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Breaking Down The Michigan Panthers 2025 UFL Roster

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With the UFL season ready to kick off in just a week, the Michigan Panthers have made it through Training Camp – and are ready to run it back. Michigan came up just short a year ago, falling to the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL Conference Championship game, blowing an 18-3 lead.

After a 7-3 campaign, though, this roster featured a lot of talent. This offseason, GM Steve Kazor brought back most of the same faces, with some minor adjustments to each position group. Let’s take a look at who will be suiting up for the Panthers in 2025.

Quarterbacks

Bryce Perkins
Danny Etling
Rocky Lombardi

The Michigan Panthers have returned two of their quarterbacks from this past UFL season. They’ve moved on from E.J. Perry (shipped to Memphis) and Brian Lewerke (unsigned). Instead, they’ve brought in Rocky Lombardi – a rookie that they drafted this past summer.

After his emergence midway through the season last year, it would not be surprising to see Bryce Perkins as QB1 in 2025. Perkins was outstanding during limited action a year ago, prior to a season ending injury. Perkins’ athleticism is unmatched in this league. If he’s got a good offensive line, and can remain healthy, Bryce will be an MVP candidate this season.

Danny Etling also comes back, following an up and down campaign this past year. Etling took over for Perry following injury, but then missed a couple of weeks of action himself. Danny had some excellent moments in 2024 – showcasing his dual threat capabilities. However, his collapse in the playoffs against Birmingham is hard to overlook, where he turned the ball over four times as Michigan blew a double digit lead. According to Coach Nolan, though, expect to see some of both Etling and Perkins to begin the season.

Speaking of Lombardi, Rocky joins the fold as a UFL College Draft pick. Rocky played his college ball at Michigan State & NIU – and has familiarity with playing football in Michigan. He’s a younger prospect who, with some development, could be an exciting player to watch in the UFL. Right now, he’s QB3.

Running Backs

Matt Colburn: Returning to the backfield is one of spring football’s finest, in Matt Colburn. Matt is a veteran, having been in the scene for several years in the XFL, TSL, USFL, and UFL. This past year, Colburn was on a tear with the Panthers. Despite missing two games, Matt was 5th in the UFL with 401 rushing yards, and four touchdowns. Marcel Bellefeuille will no doubt be grateful to have him back in action for 2025.

Nate McCrary: McCrary wasn’t utilized much this past year – but when he was, he made a serious impact. Nate had an excellent showing in the postseason against Birmingham, and provided Michigan with a spark late in the season after Wes Hills went down. He went on to spend the preseason in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. If he has the opportunity to see more action this season, expect Nate to produce for Michigan.

Jaden Shirden: Shirden is the sole new addition to the backfield in Michigan, as a young prospect out of Monmouth. He’s a 2x FCS All-American, and someone who quietly could work up the ranks quickly with the Panthers after rushing for almost 3,700 yards in his college career. Jaden has been highly praised in camp by multiple coaches – his breakaway speed is unmatched.

Wide Receivers

Marcus Simms
Siaosi Mariner
Samson Nacua
Devin Ross
Xavier Malone
Jaylon Moore
Malik Turner

Michigan returns four of their wideouts from a year ago, which is no surprise. Highlighting the WR room is All-UFL prospect Marcus Simms, and Siaosi Mariner. Simms was electric all season long, showing a ton of growth from 2023 to 2024.

In addition, Mariner proved to be one of the top targets in the entire league. Despite joining after Training Camp, Siaosi established himself as a playmaker in Marcel Bellefeuille’s offense. Expect more big things from Mariner this season. Samson Nacua and Devin Ross return as two players who can make a difference as rotational pieces, and on special teams.

For the new additions, Malik Turner is someone to keep a close eye on. Coaches have raved about what he’s done in camp so far, with LB coach Christian Runza going as far as to say that no one has been able to guard him. Turner, an NFL vet, should be a big piece of this offense as long as he stays healthy.

