Heading into the 2025 UFL season, the Michigan Panthers were a team that showed quite a bit of promise. With a reloaded offense, and the return of Bryce Perkins who flashed potential last year, they were poised to make noise in the USFL Conference.
After nearly taking down the Birmingham Stallions a year ago, the Panthers came into this season with one goal: defeat the reigning champs. It was a mission that was certainly doable, especially with the improved roster across the board.
The 2025 campaign in Michigan was one that was rewarding – despite the rather bitter end in St. Louis. Let’s take a look at what went down with the Panthers this year, as they made it to the Championship for the first time since 1983.
Strong Start
As the Michigan Panthers traveled to Memphis for their opener, fans were instantly treated to what Bryce Perkins – the eventual UFL MVP – could do. Michigan, for the most part, controlled the tempo of the game; making life difficult for former QB E.J. Perry & Co.
While Memphis had an opportunity to close the gap late, star safety Kai Nacua slammed the door shut: with a pick six that pushed the Panthers to a 26-12 victory. It was an energizing win for a franchise looking to show that they should be in the Championship discussion.
The next week would prove to be a bit of a bump in the road, with a familiar foe. Michigan would be unable to get out of their own way against the Birmingham Stallions, falling 21-12 at home. A failed goal-line drive, paired up with turnovers and other self-inflicted wounds piled up – as they had in so many times past against the Stallions.
As they looked to rebound in week three, the Panthers also made a rather interesting move – trading away star WR Marcus Simms to the Houston Roughnecks.
Two QB System
Something that Mike Nolan was dead set on to begin the year: playing both quarterbacks. Even though it seemed clear that Bryce Perkins was the #1 option, Danny Etling was splitting snaps with Perkins the first few weeks of action.
Etling was actually the starter for a week three matchup against the San Antonio Brahmas – but got knocked out of the game early on. This turned out to benefit the Panthers, as Bryce Perkins played all of the snaps across the next two outings.
Against the Brahmas, the Panthers were able to hold on for a late win, despite a late pick six thrown by Perkins, which nearly gave San Antonio enough life to get back into it.
In week four, Michigan faced off against Memphis once again, and manhandled them. E.J. Perry and Troy Williams couldn’t get much of anything going through the air, as Michigan’s defense stifled them all evening long. Perkins put on a show, alongside Toa Taua on the ground who emerged as the season went on as one of the league’s top running backs.
However, Danny Etling would be healthy by week five: meaning that Nolan was ready to put him into action once again. Despite Perkins playing well against a tough St. Louis defense, Nolan put Etling into the game – who immediately threw an interception that altered the course of the game.
Michigan would go on to lose a heartbreaker against the Battlehawks, sitting at 3-2 at the halfway point of the year.
Bryce Perkins Takeover
Heading into the second half of the season, Mike Nolan finally decided to make Perkins the bonafide starter. In week six, we saw the fruits of that decision – as the Panthers rolled over the DC Defenders at home en route to a 38-14 victory.
Michigan posted a historic 27 first downs on the day, alongside over 400 yards of offense. It was one of their best offensive efforts in franchise history, and showcased that this team can win games solely with their offense – something they hadn’t been able to say with confidence the last couple of seasons.
In week seven, Perkins led what was a ridiculous fourth quarter comeback against the Arlington Renegades. Toa Taua, Siaosi Mariner, and Malik Turner were all clutch throughout the day, as they mounted what seemed to be an impossible feat in the final seconds.
With a 5-2 record, the Panthers were closing in on a playoff berth for a third straight season – and were looking to clinch the USFL Conference this time around.
Danny Etling’s Resurgence
What went under the radar until week eight rolled around: an ankle injury to Perkins. He ended up sitting out in week eight, as Danny Etling led the Panthers past the Houston Roughnecks to clinch a playoff berth.
The next two weeks were relatively meaningless, as the Michigan Panthers lost two games to the Stallions and Roughnecks to close out the year. The Panthers defense struggled against J’Mar Smith and Birmingham in week nine, as the Stallions were able to punch their ticket to winning the USFL Conference regular season title once again.
Notably, Etling and rookie Rocky Lombardi split reps at QB in week 10. Lombardi flashed potential with his mobility, but wasn’t very effective as a passer.
The Postseason: Two Different Stories
As the Michigan Panthers prepared to face off against the Birmingham Stallions for a third time this season, they were facing what seemed to be an impossible task. They had lost seven straight games to the Stallions dating back to 2022, unable to get a win in the modern era of spring football.
That finally changed in the playoffs this year. Bryce Perkins and Toa Taua put on an absolute offensive clinic, as the Stallions had zero answers for Marcel Bellefeuille’s attack. Even when the Stallions made a late push to get back into the game, Taua put a quick end to that surge. Michigan would clinch their first Championship berth in the modern era, with a 44-29 win over the Stallions.
Riding high into Championship weekend against DC, the Panthers weren’t ready for what they were about to be hit with. The DC Defenders were fired up – looking to get revenge not just for their week six loss, but also to avenge their star QB Jordan Ta’amu, who was snubbed for all three awards that went in Bryce Perkins’ favor.
