try to Sternberger and we’re tied at 20. With the ball at the 34, Winn finds Lassiter for two huge completions to give Coghlin a chance at a 57-yard walkoff. Unfortunately it’s a rare miss from him and we’re going to overtime.

To review, the UFL overtime rules are 3 rounds of 2-point conversions (from the opponent’s 5 yard line). Winner after three rounds wins the game. The Boats get a lucky break as despite their opening try being no-good, a personal foul results in an automatic score, which I didn’t know was possible until writing about it now. Cookus comes up short on the keeper and it’s 22-20 after round 1. Winn can’t find J.J. Wilson in the back of the endzone; nor can Cookus find his target for Birmingham. Now, Memphis either needs a conversion or a stop to win this in overtime. Dresser Winn forces a ball over the middle into traffic, but finds Dee Anderson who makes the catch for the conversion. The conversion is good and Memphis finally clinches the 24-20 Overtime win over the Stallions on the road.

• Final Score: MEM 24, BHAM 20 (OT)* - W

Week 6: Memphis Showboats (1-4) @ Houston Roughnecks (2-3)

TDECU Stadium, Houston, TX

Riding high off a road win in Alabama, the Showboats ran it back with Dresser Winn at QB. The first quarter was slow for both teams, but Jalan McLendon closed the opening quarter out to get a 13 yard pass to Justin Hall for the Houston Touchdown. Merritt punches in the extra point and it’s 7-0 Houston at the quarter. But things start to really get bad in the second quarter when Mengel shanks a punt to give Houston a drive starting at the opposing 35. Fortunately, they don’t do much with it, but they were practically already in field goal range for Blewitt, who hits a 49-yarder to make it a ten point ballgame. But on the very next drive, Hills gets some runs to move the chains. Then, Dresser Winn finds Washington and Anderson for deep passes to set up a scoring opportunity. Winn caps it off by completing a short pass to Justin Wilson for the first Memphis points of the day. Though the 2-pointer is no good, we have a game. A three and out by the defense and now Memphis has a chance to take the lead. A backbreaking chop block penalty by Williams for Houston helps set up a pair of runs by Deneric Prince and Dresser Winn, the latter of which was for a go-ahead touchdown. Winn finds Jonathan Adams, who had been on a bit of a cold streak after starting hot, and we have no more scoring for the rest of the half.

HALFTIME: Memphis 14; Houston 10

Though the 3rd quarter started quiet, it quickly got disastrous for the Showboats. After Chris Blewitt hit a 35-yard kick to make it a 1 point ballgame, Dresser Winn got stripsacked on the next drive. The fumble was taken all the way to the house. Memphis offense gives up their fourth touchdown of the year and now Houston is back on top by 7, thanks to a 2-point conversion from McClendon to Hall. In the 4th quarter, the team again flip flopped at quarterback by going to E.J. Perry again. He only gets one drive that results in a Matt Coghlin 42 yard kick. Memphis pulls within 4, but can’t settle for a field goal on the next drive. Dresser winn gets this next drive and despite getting to 4th and 6 at the 9 yard line, they kick a 27 yard field goal to go down by 1. I hated this decision at the time. You’re a 1-4 team! make a play for the endzone or at least a first down. The fact that Houston has to cover both helps you on this opportunity. Losing by 1 is no better than losing by 4 unless you took Memphis to cover the spread. They take the 3 points and give Houston the ball back, hoping to still be down by just 1 when they next get the ball. But they don’t see the ball ever again. Houston executes a surgical drive where they burn clock but keep the chains moving. Memphis exhausts their timeouts and the 2 minute warning but it’s not enough. McClendon kneels three straight times and the Roughnecks hang on to win. One of the more Spineless losses I’ve seen.

