Luis Perez - Arlington Renegades XFL Postseason Fate In His Hands
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Breaking Down The Arlington Renegades 2024 UFL Roster

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The XFL Champions are back, and ready to defend their title in the United Football League. Bob Stoops and the Arlington Renegades are prepared to make waves in the UFL this year, having retooled their roster for the 2024 season.

To briefly recap a year ago, Arlington got off to a rough start. The team had zero identity on offense, struggling through most of the year. However, a midseason trade for QB Luis Perez ended up putting the team in a position to make a late run – and they did.

The Renegades got hot at the right time, and ultimately defeated the DC Defenders in the Championship game, 35-26.

With the merger increasing the talent levels on each and every team, Arlington did their due diligence in constructing this new roster.

Quarterbacks

Luis Perez
Lindsey Scott Jr.
Holton Ahlers

The only returning face to the quarterback room is, not surprisingly, Luis Perez. The spring football journeyman found a legitimate home with Arlington last year, settling into the offense seamlessly.

With the season on the line in the Championship, Luis threw for 288 yards and three scores, upsetting the XFL’s best team. For those of us who have been watching Perez for the last five years, this was nothing new. Luis Perez has played in the AAF, XFL, TSL, and USFL – impressing at each and every stop.

Bob Stoops has already named Luis Perez as the starting quarterback for Arlington, for their home opener against Birmingham.

Lindsey Scott & Holton Ahlers

The other two signal callers are new additions, having joined this offseason. Lindsey Scott Jr. was highly sought after by spring football teams, having been drafted by both the Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL) and Houston Roughnecks (XFL). During the dispersal draft process, he landed with Arlington as the first pick in the draft.

Scott is probably going to be used on some reps, similar to the way Stoops worked Kelly Bryant into the lineup last year. Lindsey is extremely athletic, and set a record at Incarnate Word in 2022 with 60 passing touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Holton Ahlers is fresh off an NFL camp stint with the Seattle Seahawks. Ahlers was tremendous in college at East Carolina, and is someone who can make a difference through the air, and on the ground. Truthfully, Holton could likely start if he was on another roster.

Running Backs

De’Veon Smith
Dae Dae Hunter
Leddie Brown

De’Veon Smith and Leddie Brown are both back in Arlington, coming off their Championship success last season. Smith is expected to see a solid dose of reps this year, as he did a season ago.

De’Veon is also a spring football veteran, having played in the AAF and XFL in 2020. Smith was a brute force last year, scoring seven touchdowns for the Renegades. His averages were down, though, averaging just 3.1 YPC.

Leddie Brown returns, as someone who made a major impact down the stretch for this team. Brown was responsible for a couple of scores during their Championship matchup, making the most of his opportunity after being activated. Keep an eye on Leddie this year – he’s bound to have a breakout year.

Dae Dae Hunter was brought in this offseason, after seeing quite a bit of success at Liberty University. Hunter is likely to be RB3 in Arlington this year, but is very capable of making things happen when his name is called upon.

Wide Receivers

Deontay Burnett
Isaiah Winstead
LuJuan Winningham
Caleb Vander Esch
Javonta Payton
Tyler Vaughns
Juwan Manigo

The Arlington Renegades retained some key pieces in their wide receiver core from last year. LuJuan Winningham, Tyler Vaughns, Javonta Payton, and Caleb Vander Esch are all returning to the lineup for Chuck Long’s offense.

Lujuan Winningham was one of the most underrated playmakers in the XFL last year, making an impact on special teams as well. Javonta Payton bloomed down the stretch of the season, and played a big role in the teams’ upset of the Roughnecks in the playoffs.

Vaughns and Vander Esch are two guys who will be reliable once again this year. They both combined for over 470 receiving yards last year, and should be in a position to increase that production this year with starting minutes.

Deontay Burnett is a major addition for Arlington’s offense. He was excellent with Houston last year, posting 378 yards and six touchdowns. Expect Burnett to have another stellar season, this time with the Renegades.

Isaiah Winstead and Juwan Manigo are fresh faces to the UFL, and both have some legitimate potential to be great. Winstead played his college football at ECU with Holton Ahlers, and was very productive across that span.

On the other hand, while Juwan Manigo is on the smaller side, he’s got unbelievable speed – something that’s set him apart in camp. He’s the type of guy who could utilize those assets in a similar way KaVontae Turpin did for the New Jersey Generals in 2022.

Tight Ends

Sal Cannella
Austin Allen
Seth Green

Sal Cannella is back in town, re-signing with Arlington right as Training Camp kicked off. Cannella has consistently been one of the top tight ends in spring football since he played in The Spring League with the Generals back in 2020.

Canella earned All-USFL honors in 2022 with the New Orleans Breakers. Last year, he led the Renegades in receiving yards despite dealing with a quarterback carousel. With Perez back at the helm, Sal should continue to see excellent production this year.

Seth Green and Austin Allen are a couple of prospects who bring some NFL experience to the table. Allen has been with the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants the past couple of seasons, following an impressive career at Nebraska.

Green is in the same boat, having spent time with the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys coming out of college. Both Green and Allen will likely back up Cannella in the passing game, but will certainly be utilized as blockers and pass catchers throughout the year.

Offensive Line

Adrian Ealy
Bobby Evans
Cameron Hunt
Chris Owens
Dru Samia
Jake Lacina
Marcus Minor
Noah Henderson

The Arlington Renegades are opting to go into the season – as it stands right now – with just eight offensive linemen. Garrett McGhin is out for the entire year, meaning that others will have to step up in his place.