It was a disastrous defensive affair as the Panthers allowed 58 points on the night, unable to slow DC down at any point. Even with a quick offensive start, mistakes piled up for the Panthers that became too much to overcome.
After what was such a successful season, Michigan was embarrassed in the Championship game by a team that many predicted they could beat.
Offensive Line Dominance
One of the major storylines this season for Michigan: the offensive line play. O-Line coach Tim Holt had this unit playing at an incredibly high level throughout the season, as no one ran the ball more consistently than the Michigan Panthers.
Michigan’s Run Grade of 87.1 was 2nd best in the UFL, just behind the St. Louis Battlehawks (88.0). No one had a better Run Blocking grade than the Panthers, at 68.6 via PFF.
Both OT Ryan Nelson and OG Cohl Cabral earned All-UFL honors this season, and for good reason. Nelson was spectacular after making the move to full-time tackle in 2025, with a 77.5 Offensive Grade during the regular season.
Not to mention, center Noah Johnson was snubbed for the opportunity to earn All-UFL honors as well – allowing just four pressures and zero sacks on the season.
Toa Taua Steals The Spotlight
Spring football is benefitted every year by incredible stories that wouldn’t be possible without it, and Toa Taua fits that bill perfectly. Taua has been with Michigan for a couple years, cut multiple times and then brought back due to injury.
After being cut in camp this year, Matt Colburn went to IR – so Michigan brought Taua back. He ended up leading all running backs with six rushing touchdowns on the season, showing up in multiple clutch moments throughout the season.
In their playoff win over Birmingham, Taua rushed for three touchdowns, putting the nail in the coffin to punch a Championship ticket. His 84.5 Offensive Grade was the highest of any running back with 50+ offensive snaps on the year.
Defensive Issues
One of the backbones of this Michigan team the last couple of years has been a stellar defensive unit. With a defensive mind in Mike Nolan at head coach, and the emergence of Collin Bauer at DC, they’ve been excellent.
Unfortunately, that trend would take a turn for the worse during the second half of the year. The Panthers could not win the big games with their secondary, which ultimately came back to bite them late. Despite their efforts on first and second downs, their third down defense saw a slump as opposing offenses could get almost whatever they wanted through the air.
It all came to a head in week nine, when they allowed a whopping 11 of 13 third down attempts from the Stallions to be converted.
What didn’t help matters much either: the injuries that piled up. DB’s Keni-H Lovely and Levonta Taylor were unavailable during the postseason, while Adonis Alexander missed time with an injury as well. By the time the postseason came around, guys like KiAnte Hardin and Dee Delaney were starting games – despite being with the team for a short period of time.
Up front, the team also saw players miss large chunks of time. Breeland Speaks, Walter Palmore, Kenny Willekes, Frank Ginda, and Javin White are a few examples of players who either went to IR, or missed the final couple of games due to injury.
It’s something that will have to be addressed in the offseason. What once was one of the Panthers’ strong suits in the past, proved to be their weakest link when it mattered most.
Moving Towards 2026
Just like a lot of other teams heading towards 2026, the Michigan Panthers will have some questions to answer in the offseason. First and foremost: how many key pieces can they bring back? There’s plenty of veterans on this roster who ran it back for one more year to try and beat the Stallions – who likely won’t be returning in 2026.
Of course, a lot will be determined depending on if Bryce Perkins decides to come back for another season or not. He’s expected to receive some NFL interest, but even if he doesn’t, is it worth returning to the UFL? He was already debating hanging it up before the 2025 UFL season. After earning All-UFL, OPOY, and MVP honors – if that isn’t enough to get him back to the NFL, I’m not sure what will.
The good news: they have one of the best GM’s in the game. Steve Kazor works tirelessly to get this organization the top prospects available, which is a major reason why Michigan has seen so much success over the past few seasons. Even throughout this past year, the Panthers were able to bring in NFL vets such as Taylor Stallworth, Benning Potoa’e, Dee Delaney, and others to boost a defense that was dealing with a plethora of injuries.
This upcoming offseason could result in quite a few changes for this organization. Time will tell, but as it looks like right now, retirements and NFL opportunities will likely result in more roster turnover in 2026 than the team had in 2025.
Final Thoughts
Even though it wasn’t the ending that they had hoped for, the Michigan Panthers have a lot to be proud of from this past UFL season.
Center Noah Johnson summed it up pretty well after the Championship loss:
“I think for the whole team, there’s a lot to be proud of for this season. Football is very much a result based business, so it hurts to lose the way we did today, but it doesn’t change what we did as a team every single day at work. Showing up, working hard in practice, getting here, getting past Birmingham which was huge for us – it’s a lot to be proud of and a lot to be thankful for. I’m so lucky that I’ve gotten to play my whole professional football career with the Michigan Panthers. Great coaches, great teammates – it hurts not to finish as champions, but I’m proud of the season we had.”
The Michigan Panthers haven’t had any UFL to NFL signings as of writing this article, but there will definitely be some news on that front sooner than later. All-UFL TE Gunnar Oakes has a workout scheduled with the Denver Broncos, following his solid campaign this season.
What are your thoughts on the Michigan Panthers 2025 UFL season? What does this team need to do in the offseason? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