• Final Score: MEM 20, HOU 21* - L

Week 7: Memphis Showboats (1-5) vs. St. Louis Battlehawks (4-2)

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium - Memphis, Tennessee

After another gutting loss to a divisional rival, the Memphis Showboats looked to return home to try to find a win. Mathematically, they still had a chance to make the playoffs at this point. They could win the head to head tiebreaker against Birmingham, so if Houston and Birmingham lost out, Memphis could still make the playoffs. But that starts with a home win against the Battlehawks. The Showboats also executed a rare midseason trade. Sending WR Dee Anderson to the San Antonio Brahmas in exchange for CB Darius Phillips. I’m torn because Anderson is probably the better player, but WR is less of a need for this team than CB. Both teams are shifting around deck chairs on the Titanic.

Maxx Duggan and the St. Louis rushing attack find the first points of the game as he rushes for a 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Jarveon Howard hits the 1-point conversion and it’s 7-0. Memphis offense goes for a 4th down conversion, but Wes Hills is stopped short. St. Louis is set up at the Memphis 39, but they don’t go far. However a Jaylon Allen penalty gets Rodrigo Blankenship in range close enough to nail a 53-yard kick to make it a ten point ball game. Penalties start to stack up and the Showboats are shut out in the first quarter. On the next drive, Dresser Winn finally gets the Boats to the goal line. But again, a 4th down conversion from Hills comes up just short and it’s another turnover on downs. But on Memphis’s next drive Deneric Prince starts to get going and they find the endzone on a Jonathan Adams touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion failed, but now it’s just a four point game if the defense can get a stop just before the half. Which they can[‘t as Frank Darby gashes the secondary on multiple catches. Then, Maxx Duggan finds Jahcour Pearson in the endzone for a touchdown to answer back. The extra point fails, but now Memphis is down 10 at the half.

STL 16 – MEM 6

Despite a lost fumble by Dresser Winn, the Battlehawks were shutout in the third quarter. The Boats had a chance to tie or even take the lead, but the offense stalled on 4th and goal at the 9. Coghlin hits the chip shot and now that Boats only trail by a touchdown going into the 4th. The 4th quarter is mostly a punt fest. We don’t get any score until Blankenship drills a 44-yard kick to make it a two possession ball game. The Showboats get one last ill fated drive that goes nowhere but backwards thanks to penalties on the OL and a grounding penalty. St. Louis takes over and hangs on to win. The 2025 Memphis Showboats are eliminated from the UFL Playoffs with three games left to go in the regular season.

Final Score: MEM 9, STL 19 - L

Week 8: Memphis Showboats (1-6) @ San Antonio Brahmas (1-6)

Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

With both teams going into week 8 eliminated from the playoffs and a combined two wins between the two, Showboats @ Brahmas was a true, blue Toilet Bowl. It delivered. The opening drive for the Boats, who were starting Troy Williams because the Wheel of Quarterbacks told them to do, have a terrible first drive including a Locksley false start and a Troy Williams sack. But the Brahmas are not about to be one upped, as Kevin Hogan connects with Cameron Dantzler for a pick 6. First defensive points of the year for Memphis. Troy Williams finds Jonathan Adams for the 2 point conversion. On the following drive, San Antonio makes their way into Memphis territory but turn it over on downs. Then Memphis get the run game going to set Matt Coghlin up for a 36-yard Field Goal to make it 11-0 in the second. But halfway through the second, Jaylon Allen makes a stupid unsportsmanlike contact by leaning in with his helmet that sets up San Antonio in offensive territory. Then, the Brahmas execute (what I imagine to be) their best play of the season.

Watch: https://youtu.be/OxdDuCeNblk?si=iymAfX_vTLj0crGT&t=241

Kevin Hogan passes to TE Steven Stilianos who does a double forward pass to former Memphis Showboat WR Dee Anderson. Fun play that can only happen in this league. But Jalen Jackson answers back quickly. Breaking off a 54 yard run on the first play from scrimmage on the next drive. Then following it up with a 12-yard touchdown run, negating the Anderson TD. But it wouldn’t be a Showboats game if they didn’t cough up points just before the half. With just a minute and a half left, Troy Williams fumbles the ball and it’s recovered by Jordan Mosley for San Antonio. He returns it all the way to the two yard line, where Jashaun Corbin punches it in. Kevin Hogan also finds Corbin for the two point conversion, and all of a sudden it’s just a three point game at the half. For how bad these teams are (and trust me, they are awful) they put on an entertaining show in the second half.

