The Philadelphia Stars made a couple of moves last night. They have re-signed All-USFL kicker Luis Aguilar – and claimed Jordan Steckler off of waivers from the Houston Gamblers.
Free Agent Signing:
• K Luis Aguilar
Player Claimed Off Waivers From Houston:
• OT Jordan Steckler
— Philadelphia Stars (@USFLStars) September 20, 2023
So far, GM Michael Woods has been quiet in the offseason, but has been picking things up as of late. These two signings put the roster up to 62 – four higher than the required count for training camp, which begins in March.
K Luis Aguilar
Anyone with familiarity in the spring football world knows the name Luis Aguilar. Aguilar joined the Philadelphia Stars midseason in 2022, following some special teams issues that the organization was dealing with.
Luis instantly stabilized the ship, proving to be one of the most consistent kickers in the USFL. He helped lead the Stars to a Championship berth in 2022, ultimately falling just short against Birmingham. Aguilar finished the 2022 season going 8-10 on field goal attempts, with a long of 49.
We're on the board courtesy of @luisaguilar124! 🦵
All tied at 3.
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/dDvrUFoV2y
— Philadelphia Stars (@USFLStars) July 4, 2022
In 2023, Luis Aguilar took his game to a new level. He led the entire league in total kicking points, with 94 on the season. During a time where the Stars struggled to score touchdowns, Luis was the sole offensive piece scoring points for the team.
One of his outstanding performances came during week five, in a win against the New Jersey Generals. Luis went 8-8 on the day, and knocked through a 55 yard game winner as time expired.
The @USFLStars have re-signed All-USFL kicker Luis Aguilar, announced by the team tonight.
Aguilar led the #USFL in kicking points with 94 in 2023, most notably going 8-8 in a week five win against the @USFLGenerals – including a 55 yard walkoff winner.pic.twitter.com/9yOFvbJy69
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) September 20, 2023
Throughout the entire season, Aguilar was stellar. He earned All-USFL honors in 2023, making 25 of his 29 field goal attempts (including a block in week one). In addition, he was 19-20 on XP attempts.
The 53-yard field goal from @luisaguilar124 is good 🙌 pic.twitter.com/A3TWtVv5lU
— Philadelphia Stars (@USFLStars) June 18, 2023
Aguilar has also handled punting duties for a large portion of the 2022-2023 seasons. This year, Philadelphia ended up bringing in Lirim Hajrullahu in week five to assist with punting, so Luis could focus solely on kicking.
With Luis Aguilar locked and loaded for the 2024 USFL season, the Philadelphia Stars can expect plenty more from their special teams unit next year.
OT Jordan Steckler
It did not take long for Jordan Steckler to find a new home. Jordan was released by the Houston Gamblers on Monday night, but was instantly picked up by Philadelphia off of waivers.
Jordan Steckler was a standout lineman at Northern Illinois. He was sensational through four seasons with the team – starting in 42 of 45 games played.
Steckler landed with the Houston Texans in 2021, and participated in two NFL games that year. In 2022 he stuck with Houston, but did not see any minutes during the season.
This led Steckler to sign with the Houston Gamblers in 2023. He played in six games for Houston, starting five of them. Now, he heads to Philadelphia – a team that is in desperate need of offensive line assistance.
Final Thoughts
The Philadelphia Stars have re-signed four players so far, including:
WR Jordan Suell
OL Jacob Burton
DE Adam Rodriguez
In addition, the team signed free agents OL Warren Ericson and NT Auzoyah Alufohai. After a 4-6 record which resulted in missing the postseason, the Stars will look to rebound in 2024.
What are your thoughts on Luis Aguilar re-signing with Philadelphia? Is Jordan Steckler the right piece for their offensive line unit? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
