Houston Roughnecks Re-Sign QB Nolan Henderson
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Breaking Down The Houston Roughnecks 2025 Roster

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The Houston Roughnecks have put together a revised roster for the 2025 UFL season, following their disappointing 1-9 campaign a year ago. There were no questions about it: Houston needed to make changes in the offseason.

They’ve done exactly that, bringing back some of the key playmakers – but moving on from a large chunk of their 2024 roster.

Let’s take a look at who Houston will feature in 2025, as they have some legitimate talent that should turn some heads in the league this year.

Quarterbacks

Nolan Henderson
Anthony Brown
Jalan McClendon

The Houston Roughnecks enter the 2025 season with a QB room that has been heavily adjusted. The only returnee is Nolan Henderson, who is in a position to be the team’s starter, if camp trends continue in the direction they’ve been going. Henderson was primarily QB2/QB3 a year ago, but his development in Eric Price’s offensive system flashed some potential a year ago. Houston has been very high on what he brings to the table, especially with his mobility and ability to escape pressure. Nolan threw for 526 yards last year, rushing for 143.

Houston also brought in two new additions. They traded for Jalan McClendon, who’s spent time with the Vegas Vipers and DC Defenders, primarily as a backup. McClendon is currently shaping up to be QB3 heading into the season, but his strong arm and athleticism could earn him reps at some point during the year.

Anthony Brown was quite possibly the biggest signing of the offseason for Houston. The former Oregon product has plenty of pro experience with multiple NFL organizations, and is someone the UFL had pursued over the last couple of years. Brown is the type of mobile quarterback who can create through the air, and on the ground. He’s a prospect that could elevate this Roughnecks offense to an entirely new level, if given the opportunity to start.

Running Backs

Kirk Merritt
Lorenzo Lingard
ZaQuandre White

The Houston Roughnecks have also transformed their backfield, which should help the team benefit in general. Mark Thompson and T.J. Pledger are no longer on board, with Thompson being the bigger loss given his past success in spring ball.

Kirk Merritt will lead the charge, and hopefully can remain healthy throughout the year. Merritt is electric with the ball in his hands, and has been highly praised by personnel in Houston throughout training camp. He’s a difference maker – which was made evident in week 10 when he returned from injury. His speed is second to none – and with his ability to play RB/WR, expect a lot out of Kirk this season.

ZaQuandre White makes his way back to spring football, formerly with the Stallions and Defenders. White spent a few weeks with DC last year, but wasn’t able to stick through the end of the season. ZaQuandre is a physical back, and should carry a similar role to someone of Pledger’s caliber a year ago.

Finally, Lorenzo Lingard was signed by Houston early in Training Camp, and impressed enough to maintain his roster spot. Lorenzo has some NFL experience with the Giants, and is one of those under the radar prospects who could thrive in the UFL this year.

Wide Receivers

Justin Hall
Keke Chism
T.J. Vasher
Emmanuel Butler
Reggie Roberson Jr.
Lawrence Keys III

In the wide receiver room, two familiar faces return who are primed for another impressive campaign. Leading the way is slot receiver Justin Hall – who ended up being one of the UFL’s leading receivers a season ago, despite being underutilized the first few weeks. Hall’s electric speed, similar to Merritt, makes him into one of the top playmakers on this football team. Corners will be backpedaling all year long with his route running abilities.

Keke Chism, T.J. Vasher, and Emmanuel Butler are a few physical receivers who will no doubt make an impact. Chism is one of spring football’s most underrated wideouts, as he’s been tremendous for the Gamblers/Roughnecks the last two years. Vasher is another name you’ll likely hear a lot about in Houston, as the coaches love what he brings to the table. Additionally, Emmanuel Butler is poised to see more success after showing some legitimate growth in his role in 2024.

Reggie Roberson Jr. making the roster is intriguing, considering he was cut in the offseason, and then brought back. Roberson didn’t see many snaps at wideout last year, primarily being utilized on special teams. Last, but not least, keep an eye on Lawrence Keys when he gets the ball in his hands this year. He’s another smaller, speedy athlete who has the potential to break away from just about anyone in the open field. With Cyril Grayson no longer in the picture, Keys will step up as that second “slot guy” behind Hall.