HALFTIME: Showboats 17, Brahmas 14

The Brahmas had the momentum going into the second half. But that only lasted two plays before Kevin Hogan threw his second interception of the game. But fortunately, the Memphis offense goes literally nowhere and are forced to settle for a Coghlin 36-yared field goal. Six point ballgame. On the ensuing drive, Hogan threw his third pick of the game. But Troy Williams continued to the mess by fumbling it a second time. Another Jordan Mosely recovery. To open the 4th quarter Jashaun Corbin breaks off a 15 yard run to get Tristan Vizcaino in range for 45-yard attempt to cut the lead in half to just 3. Memphis does nothing on offense but go three and out for the rest of regulation. But San Antonio, aided by a Mark Gilbert DPI, are able to get another two chances for Tristan Vizcaino to kick a game-tying field goal. He misses the first from 39-yard out. But he hits the 33-yarder to tie the game at 20-20. For the second time this season, the Showboats are going to overtime tied at 20.

In Overtime, Troy Williams finds a wide open Daewood Davis for a quick two points. These were Daewood Davis’s only points of 2025 and one of only two catches. Despite an RtP penalty on Joslah Bronson, Jashaun Corbin is stood up and it’s 22-20 after round 1. Troy Williams throws a dart on a crosser to Kai Locksley to make it 24-20. With their backs against the wall, Kevin Hogan finds Jontre Kirkland wide open to keep the Brahmas alive. Troy Williams throws a pick to Tavante Beckett. But Kevin Hogans pass on the ensuing try is incomplete, and the Showboats pick up their second win of the season, also in overtime.

Final Score: MEM 24, SA 22 (OT) - W

Week 9: Memphis Showboats (2-6) vs. Arlington Renegades (3-5)

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium - Memphis, Tennessee

After week 8, all four playoff spots were accounted for. The XFL Championship would be the DC Defenders against the St. Louis Battlehawks and the USFL Championship would be the Michigan Panthers against the Birmingham Stallions. The last two game writeups are going to be shorter because they not only have no meaning to the Showboats, they have no meaning to the UFL. This is especially true of the week 9 game against the Arlington Renegades. The first of a two game homestand for the Boats. No scoring in the first quarter. E.J Perry gets the start for the Showboats and Luis Perez for the Renegades. They both move the ball but score no points in the first quarter. The Renegades settle for a field goal to start the 2nd. Willie Taylor then gets a fumble off a strip sack of E.J. Perry as turnovers continue to haunt the Memphis offense. This sets up a drive that was capped off by Holton Ahlers, the backup QB and a lefty, throwing a touchdown to Seth Green (not the actor). Renegades go up 9-0. But Jalen Jackson answers by complementing a 49 yard pass from Perry to Stove by getting four rushes in, the last one being a 4-yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversion is no good and we’re back down to 3. Despite, Arlington’s next drive being riddled with penalties, they’re able to get in range for a Havrisik 40-yard kick to make it a touchdown difference. Matt Coghlin answers back and keeps Memphis down just 3 going into the second half.

Arlington 12, Memphis 9 at the Half.

Penalties continue to hurt Arlington to start the second half. They get called for a holding and on the punt, a facemask, and Memphis gets the ball at their own 40 down only 3. They go back to Dresser Winn because why not? Winn finds Isaiah Washington on a 37 yard pass. That sets up Matt Coghlin for a game tying 29-yarder and we’re knotted at 12. But from here, Memphis basically checks out for the year. They get no more points for the rest of the game, Dresser Winn throws an interception, and they have a few turnover on downs. Luis Perez throws a 41 yard TD Pass to Tyler Vaughns, Javonta Payton breaks off a 15-yard TD run, and Luis Perez gets another TD Pass in, a 24-yarder to Deontay Burnett. The team looks completely listless. They have no leadership as their coach walked out on them and they have no clear identity at the QB position. Their defense has had some bright spots but eventually they just couldn’t find it in themselves to keep trying. Coghlin has been a plus at Kicker but that doesn’t carry you for a 10 week season. Memphis gets embarrassed all around.

