UFL Alumni Make Positive Impression In NFL Preseason Week 3

The NFL preseason has been incredibly busy for former spring football talent. Players from the UFL, USFL, and XFL have all been making an impact – doing their part in showcasing why these platforms matter.

Aside from the 2026 alumni who shined in week three (which we covered here), there were a plethora of athletes who continued to make a name for themselves in week three from previous seasons. Let’s take a look at who impressed this past weekend.

Atlanta Falcons

WR Chris Blair, DC
DL LaCale London, St. Louis

Chris Blair has consistently been one of Atlanta’s finest during the preseason. The former DC Defenders star had three catches for 22 yards on four targets, continuing the trend of production in 2026. London finally saw the field for the first time, playing nine snaps. He had one quarterback pressure.

Detroit Lions

RB Jacob Saylors, St. Louis
TE Thomas Gordon, San Antonio
DB Nick Whiteside II, St. Louis
K Jake Bates, Michigan

Jacob Saylors is in the runnings for RB2 in Detroit due to injury, and for good reason. He had 100 rushing yards in the Lions win over the Colts, on just 17 carries. Saylors averaged 5.9 yards per carry. He also added 12 receiving yards to his total tally.

Thomas Gordon, the former San Antonio Brahma, had one reception for seven yards. Nick Whiteside notched a tackle, while Jake Bates had one successful XP try. Notably, Bates missed two extra points. Dan Campbell made it clear that he was not worried about the week three slip up.

New Orleans Saints

WR Kevin Austin Jr., Birmingham
EDGE Garrett Nelson, San Antonio
DB Jayden Price, Dallas/Arlington

It was another impressive effort by Jayden Price in the secondary. He had six tackles, third on the team in their win over Dallas. Price had a strong 79.3 tackling grade in week three, via PFF. Garrett Nelson notched his second sack of the preseason, putting his best foot forward in making this roster. Kevin Austin Jr. had one catch for three yards.

San Francisco 49ers

QB Adrian Martinez, Birmingham
WR Malik Turner, Michigan

During his final week of preseason action, Adrian Martinez was on the field quite a bit for San Francisco. He completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 130 yards, rushing for seven. Malik Turner wasn’t targeted offensively, but did notch a tackle on special teams.

Dallas Cowboys

WR Kavontae Turpin, New Jersey
DB Josh Butler, Michigan
K Brandon Aubrey, Birmingham

Brandon Aubrey made it look easy once again in the preseason, with three made field goals on four attempts. He hit a monster 58 yarder, scoring 10 points with an XP to cap off the afternoon.

KaVontae Turpin did not take the field. Meanwhile, former Michigan Panthers DB Josh Butler had two tackles.

Pittsburgh Steelers

WR Brandon Smith, DC
DT Kyler Baugh, St. Louis
LS Christian Kuntz, Dallas

Brandon Smith ended the preseason on an underwhelming note, with two receptions for just four yards. Former Battlehawks DT Kyler Baugh recorded a QB hit.

Denver Broncos

WR Michael Bandy, Houston
DE Dondrea Tillman, Birmingham
LS Mitchell Fraboni, Pittsburgh

With the release of Hakeem Butler, it opened the door for Michael Bandy to see a bit of flight this weekend. He was targeted three times, with two receptions for 18 yards. Dondrea Tillman also notched a tackle defensively.

New York Jets

OL Liam Fornadel, DC
OL Kohl Levao, San Antonio
DL Jack Heflin, Houston

Jack Heflin went absolutely crazy in his final preseason game. He led the Jets with nine tackles (three solo), and a tackle for loss. The former Roughnecks DL made a statement, putting pressure on New York to keep him.

Liam Fornadel had another productive game, with a strong 81.0 Pass Blocking Grade, via PFF. Kohl Levao was active as well, playing 33 snaps.

Cleveland Browns

K Andre Szmyt, St. Louis
LS Rex Sunahara, San Antonio

A pair of UFL specialists have emerged as the go-to guys for Cleveland the last couple of seasons. Andre Szmyt and Rex Sunahara will be the team’s starting kicker and long snapper in 2026 once again, with Szmyt scoring 12 of Cleveland’s 37 points this weekend.

Other UFL to NFL Performances

Stallions K Harrison Mevis, Rams: Harrison, the thicker kicker himself, has been stellar throughout the preseason. He was perfect once again, scoring eight points for Los Angeles.

Stars WR Maurice Alexander Jr., Bears: For a third week in a row, Maurice Alexander was a production machine for Chicago. He had seven receptions for 50 yards, including a touchdown. Maurice also had 11 rushing yards.

Maulers DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr., Patriots: Jeremiah Pharms has been one of the top success stories out of the USFL. He had three tackles in week three, and has since solidified a spot on New England’s practice squad.

Wildcats QB Josh Johnson, Bengals: Josh Johnson was efficient during his final preseason action with Cincinnati. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 156 yards, averaging over eight yards per attempt with zero turnovers.

Renegades OT Ricky Lee, Jaguars: Lee has been a big part of Jacksonville’s O-Line in the preseason. He played 70 snaps in week three, allowing a sack.

Defenders P Daniel Whelan, Packers: Whelan has established himself as one of the NFL’s top punters. He had four of them in the win over Arizona, for 204 total yards.

Long snappers Peter Bowden (Chargers), Tucker Addington (Dolphins), and Nick Muse (Ravens) all played this weekend as well. They were formerly with the Panthers, Gamblers, and Guardians, respectively.

With the amount of former spring football talent that has taken the spotlight, cutdowns will be very intriguing to watch – as coaches will be making very tough decisions. One thing is for certain: these UFL players belong at the highest level.

You can stay up to date on all UFL to NFL signings with our official tracker.

What are your thoughts on these UFL to NFL performances from week three of the preseason? Who did you enjoy watching? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!