Tight Ends

Josh Pederson
Geor’Quavius Spivey
Cam Sutton

At tight end, the Roughnecks have an entirely new room. Josh Pederson is a familiar face, though, spending the 2023 USFL season with C.J. Johnson’s Gamblers. Pederson was one of the top tight ends that year, and went on to spend some time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was sorely missed last year, with the Roughnecks’ tight ends not playing much of a role in the passing game.

Geor’Quavius Spivey is an interesting add. He was with the Kansas City Chiefs this past fall, and was a UFL college draft pick by Houston. Spivey has primarily been a blocking TE throughout his career, but has shown flashes of what he can do offensively as well. Rounding out the TE room is Cam Sutton – the former Vegas Viper. Sutton is a veteran in this scene, and is someone who could certainly make an impact, especially in red zone situations.

Offensive Line

Cam Carter
Avery Gennesy
Jack Kramer
Noah Atagi
Zach Banner
Avery Jones
Samuel Jackson
T.J. Bradley

Houston’s offensive line was not a cohesive group in 2024, but some offseason changes should help fix that. The team brought in Tom Cable to be their run game coordinator – who will help out tremendously with the offensive line.

Houston returns three O-Linemen from last year: Cam Carter, Avery Gennesy, and Jack Kramer. Kramer was the team’s starting center, and was one of the stronger performers during the season.

Of the new additions, Zach Banner is someone to be excited about. His NFL experience should make him into a leader in that room, and he’s someone that C.J. Johnson has spoken very highly of already. Avery Joens and Samuel Jackson are both solid additions as well, alongside the younger pickup in Noah Atagi. T.J. Bradley also surprisingly made the roster, despite his late addition in camp. He’s expected to be a reserve at the moment heading into the season.

Defensive Line

Shakel Brown
Glen Logan
Olive Sagapolu
Israel Antwine
Darrius Moragne
T.J. Franklin
Christopher Allen
Eyabi Okie
Jamir Jones
Byron Vaughns

Up front, the Roughnecks will look a lot different than they did a year ago. They lost quite a few defensive starters to injury, and most of them have not returned to the defensive line, with the exception of Olive Sagapolu. Olive, the former Mauler, is expected to be a starter for Houston this year. Also returning to the lineup at DT is Glen Logan, who’s been with the Roughnecks for two years.

Shakel Brown is a player to get excited about. He was a standout at Troy, and spent a bit of time in the NFL with the Titans. He’s a younger prospect who should thrive at the UFL level. Israel Antwine is another player who could be a difference maker, having an excellent career at Oklahoma State. Recently, Israel was a standout in the IFL. Darrius Moragne is a rather interesting pickup, as he’s been in and out of the spring scene the last 3 years – and dealt with plenty of injuries along the way.

At EDGE, Christopher Allen is the only returnee. He flashed serious potential late last year, and is another player Johnson is looking forward to see in action. T.J. Franklin and Eyabi Okie are a couple of signings who should also be impact players. Okie was a top draft pick for Houston this summer. Meanwhile, Franklin is a former Baylor standout who is another young name who brings youth and athleticism to the unit. Expect Allen, Franklin, and Okie to combine to make up for the losses of Chris Odom and Ronheen Bingham, who are no longer with the team.

Jamir Jones is another former Brahma who made his way to Houston, with GM Will Lewis at the helm. Closing out the DE room is rookie Byron Vaughns, who finally finds a UFL team after spending a bit of time with the Cowboys. He’s another Baylor product who could mesh well with this defense once he has some time to develop. Vaughns played with Franklin at Baylor in 2023.

Linebackers

J.T. Tyler
Marvin Moody
Xavier Benson
Drew Lewis

Leading the way in the linebacker room will be J.T. Tyler, who returns for a third season with C.J. Johnson and DC Chris Wilson in Houston. Tyler has consistently shown growth each and every year, and with Reuben Foster no longer in the picture, J.T. will take full command of the middle of this defense. Across the last two years, Tyler has posted over 100 tackles and an interception.