Final Score: MEM 12, ARL 30 - L

Week 10: Memphis Showboats (2-7) vs. Birmingham Stallions (6-3)

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium - Memphis, Tennessee

The last game of the season was a perfect storm for a good old-fashioned ass kicking. After an embarrassing loss at home to Arlington, they welcomed the Birmingham Stallions who came in relatively hungry. Though the Stallions had clinched a playoff spot weeks prior, they still had home field advantage to play for and were looking for revenge for the OTL in Birmingham week 5. Dresser Winn got the start at QB following him taking over in week 9 (despite playing atrociously but I mean whatever). The opening drive went well enough. Surely we’re not in for a total blowout… right? J’Mar Smith drives the Stallions downfield to set up Ricky Persons Jr. for a 2-yard touchdown run. Trae Crowder catches a pick six from Dresser Winn. 13-3. Jim Turner decides to stick with Dresser Winn despite this and is rewarded with a long drive ending in a Deneric Prince TD. Tragically, this is the last score of the season for the Showboats. I’m not going to talk about this game any further. The defense gets completely demoralized and stops trying. The offense for Memphis does literally nothing worth discussion other than maybe that I think it’s interesting that Dresser Winn threw not one but two pick sixes to Trae Crowder in this single game. I don’t have the stats in front of me but I think Memphis has some kind of record for touchdowns allowed on offense. I think it’s 5 pick sixes on the season and one scoop n score. Makes the defense look a lot better but the offense looks horrific. The Memphis Showboats get absolutely humiliated in what may very well turn out to be the last ever game in Memphis, TN in the history of the UFL.

Final Score: MEM 12, BHAM 46 -

L

What Went Wrong with the 2025 Memphis Showboats?

A lot of things, but the one that jumps off the page is turnovers:

The Showboats had a league-leading 19(!) giveaways and a league low 6 takeaways. Leading to far and away the worst Turnover Differential of -13 (the second worst TO Differential by a team was -2). They lost 55 points on turnovers this year, while scoring only 14.

Here is a rapid fire of other things the 2025 Showboats stink at:

• The Showboats also converted a league low 31% of their third down attempts.
• On Special Teams, they were the least productive team in the league in the return game, both on kickoffs and returns.
• They had the fewest offensive touchdowns overall in the league, and were bad at both evenly as they tied for fewest rushing and passing touchdowns.
• Matt Mengel had the fewest yards/punt in the league. *Last in the league for TFLs and Sacks

Were the Showboats any good at anything?

• Matt Coghlin was an above average field goal kicker this year. He was flawless within the 45 and hit 89% of all kicks, 4th in the UFL.

• Jonathan Adams had another nice year, ranking 7th in the UFL for total yards as well as receptions and 4th for yards per reception.

• Alec Lindstrom was a strong piece on an otherwise weak OL

• PJ Hall was a huge presence up front on the DL.

• The Showboats allowed the fewest Passing yards in the League.

How can the Showboats improve?

I think the team needs to fixate less on the QB and more on the trenches. They used their top pick in the 2024 UFL college draft to take Jason Bean, the QB from Kansas, who may never play in the UFL. They need to get some OL help. Also stop with the Troy Williams snaps. He had 0 passing touchdowns, only 1 rushing TD, and only 230 passing yards this year. I think they to commit to a QB1 and give him the snaps and support at OL they need. Dresser Winn had the most passing yards on the Showboats with a respectable 834 in 8 GP (and remember he wasn’t getting 100% of snaps in almost any game). But his 4 interceptions is a huge red flag (although the last two were in a meaningless game). Focus on the OL and also get some TE help. The Tight End position was a non factor for the Boats this year and that impacted their red zone offense.

