We are well into camp at this point and I wanted to come out of writing retirement to be able to talk about the level of play that the UFL will have this year which I fully expect to be the best that spring football has ever seen. The main reason I feel this way is the job that these 8 GMs did this offseason acquiring an impressive level of talent across the board. I want to go over my favorites at each position of this new talent coming into the league and to shine a light on some excellent players. This isn’t necessarily going to be the best player, just the ones I’m dying to see at the end of March. Only rule is that for a player to qualify, they need to be in their first ever year in spring football, no returning pieces allowed even Brahmas WR Greg Ward who hasn’t been in spring football since the AAF in 2019. With that said, let’s jump into it.
QB Anthony Brown, Houston Roughnecks
While Max Duggan and Kellen Mond have stolen the show as the notable quarterback adds of the offseason, I think the one that’ll be the most fun will be the Roughnecks QB1 in Anthony Brown. Brown first got on my radar a few years ago in 2022 when I was watching my favorite NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens, preseason games and I watched him absolutely torch defenses in the 2nd half in all three games. Over 3 games he went 35 of 47 (74%) for 464 yards and 3 touchdowns to just 1 interception. That play has let him bounce around the league with him having stints with the Cardinals, Raiders, and Bills since leaving Baltimore. I am a big believer in preseason success translating to spring football success as you face a similar level of competition and I think Brown has the play style as a mobile quarterback at this level even if his athleticism wasn’t enough at the NFL level. I think he runs away with the starting gig in H-Town and is the main source of optimism for Roughnecks fans this season.
HM: Max Duggan, STL; Kellen Mond, SA; Chevan Cordeiro, STL
RB Jacob Kibodi, Memphis Showboats
Jacob Kibodi first crossed by radar when I was tracking NFL free agents this fall and he was off and on the Saints practice squad throughout his rookie year. He fully caught my attention when the Browns signed him off the street and had so many injuries that Kibodi was their RB2 in their final game of the year. In that game Kibodi performed admirably with a nice stat line of 5 carries for 24 yards and a catch for 15 yards against the best run defense in the league. I was shocked that he didn’t get a futures deal with the Browns or someone else in January given his performance but one mans trash is another man’s treasure and the Showboats get a bruising back that will headline a talent group with Deneric Prince and Dewayne McBride alot looking to get snaps. I think despite that, Kibodi could be the best of them all.
HM: Deon Jackson, DC; Jaden Shirden, MICH; Deneric Prince, MEM
WR Denzel Mims & Andy Isabella, St. Louis Battlehawks
I am totally cheating here (won’t be the last time) because I genuinely don’t know which of these former 2nd round picks will be the one that pops for St. Louis but I’m confident at least 1 if not both will. Both stories are similar, both had great draft processes that helped them become 2nd round picks. Then struggles at the NFL level forced them into journeymen until finally landing with the Battlehawks when their NFL opportunities dried up. We have seen these types of players work out for St. Louis as they have had guys like Marcell Ateman, Darrius Shepherd, and of course 2024 OPOY Hakeem Butler work and I can’t see how these 2 will be any different. New Offensive Coordinator Phil McGeoghan will have 2 outside weapons with 4.3 speed to go along with Jahcour Pearson in the slot who is also just as fast and it lets Hakeem Butler go back to his Michael Thomas big slot role which he was all of 2023. This room will be lethal assuming they got the quarterback right.
HM: Cornell Powell, DC; Racey McMath, SA; Jalen Camp, BIR
SLOT Lynn Bowden Jr., DC Defenders
Lynn Bowden is one of the most interesting players going to the 2025 season regardless of position just for the fact that I have no idea where he’s gonna play. Bowden has been a slot receiver and a running back since being a 3rd round pick for the raiders in 2020. Before that he was even a quarterback at Kentucky which is huge in a league with double forward passes. I think based off of where DC’s roster sits, slot receiver will be his home but we saw with a similar player in Pooka Williams that DC is willing to move pieces around so I think Bowden will see some 3rd down work at RB too. If he is able to be a rich man’s Pooka and be more than just a gadget and trick play guy, I think he could be one of the more impactful players in the league as he allows DC to find matchups in more ways than any other team in the league. Definitely a player to watch as we get into the season.