Marvin Moody returns as well, formerly as a Special Teams POTY nominee. He saw his role grow throughout this past UFL season, with all of the injuries Houston suffered at LB. Marvin’s athleticism earned him an NFL opportunity with the Browns, but now returns to the Roughnecks for another campaign.

Interestingly enough, Drew Lewis also “comes back” to the Roughnecks. He spent time with the USFL’s Gamblers in 2022, and also the XFL’s Roughnecks in 2020 and 2023. Most recently, Lewis was with the Battlehawks last year. Drew has consistently been a reliable role player throughout his lengthy spring career, and is expected to do the same once again in Houston. Finally, rookie LB Xavier Benson is another college draft pick who signs to Houston. He’s a tackling machine, with over 300 tackles at the collegiate level.

Secondary

Corn Elder
Colby Richardson
Markel Roby
Damon Arnette
Keenan Isaac
Rayshad Williams
Leon O’Neal Jr.
Shawn Preston Jr.
Marquis Wilson
Armani Marsh

Houston’s secondary group will look quite a bit different this upcoming season. They added seven new pieces, with only three DB’s returning. Leading the way will be Corn Elder and Colby Richardson at CB, who both played well for Houston in 2024. Elder, in particular, is a leader for that unit with his NFL experience. His 98 yard pick six in week two against DC was one of the most exciting moments of the year for the Roughnecks in general.

At safety, Markel Roby is poised to start once again. He burst onto the scene last year, and ended up leading the Roughnecks in tackles made (58). He’s a young, budding star at the position, and should continue to see growth in his second year in pro football.

Now, some of these new additions are names to be excited about as well. For example, former NFL first round pick Damon Arnette is now in Houston. Coach Johnson has raved about him in camp – and he’s someone who should be starting week one. Keenan Isaac is another athletic corner who has NFL experience that will fit right into the gritty culture in Houston.

Leon O’Neal Jr., the former Texas A&M Aggie, is another signing who deserves some attention. He was recently with the CFL’s Elks, and performed well up until a controversy that resulted in his release. O’Neal will likely assist at safety, behind Roby. Williams, Wilson, Marsh, and Preston Jr. are all upgrades as well, especially compared to some of the depth/rotational pieces Houston had a year ago (i.e. Mister Harriel, Jamari Brown).

Special Teams

K Chris Blewitt
P Mike Rivers
LS Marco Ortiz

Finally, we have the Special Teams unit – which is entirely different from last year. The Roughnecks cut P Hunter Niswander and LS Logan Klusman, replacing them with Mike Rivers and Marco Ortiz. Rivers has a strong leg, but is relatively unproven at the pro level. The same goes for Marco Ortiz – brother of Renegades’ LS Antonio. Ortiz was a standout at Florida and Nebraska, and in 2023 was a Patrick Mannelly Award Finalist.

At kicker, things got weird this Training Camp. JJ Molson, last year’s star, suffered an injury. This has led to Chris Blewitt joining the fold, to take over. Blewitt is someone that Houston will be able to trust, given his past success with the Maulers and Stallions. Chris won the UFL Championship a season ago with Birmingham, but was cut for Harrison Mevis. While the plan is to bring Molson back, Chris should undoubtedly give Houston confidence in their kicking abilities heading into the UFL season.

Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, this Houston Roughnecks roster has seen quite a bit of improvement compared to a season ago. The secondary, and offensive line, are two units who should see higher quality play in 2025. The defensive line and linebacker room is a bit unknown, as we’ll have to see if some of the younger names can live up to expectations and replace the production from the vets (Odom, Foster).

After a 1-9 campaign a year ago, it’s no easy task to turn it all around to make a playoff push. Houston still has a ways to go – and has a lot to prove – before we can realistically consider them as a threat to Birmingham, or even Michigan. With that in mind, the Roughnecks certainly feature the talent necessary to win games, as they should improve upon the 1-9 record they had a year ago.

What are your thoughts on this Houston Roughnecks roster makeup? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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