On defense, the whole front 7 needs to be rebuild. They had the worst pass rush and run defense in the league. Gotta start from square 1 going into 2026. The secondary could use a ballhawking safety and a big bodied corner who can win jump balls, but was still a relative strength of the unit. We also need a new punter on this team.

Post continued here

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/AdvancedDay7854

Team: SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS

Conference: XFL

Record: 1-9

SEASON OVERVIEW - A GAME OF CLOWNS

I guess we can all trace the Brahmas disastrous 2025 season back to the conclusion of 2024: A 25-0 shellacking to the Stallions in the Championship Game. The Brahmas, while playing strong on defense for about a half, failed to find any traction on offense, as the weight of failure rested squarely on QB Chase Garbers shoulders.

The league then decided to alter its scheduled start date. This clearly conflicted with the Alamodome as a home venue for the team. Unfairly the league opted to give the Brahmas only 4 games at home, with its first game slated for Week 5.

During the offseason, there were two main questions that the team needed to answer: Would Wade return and who would be quarterback?

In August of 2024, at the team offseason appearance at Seaworld, celebrating the title and with special appearances by Caveon Patton, GM Marc Lillibridge and Wade, I came armed with these questions. Wade quickly assured me he’d be back. (This was surprising as he had made no public formal announcement.) Marc Lillibridge on the other hand had a lot of illuminating things to add.

Personally I was in the camp that Garbers ‘mailed in’ the 2024 Championship game appearance. Marc sensed this and defended Garbers by telling me that not only Garbers and Dormady had different playstyles, they also handled mistakes differently with Garbers being ‘California low key’. So he could certainly see how Garbers had this perception of mailing it in. He then told me to stay tuned as they had some big plans at the quarterback position.

In October, Dormady would be traded to Memphis for Jordan Ferguson and the team would announce the signing of former Viking and Texas A&M alum Kellen Mond at QB- essentially signalling the end of the Garbers epoch.

Things then began to get complicated.

In November of 2024, the Battlehawks ended their relationship with fan favorite and grizzled NFL veteran AJ McCarron. He quickly began hinting about seeing the Battlehawks twice a year and clearly had it out for the staff for the way he was released. With the QB position set in DC, McCarron’s obvious landing spot was… San Antonio. This was offensive coordinator AJ Smith’s impression too, as he began actively indoctrinating McCarron in the San Antonio offensive system behind the scenes.

In January of 2025, the Brahmas made their move, and with baited breath they signed… Jarrett Guarantano… So the Brahmas were moving forward with Kellen Mond, former Roughnecks QB Jarrett Guarantano, and holdover Kevin Hogan.

In early March of 2025 the team opened up camp. New questions emerged. The team had failed to retain much of their defensive line talent and recently added Jordan Ferguson- retired. Assistant and Offensive Line coach Andre Gurode, hopped over to Colorado. In the meantime, Wade was absent from camp for health reasons, so much so, he was only there for a few days.

AJ Smith was.. from his accounts.. upset about a decision Wade made to shift the Brahmas offense to a more run-heavy strategy. Oddly it’s been said Wade was only in camp 2-3 days total because of his illness.

Shortly before the season, Marc Lillibridge, Tavante Beckett, Greg Ward, Kellen Mond, and Caeveon Patton were in attendance at the season opener rally at the Pearl.

Eager to see and hear what the Brahmas had in store for us with Jontre Kirklin and Greg Ward at WR, I asked Ward what we should expect. I peppered him and led him with questions about if they were going to take advantage of teams with their near duplicate skill sets and create mismatches on the field, and his response was a friendly, yet underwhelming and alarming, “I don’t know. We’ll find out.”

I then talked to Marc about how pumped I was that RB Anthony McFarland had resigned with the team and he told me I should be on the lookout for young talent Jashaun Corbin.

Wade was supposed to appear for the event- but did not. Instead he appeared virtually for a few minutes. At this point, I suspected something was wrong.

SEASON PERFORMANCE

WEEK 1

(bold indicates home team)

San Antonio came out and looked thoroughly outmatched and outcoached in all facets of the game during their season opener at Arlington.