In addition, Xavier Malone and Jaylon Moore are two younger receivers who are new to the team. The two certainly have plenty of potential – but will have their work cut out for themselves to make a major impact early, given the talent Michigan already has at the position.

Tight Ends

Cole Hikutini
Gunnar Oakes
Jalen Wydermyer

The Panthers will feature familiar faces in their tight end room this season. Standout Cole Hikituni returns, after posting over 400 receiving yards across two years in Michigan. Gunnar Oakes, in his rookie year with the Panthers, made an impact especially in the blocking game. The two will be joined by Jalen Wydermeyer, the former Texas A&M product who has spent time in the NFL with the Colts and Patriots. Wydermyer is a versatile TE who brings multiple assets to the table for Michigan.

Offensive Line

Chim Okorafor
Jake Burton
Ryan Nelson
Cohl Cabral
Noah Johnson
Brian Dooley
Keith Russell
Victor Curne

The offensive line will see plenty of key pieces back. Jake Burton, Noah Johnson, Cohl Cabral, and Ryan Nelson highlight the veterans who are back on the roster. Burton is coming off of a tremendous season – one that landed him a preseason stint with the Detroit Lions. Johnson is also one of the best centers in the game, and will undoubtedly be the leader of the O-Line in 2025. Chim Okorafor also returns, after spending some time with the Browns this offseason.

Some of the new additions to this line should prove to be excellent. Dooley, Curne, and Russell are all younger prospects who bring depth and talent to the table. Dooley was a College Draft pick this past offseason, actually, and has chosen to play in the UFL which is encouraging to see. Michigan’s offensive line saw some fantastic production last year, and that’s expected to continue this season under the guidance of Tim Holt.

Defensive Line

Walter Palmore
Garrett Marino
T.J. Carter
Breeland Speaks
Levi Bell
Ron’Dell Carter
Ron Stone Jr.
Kenny Willekes
Mika Tafua

In the trenches, the Panthers should have one of the top D-Lines in the league. While they lost Daniel Wise to injury early on in camp, Walter Palmore and Garrett Marino are both veterans on this roster who should be key forces once again. T.J. Carter, who’s been a valuable depth piece, has also returned.

What makes this group so intriguing this year, is the intel we have on Levi Bell. Bell, who’s played EDGE most of his career, has been taking snaps at interior DL for Michigan since he’s put on weight – but maintained his athleticism. If Bell can contribute at DT, that’s huge news for Michigan’s defense as a whole.

At EDGE, Breeland Speaks and Kenny Willekes will look to lead the way for Michigan. Breeland was the top pass rusher in the UFL a year ago, earning DPOY honors – leading the UFL with nine sacks. Willekes is poised for a breakout season, after missing the last couple of games last year due to a high ankle sprain.

Ron’Dell Carter and Mika Tafua are both qualified pass rushers who will make an impact. Carter did not get enough attention last year – and could end up as a starter at some point during the year. Ron Stone is an intriguing new face, as a younger star out of Washington State. He’s someone who should develop nicely under the coaching of Collin Bauer.

Linebackers

Frank Ginda
Donavan Mutin
Javin White
Noah Dawkins
De’Gabriel Floyd*

Michigan was able to retain three of their stars from 2024, in Frank Ginda, Javin White, and Noah Dawkins. Ginda is one of the all-time greats in the spring scene, having earned USFL DPOY honors in 2023. He missed half of this past season with a pectoral injury, but will return for a fourth stint with the Panthers. Javin White is someone who stepped up in a major way when Ginda went down, earning his right to belong on this roster.

Dawkins is another player who returns for a third season, having been a key part of this defense the last two years. He had an excellent outing in the playoffs against Birmingham – and will look to build upon those performances this year. De’Gabriel Floyd is also back, but is currently on injured reserve. If he returns, it’s hard to see him getting legitimate minutes behind the linebackers Michigan already has.