Jake Lacina and Chris Owens were a couple of key additions through the dispersal process. Lacina was excellent with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals from 2022-2023. Owens played for the Sea Dragons and was a starter for that squad in 2023.

Bobby Evans, Dru Samia, Marcus Minor and Noah Henderson are new additions, each coming from a different background. Evans and Samia have NFL experience, as Bobby actually won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

Defensive Line

Bunmi Rotimi
Davonte Lambert
Jalen Redmond
LaRon Stokes
Tomasi Laulile
Tuzar Skipper
Will Clarke
Willie Taylor

This defensive line unit in Arlington is poised for success this year. It’s a perfect balance of some returning pieces, alongside a few new faces who fill key roles.

In the trenches, Davonte Lambert, LaRon Stokes, and Tomasi Laulile will likely take the majority of the reps at DT. Laulile has been a standout athlete in the spring football scene for a couple of years, earning NFL opportunities after both of his USFL/XFL stints.

LaRon Stokes was a great pickup in the Dispersal Draft. He’s been with Bob Stoops before in Oklahoma, and had an excellent season in Vegas last year with 28 tackles and two sacks.

When it comes to edge rushers, Arlington went out and grabbed Tuzar Skipper during the summer, who is coming off a fantastic campaign with Seattle. Will Clarke and Bunmi Rotimi were protected by Arlington throughout the dispersal process, and have earned their roster spots once again.

Willie Taylor is technically a linebacker – but is expected to line up at the edge position relatively often for the Renegades, like he did a year ago.

See also

Linebackers

Colin Schooler
Donald Payne
Marquel Lee
Storey Jackson
Vic Beasley

This linebacker group is, no doubt, one of the best in the UFL. Arlington brought back Colin Schooler and Donald Payne, who both did some excellent things last year. Payne, in particular, will be in a position to have an All-Star campaign as long as he stays healthy. He led the USFL in tackles in 2022, with 117.

Vic Beasley – the former All-Pro with the Atlanta Falcons – now makes his way to Arlington. He spent the 2023 XFL season with the Vegas Vipers, and now will look to continue his career in Jay Hayes’ defense.

Marquel Lee and Storey Jackson are two new additions who are both potential starter material. Jackson and Lee have spent time in the NFL – and Lee has played in 45 different NFL games. His experience could be a major factor for this unit heading towards the season.

Secondary

Ajene Harris
Darren Evans
Delonte Hood
Duron Lowe
Jamar Summers
Steven Jones

Starting with the cornerbacks, the Renegades completely retooled this group. De’Vante Bausby, Shakur Brown, Will Hill, Joe Powell, etc. – none of these names are back in Arlington this year.

One familiar face is Darren Evans, who is back on the team after an NFL opportunity with the Giants. However, the rest of the room is entirely new.

Ajene Harris was one of the top corners in all of spring football last year, totaling five interceptions for the Houston Roughnecks. His presence in this secondary will be crucial this year. Jamar Summers was acquired via trade, having played with the Vipers in 2023. He’s another capable playmaker who should see minutes this year.

Delonte Hood, Duron Lowe, and Steven Jones are all offseason signings. Jones and Hood signed letters of intent prior to the merger becoming official, while Lowe was signed after the dispersal draft process was complete.

Safeties

Brandon Rusnak
Jamal Carter
Myles Dorn
Tenny Adewusi

Brandon Rusnak returns to the team, after seeing limited minutes last year. Rusnak was a huge reason why Arlington won the Championship, as he made a remarkable interception late in the game to give the team momentum back.

Jamal Carter is also back, and is someone who could be a standout playmaker as long as he stays healthy. According to PFF, he had a 78.0 overall grade last year.

Myles Dorn is someone many projected to make this roster, following the success he saw in the NFL. Dorn is a new addition, and should be in a position to be a starter in this unit. Tenny Adewusi also makes his return “home”. He played with the Renegades in 2020, but was on the San Antonio Brahmas last year.

Special Teams

K Taylor Russolino
P Marquette King
LS Antonio Ortiz

For the Arlington Renegades, their special teams unit stays completely intact from a season ago. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Taylor Russolino is one of spring football’s best kickers, putting that on full display in 2020 with the St. Louis Battlehawks. Fans will never forget his 58 yarder that season. In 2023, Russolino continued his quality play, hitting 16 of his 19 field goal attempts, with a long of 56 yards.

It’s still baffling as to why Marquette King is not on an NFL roster. While that story has some of its own controversies, King has been excellent in the XFL recently. With the Renegades last year, 41% of his 46 punts traveled over 50 yards. While his net average was relatively low (32 yards), this is largely due to the XFL’s strange punting rules.

Keeping this unit operating smoothly is Antonio Ortiz, coming off an excellent long snapping season in 2023. Over 92% of his snaps are what Between The Goalposts would qualify as “strikes”. Arlington’s kicks and punts are in good hands with Ortiz at the helm.

Final Thoughts

General Manager Rick Mueller knows what it takes to build a Championship roster. His relationship with Head Coach Bob Stoops goes back a ways, and the two are looking to now run it back with this organization this spring.

Speaking of coaches, for a full breakdown of the Arlington Renegades Coaching Staff, click here.

This roster was not easy to put together by any means. Arlington brought 75 players to camp, and through a process of cuts on March 10th and March 21st, have their final 50.

The Renegades kick off their UFL season at home, against the Birmingham Stallions at 1pm ET on March 30th.

What are your thoughts on the Arlington Renegades roster for 2024? Will this team run it back? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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