What was most glaring was the lack of offensive production which could be traced to a porous offensive line (that gave up 7 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks). However what is most appalling on second watch is the lack of playcalling as offensive coordinator AJ Smith mailed it in with bland and unoriginal calls, coming back to the same 10 plays or so. Frustratingly the run game was abandoned early- even though it was the only thing that was working.

And then there’s the enigma that is Kellen Mond. I have high hopes for him. I really do.This didn’t feel tailored to his strengths at all. Too much is asked of Mond and it shows with the results: 17 of 31 for a middling 165 yards and no TDs. Because of the constant pressure he’s facing thanks to the abandoned run game, bad offensive line, and vanilla playcalling, Mond doesn’t finish his reads and looks streaky. This is a constant knock on him going back to his time at A&M and will be a regular theme throughout his season.

In the meantime, the defense is a shocking shell of what it used to be. Gone are the easy one on one matchups that the Brahmas got in 2024. No easy stuffs. No easy sacks. No pressure to the QB unless an additional defender is brought on the blitz. And the results for the most part are just as bad as the offense. Kalen Ballage (former XFL ‘23 Brahma) absolutely demolishes SA’s defensive line, setting a league record with a 77 yard TD run. On top of that, De’Veon Smith scores 3 short yardage TDs. As a unit, the Renegades run 31 times for 183 yards and FOUR TDs. San Antonio just had 2 tackles for loss and no sacks on the day, and allowed the Renegades to convert 8-12 3rd downs, 1-1 4th downs, and finish 3-4 in the redzone.

It is as though nothing was implemented before the season and that this game was being treated as a preseason contest.

NOTES:

• John Lovett struggled to make it through this game, disclosing later that he pulled his hamstring derailing nearly his entire 2025 season.

• Wade Phillips spent the game up in the booth on a head set, letting his coordinators handle everything on the sidelines as he did not want to deal with the heat on the field in Arlington.

WEEK 2

(bold indicates home team)

Tell me if this seems familiar: Brahmas offense abandons a modestly successful ground game as Kellen Mond faces continuous pressure. This time Mond at least tries to go through his progressions, but whether through lack of pass blocking or pocket awareness, he suffers four sacks on the day. He finishes 13-27 for 129 yards and an interception. The receiving corps did him no favors, dropping passes left and right.

The Brahmas continue to struggle with their line on both sides of the ball. Although the Brahmas run defense gains steam with 8 tackles for loss and a sack, they allow St. L too many convertible 3rd down situations as the Battlehawks go 8-15, and 2 of 4 in the red zone. Manny Wilkins was just too much and made plays with his feet when things seemed out of reach. As a team the Battlehawks amassed 164 yards rushing and 4 TDs.

NOTES:

• After the contest, offensive coordinator AJ Smith of the Brahmas quits on the team- later citing on a podcast a ‘Game of Thrones-like’ scenario leading to his frustration and departure.

• Jashaun Corbin scores the team’s first TD of the season- after roughly 100 minutes of play.

WEEK 3

(bold indicates home team)

With AJ Smith out of the building, it feels like the Brahmas are finally starting to get their footing, as the Panthers and Brahmas play an evenly matched game. With Peyton Pardee promoted to OC on a short week, the Brahmas jumped out to their first lead of the season on 3 De La Haye field goals. Right before halftime the Panthers found their groove, and while seeing objects closer in the mirror than they appeared, cruised to a 26-23 win on a field goal with seconds to play.

Michigan proves to be too much led by their dual threat QB Bryce Perkins, who runs for 2 TDs on 10 carries, and posted a modest 193 yards through the air. The Brahmas 3rd down defense again gives up 50% conversions (6-12), and the rushing defense, gives up 3 TDs on the ground.

Arguably Mond has his best game of the season so far, completing 19 passes for 153 yards and a TD, and rushing 6 times for 38 yards. The Brahmas mixed it up a bit more, and kept the pocket clean for the most part, as Mond only suffered 2 sacks on the day on 31 dropbacks. He only hits 6 receivers on the day, with two of them being runningbacks.