HM: Malik Turner, MICH; Shi Smith, BIR; Kwamie Lassiter II, MEM
TE Jacob Harris, San Antonio Brahmas
Tight end is a tough position to write about as there aren’t that many quality ones available every year, multiple teams don’t really use their tight ends in the passing game, and half of the projected starters have multiple spring seasons under their belt. That means I get to talk about a guy that isn’t even listed as a tight end but will absolutely be the Brahmas guy this year. Jacob Harris was a 4th round pick for the Rams in 2021 and has flirted with a position change to tight end since. The reason I’m so sure is the Brahmas had Cody Latimer as their tight end last year who was just a glorified wide receiver and I think that Jacob Harris can pick up when Latimer left off in that same big slot Mike Gesicki style tight end. Harris will be a nice security blanket for Kellen Mond and for all of you fantasy football people out there, I think he will be a steal.
HM: Devin Asiasi, DC; Chris Pierce, MEM; Chase Allen, STL
T Kellen Diesch, Arlington Renegades
Tackle is a similar position to tight end in that there’s never enough of them and the pickens are slim. That makes it even more notable when a team is able to find 2 quality ones like Arlington did this offseason when they were able to acquire Kellen Diesch and Ricky Lee. For this article, I’m gonna limit myself to only picking multiple players twice (lol) so I’ll single out Kellen Diesch as my favorite of the 2. Diesch was undrafted out of Arizona State in 2022 mostly due to that being the deepest draft class in NFL history due to Covid and not due to talent. In the NFL he has mostly been a journeyman and that has made him someone i’ve kept an eye on for the UFL as he has cycled through 6 different organizations in the past 3 years. He is a true left tackle and I believe he will pick up where All-UFL Tackle Bobby Evans left off in 2024 by giving Luis Perez’s blindside the best protection possible.
HM: Zach Banner, HOU; DJ Fluker, DC; Ricky Lee, ARL
IOL Keaton Sutherland, Birmingham Stallions
There are a lot more options when you move inside on the offensive line. I think even with a stacked position group, Keaton Sutherland is a player that separates himself from the group. He has 6 years of experience in the NFL on active rosters and practice squad with 6 teams. Sutherland is one of the few new offensive lineman in the UFL to actually see real game time in the NFL regular season with a bit over 100 career snaps in the NFL. In typical Birmingham fashion, he’s not the only new Stallion with that distinction as their center Matt Farniok also played a similar amount in the NFL. Whether it’s McGough or Corral at QB, they are all but guaranteed to have the best protection in the UFL due to Sutherland and co.
HM: Justin Shaffer, SA; Nate Gilliam, MEM; Matt Farniok, BIR
IDL Rayshad Nichols DC Defenders
Rayshad Nichols was considered one of the best players to ever play at Stephen F. Austin before entering the NFL in 2022. He then spent multiple years with the Ravens on their practice squad and is another example of a player balling out in the preseason which will translate to the UFL. What is most interesting for him to me is the opportunity to turn a weakness into a strength for DC. The defensive line and the defense in general left a lot to be desired in 2024 and part of DC trying to get back to their 2023 success is cleaning up that front. The addition of Nichols and Devonnsha Maxwell should (and possibly need to) be what is needed to sure up the run game and get some production from that group in the pass game on top of it. If that happens, expect Nichols to be right back on the NFL radar.
HM: Perrion Winfrey, BIR; Rashard Lawrence, SA; Isaiah Mack, STL
EDGE: The Entire Birmingham Stallions Room
Yeah I’m not joking with this one. The Stallions lost their top 2 edge rusher to the NFL and the room is still drastically better now. The room has 6 edge rushers that all have multiple years of experience in the NFL and 3 draft picks (Ronnie Perkins, Bradlee Anae, and Myjai Sanders). The other 3 non-draft pick rushers are not slouches either with DJ Coleman, Kyle Phillips, and Josh Pryor are all guys that would be huge offseason adds on pretty much every other team. Whoever gets cut from this group will be the quickest waiver wire addition in UFL history. I have no idea who will be the top dogs in this group but whoever they are should be instantly considered top NFL watchlist candidates just for beating out NFL quality competition.