Finally, Donavan Mutin is the lone “rookie” in Runza’s room. Mutin had an incredibly successful career with the Houston Cougars, and has some NFL experience with the Colts and Falcons. If given the opportunity, Donavan could absolutely make a positive impact in Michigan.

Secondary

Keni-H Lovely
Bryce Torneden
D.J. Miller Jr.
Adonis Alexander
Levonta Taylor
Arnold Tarpley III
Kai Nacua
Kedrick Whitehead
Akeem Dent

The secondary in Michigan will be one of the few position groups that saw more of an overhaul. Starting with the CB’s, Keni-H Lovely, and D.J. Miller Jr. made their way to the Panthers roster. Both are speedy corners who Michigan’s staff is very high on. Miller was actually a Brahmas draft pick, but had his rights rescinded so he could sign with the Panthers.

Returning to the room is Bryce Torneden, Adonis Alexander, and Levonta Taylor. Alexander is someone who you should expect to see plenty of in 2025 – his role grew throughout the year, and Adonis ended up taking on some of Michigan’s toughest assignments down the stretch. Torneden and Taylor are both key pieces who have had plenty of success in the spring scene. Bryce, in particular, showcased his versatility in Bauer’s system, moving from safety to slot corner.

Speaking of safeties – this Michigan defense is loaded. They’ve brought back All-UFL nominee Kai Nacua, alongside Kedrick Whitehead. Kedrick flashed quite a bit of potential this past season. He’s an exciting young prospect who is blooming at the UFL’s level, and should see more action. Nacua needs no introduction, after his outstanding performances in 2024.

Michigan then also added Arnold Tarpley III – the former Pittsburgh Mauler who was All-USFL in 2023. After a year with the Falcons, he comes back to spring football, this time in Michigan, reuniting with Torneden. Another name to watch: Akeem Dent. The former Florida State product was a UFL College Draft pick, and had plenty of NFL interest this offseason. He’s another young playmaker who’s bound to make noise in the UFL this year.

Special Teams

B.T. Potter
Seth Vernon
Jordan Ober

The Special Teams unit in Michigan has also seen a pretty major shakeup. UFL star Jake Bates made his way to the Lions – and not surprisingly, he’s not coming back. Replacing Bates is B.T. Potter, the former Clemson product who had an NFL stint with the Steelers in 2023. He’s got plenty to prove at the pro level, but has the tangibles needed to see success. That said, don’t expect Potter to live up to the same hype that Bates did. According to Michigan’s coaches, B.T. is a reliable kicker – but does not have the big leg that we saw out of Jake.

Michigan has decided not to bring back Brock Miller, which is a bit of a shock after he was one of the UFL’s top punters in 2024. Brock led the league in punting yards, and was one of the finalists for the All-UFL awards (which ultimately went to Brad Wing of the Brahmas). Replacing Brock is Seth Vernon, who beat out Simon Laryea in Training Camp. Vernon has a massive leg, as the former Portland State product has had a couple of NFL stints with the Vikings and Falcons. He’s got potential to be one of the top punters in the UFL this year, without a doubt.

Jordan Ober is the only long snapper to return to Michigan. He’s been one of the top snappers in the USFL/UFL the last two seasons, with the Generals and Panthers. Ober earned All-UFL honors in 2024, which was incredibly well deserved following his excellent season.

Final Thoughts

After their strong season in 2024, the Michigan Panthers appear set to make another playoff run. They’re stacked both offensively and defensively, at least from 2024’s standards. We’ll have to wait and see as to how that translates to 2025, with plenty of UFL teams making major changes to their rosters.

Michigan’s goal was clear this offseason: if it isn’t broken, don’t try and fix it. They’ve refined the roster, adding some tremendous pieces – but kept their cores intact across each position group where possible.

Michigan kicks off their season on the road, taking on the Memphis Showboats on March 30th.

What are your thoughts on the Michigan Panthers 2025 UFL roster makeup? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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