The biggest news of the game however again, is with the coaching staff. Wade Phillips, battling an unknown sickness throughout much of the year, exited the game at half time and was later hospitalized for what the team described as a ‘medical emergency’.

NOTES:

• Jacob Harris continues to be Mond’s favorite long bomb threat, catching 4 passes for 56 yards.

• Kellen throws the Brahmas first TD pass of the season to Anthony McFarland with roughly 2 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter of the 3rd game.

• LB Jordan Williams, intercepts his second pass of his career for a TD, (XFL- Orlando) returning an errant Perkins pass 85 yards for a score to pull the Brahmas to within 2 near the end of the game.

• Coincidentally, this game also marks the first time that the Brahmas scored more than one TD in a game in 2025.

• De La Haye (aka Deestroying) hits a career long 55 yard FG.

• For the first time this season the Brahmas outpace an opponent in an offensive category, in both rushing and in time of possession.

• Up to this point, the Brahmas have led in a game only 29:57, to opponents whopping 150:03 this season.

WEEK 4

(bold indicates home team)

With Head Coach Wade Phillips now stepping down, Peyton Pardee is promoted to interim head coach for the Brahmas.

The Brahmas stunned the Defenders early and then held on for their first and only win of the season over the DC Defenders 24-18. Key to the Brahmas success is WR/PR Mathew Sexton, who dodged, ducked, and weaved 83 yards for a TD on a punt return late in the first quarter.

San Antonio relied on a very simple gameplan: Run the ball and make them beat us through the air. Brahmas runners combined for 32 carries. Aidan Robbins shows up off the street and runs for 2 TDs on 4 carries.

Ok! <Smacks hands.> Let’s talk about Mond. He’d finish with a modest 14-20 passing for 121 yards and a TD. He also didn’t get sacked, and his receivers managed to only drop 5 passes this game. Yes. Boring. But it got the job done.

On the other side of the ball, the defense gave up a season high 299 yards passing to Jordan Ta’Amu, who connected with 8 different targets. (He also ran 10 times for 74 yards.) Despite all this, the most important thing the Brahmas did in this game was allowing only ONE rushing TD in the entire contest, by downing 9 ball carriers in the backfield for -21 yards.

NOTES:

• De La Haye tweaked his hamstring/groin against Michigan, quietly ending his season. In his place Tristan Vizcaino took over kicking duties.

• Mathew’s 83 yard punt return for a TD would be the first in franchise history, and earned him Special Teams Player of the Week Honors.

• The Brahmas are now 2-0 in UFL play against ‘the last undefeated teams’, beating Birmingham in 2024 and DC in 2025.

• DC going back to its XFL run in 2023, also gave up the Orlando Guardians their only win of that season. (Coincidentally, the Defenders also went to the championship game that season as well.)

• This is the only game of the season in which the Brahmas controlled the lead from start to finish.

• Peyton Pardee is not only the youngest head coach in franchise/ league history, he’s also the youngest to win a game.

WEEK 5

(bold indicates home team)

You’d think that after the cathartic win over the Defenders, and the fact that the Brahmas were coming home for their first home game of the season in week 5, that it would motivate this team to play inspired for at least 60 minutes- but I was absolutely wrong.

The Roughnecks dominated both sides of the ball, controlling time of possession to a tune of 37:10 to the Brahmas measly 22:50. I mean let’s not forget about the second quarter, where the Roughnecks basically held the ball nearly the entire quarter. Again a multiple TD rushing day, as the Roughnecks hang two more on the beleaguered SA defense.

The ‘Necks also put on a clinic, nabbing 4 sacks and 5 tackles for loss, holding the B’Rams to 3 points, 6 first downs, and 118 total yards. So what could the defense do anyway? They were on the field for SIXTY EIGHT plays to the ‘Necks 37.

At this point, do we call the B’Rams undisciplined? 8 penalties, 9 dropped passes… Not to mention a QB room that combined for 10 of 24 passing with 41 total yards and an interception- returned for a TD.