HM: Quincy Roche, DC; Kemoko Turay, STL; Brevin Allen, MEM
LB Jabril Cox, Arlington Renegades
Jabril Cox is a huge splash addition for a Renegades that deeply needed difference makers on one of the weakest defenses in the league by the end of last season. Cox was a 4th round pick for Cowboys and will be able to play ball right down the street at Choctaw Stadium. Cox was a freak athlete coming out of LSU that needed reps but hasn’t been able to get them in the NFL due to injuries. Hopefully Cox can stay healthy and see some of his potential that would make him one of the back backers in the league if realized. Hopefully he can be the guy in a very deep linebacker room in Arlington.
HM: Tae Crowder, BIR; Tariq Carpenter, SA; Zeke Vandenburgh, MEM
CB Greedy Williams, San Antonio Brahmas
San Antonio decided to get Greedy this offseason. Terrible puns aside, Greedy Williams is one of the most notable names in the UFL as he was a starting corner at LSU and had 1st round talent and only slid to the 2nd round for injury concerns. Those concerns were realized as he would have 2 season ending injuries while at Cleveland and after a short stint with Philadelphia, found himself out of the league. Despite all of that, Greedy is still just 27 years old and realizing his potential in San Antonio could easily propel him right back in the league. As for San Antonio, he joins a corner room with one of the fastest corners in Kalon Barnes and an All-UFL snub in Darius Phillips to make a very interesting room and knowing Wade Phillips, they’ll get the most out of this season.
HM: Steven Gilmore, BIR; Damon Arnette, HOU; Michael Ojemudia, DC
Slot CB Eric Garror, Memphis Showboats
Eric Garror might be the best kept secret in the UFL this year. Garror as an undrafted rookie in 2023 played 350 snaps on defense for the Tennessee Titans as a slot corner and held his own with average grades according to PFF. This is the kind of player that typically bounces around for a bunch of years and gets to the league when it’s too little too late but Garror is somehow only 24. This is enough to be considered the most exciting slot corner in the league but the scheme fit is also perfect. The Boats defensive coordinator is Jarren Horton who used current Michigan Panthers Slot Bryce Torneden during his time with the Pittsburgh Maulers to great success and got him All-USFL honors. I think Garror is going to pop this year as that Slot/Third Safety role in this Memphis defense and could easily find himself back to playing on Sundays in the fall this year.
HM: Kelvin Joseph, DC; Rachad Wildgoose, BIR; Chris Claybrooks, ARL
SAF Tyree Gillespie, Michigan Panthers
Tyree Gillespie is one of the newest faces in the league as he signed only days ago but is already far and away the most exciting new safety in the league. Gillespie was a 4th round pick for the Raiders in 2021 and although he was never able to figure it out at the NFL level and became a journeyman, at the UFL level he should be able to go back to his rangy free safety roots and let the other Panthers offseason addition Arnold Tarpley play closer to the line. I think he’s someone that will be in the conversation of All-UFL by the end of the year, if that pans out, he would be a lock to get another look at the next level.
HM: Brady Breeze, ARL; Avery Young, STL; Henry Black, SA
K Rodrigo Blakenship, St. Louis Battlehawks
The UFL and before it the XFL and USFL has become a kicking factory. With names like Brandon Aubrey and Jake Bates among others that have parlayed their UFL gigs into stints in the NFL. This year someone will inevitably be the next person to do that. I’m not sure if that’ll be Hot Rod himself but Rodrigo Blakenship is the most notable name by far as he gained notoriety when he wore goggles while kicking at Georgia. He was able to get a stint with the Colts where he spent multiple years as their starting kicker before bouncing around the league. Now trying to reinvigorate his career for the Battlehawks, he has already become a fan favorite coming into the league. If nothing else, Blakenship will be able to fund his lego collection with his time here. But seriously, I think his resume is one of the most impressive to join a spring football league ever.
HM: K Harrison Mevis, BIR; K BT Potter, MICH; K Lucas Havrisik, ARL
What are your thoughts on who you’re most excited to see in the UFL? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