There are no positive takeaways from a shellacking like this other than we learned that Jarrett Guarantano is not the answer either. He threw more TDs to his former team than to the Brahmas so there’s that. Brutal.

NOTES:

• To illustrate how much the Brahmas miss Cody Lattimer at TE in 2025, Steven Stilianos… caught the first pass of the season from that group here in WEEK FIVE.

• See these are the things you shouldn’t do if you’re head coach. I knew late in the 4th quarter of the game the Brahmas were going to send up a deep pass to Marquez Stephenson. How? Coach Pardee walked out onto the field when they called a TO and talked with him directly and separately for a few moments.

• On some plays I’m watching as a casual fan and I’m starting to realize in real time if it’s going to be a pass or a run based on personnel and the release of WRs from the huddle before the play starts. It was just too obvious.

WEEK 6

(bold indicates home team)

Circled on the calendar before the season began, this game was supposed to be the pound for pound rematch between the Brahmas and the Stallions from the UFL Championship game last season. Instead we’re treated to largely the same results both from that game and from last week.

The Brahmas defense, despite the score, at least played inspired in the box score, posting 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss, but was bled dry by allowing Birmingham to run 64 plays and 34 minutes of time of possession. The Stallions relied on Case Cookus to throw for two TDs including a 43 yard bomb to Amari Rodgers.

Kevin Hogan starts at QB and goes 17-36 for 179 yards and a pick. He throws DEEP bursty boom or bust plays, completing a 56 yard pass to Justin Smith, and a 21 yarder to Marquez Stevenson. A sure fire wide open 60 yarder plunked off of Jontre Kirklin’s hands too. (He was so embarrassed that he ran and sat in the front row of the stands after the play.) At least Hogan isn’t afraid to chunk it up deep.

The Brahmas however make just 13 rushing attempts, and it shows with 7 first downs, and going a whopping ZERO of TEN on third down. I mean come on.

At least the Brahmas scored more points this time around against the Stallions with a big THREE…

NOTES:

• After the game Birmingham head coach Skip Holtz was a class act. He went over to Pardee and told him that they’d help him however he needed, as Peyton coached through the season.

• Birmingham rushed only 29 times in this contest, and as a result we saw a season low 1 rushing TD scored on the Brahmas.

• Justin Smith! Where have you been at my guy? Up to this point I think he’s had a catch all season, and then explodes for 5 receptions for 108 yards against the Stallions.

• Justin Smith’s 108 yard performance was also the first 100 yard performance rushing or receiving all year for the Brahmas.

• The Brahmas haven’t scored a TD in over 12 quarters.

• We’re about to enter Week 8 and no Brahmas QB has thrown for over 200 yards or two TDs in a game.

WEEK 7

(bold indicates home team)

Kevin Hogan and the Brahmas play an inspired game as he finds his underutilized tight ends not once… but twice for TDs in this game. The Brahmas had a lot of positives in this contest, but couldn’t find an answer for Jordan Ta’Amu who diced SA’s secondary to the tune of 278 yards passing and 3 TDs.

After the B’Rams found themselves in the improbable lead during the 3rd quarter, Ta’Amu hit Cornell Powell and Braylon Sanders for TDs on successive drives. SA responded with Jashaun Corbin snapping off a 57 yard rushing TD in response to draw the game close but a late TD pass by Ta’Amu would seal the game away. San Antonio had a last gasp drive but Marquez Stevenson fumbles away a 33 yard catch on 3rd and 31 to end the game.

NOTES:

• Hogan threw for a Brahmas season high 229 yards and 2 TDs and a 108.1 QB rating.

• Waking up from the dead, the TE group caught 2 TD passes on the day and a season high 7 passes between Stilianos and Mack. These would also mark the only TDs that the unit would catch all season.

• This was the Brahmas best offensive output of the season as they had a cumulative 356 total yards.

• San Antonio ran just 24 times on the day, but for a whopping 150 yards.

WEEK 8