Believe it or not, we are officially halfway through the United Football League’s (UFL) 2026 regular season. The first five weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye.
It’s been a rather unpredictable year so far in a lot of ways. There are few constants that carried over from last season, but with all of the shakeups that Mike Repole brought to the table, this is a landscape that is largely different from 2025.
In this piece, we’ll take a general look at how every team is shaping up at the halfway point of the season.
Birmingham Stallions (1-4)
The Birmingham Stallions are a perfect example that talent doesn’t always equal success. This roster is stacked from top to bottom, but they’ve gotten off to a brutal start to begin the A.J. McCarron era. Execution has been an issue, as the Stallions are one of the least disciplined teams in the UFL. It’s been drama since day one, from the Taylor Elgersma headache, to the Matt Corral fallout, and special teams disappointments.
With their backs up against a wall, the Stallions do have a bit of hope. They traded for QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who flashed his talents on Friday night. There is potential there for the offense to get back on track…the problem is, will it be a little bit too little, a little bit too late? Every single game is a must-win moving forward, and it starts with an Orlando team that shut them out just one week ago.
Columbus Aviators (1-4)
For Ted Ginn Jr. and the Columbus Aviators, they’re just missing an extra dynamic layer that some of the better teams in this league feature. The Aviators have a great backfield, and their offensive line play hasn’t been poor by any means. What’s holding them back is the ceiling of Jalan McClendon, who has struggled to put it all together from week to week. His turnovers (notably, lack of ball security with six fumbles) has killed their momentum at times.
Outside of Todd Haley and Ronnie Vinklarek, this is an inexperienced coaching staff as well. Defensively, it’s been rough. The talent is there, and incremental improvements have been made, but there are too many mental mistakes made by that unit that still haven’t been corrected. Columbus is a team that should start building towards next season if they can’t come away with a win at home this week. They just don’t have enough firepower to convincingly make a playoff run at this point.
Dallas Renegades (3-2)
Just when we thought we knew how good the Dallas Renegades were, they’ve lost two in a row. Week four, they’ve got an excuse. They played three games in an 11 day span, and were incredibly thin defensively. On Sunday, though, the Renegades fell to the Kings 47-25 in a game that never really felt close from the beginning to the end.
Dallas rides and dies with Austin Reed. When he plays well, the team plays well. When Austin stumbles, the Renegades struggle to put it together. Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone is going to have to find some tricks up his sleeve to get the Renegades back on track. Defensively, they’re an inconsistent bunch. Very aggressive, and can generate takeaways – but their lack of a consistent pass rush has visibly hurt their production as of late.
Also, special teams are a problem, and not in a good way. Colton Theaker has not been efficient to begin his UFL career. Punter Brendan Hall also has some of the lowest averages of any punter in the UFL.
DC Defenders (4-1)
We should have never doubted the defending champs for a second. This group is arguably the most complete team in the UFL, especially given the continuity they have by maintaining so much of the same core. Jordan Ta’amu is back to playing at MVP-caliber levels, which is no surprise. The only surprise was that it took him about three games to get back to that shape.
The resurgence of DC’s ground game has been entertaining to watch. Deon Jackson and Xazavian Valladay are a top rushing duo in the UFL, both complimenting each other very well. Defensively, Blake Williams’ unit does enough to get the job done. They’re creating turnovers, which are the energizing plays that DC is fueled by. Currently, the Defenders are T-1st in the UFL with six interceptions.
Oh, and we can’t forget Matty Ice, their kicker. McCrane has connected on two 60+ yard field goals his season, the only kicker in professional history to hit two four point field goals. Right now, DC is the team to beat, winners of four straight.
Houston Gamblers (2-3)
The Houston Gamblers have won two games this season, but by the skin of their teeth. Kevin Sumlin’s group has been rather undisciplined, oftentimes with costly penalties and straight up strange decisions. Sumlin, for example, iced his own kicker John Hoyland this week.
Quarterback play has been an issue, to an extent. Now, this isn’t Houston’s fault – Hunter Dekkers and Nolan Henderson have both missed notable time. The ground game has stepped up, with Marcus Yarns and Jalen White leading the way in that category. Houston has legitimate potential, and playmakers, who just haven’t touched the ball enough.
The defense has also shown some improvement as of late, but that is partially due to the offenses they played (Louisville, pre-fixed O-Line; Columbus). If they can trend upwards against some of the better offenses, Houston has the chance to sneak into the playoffs and do some damage.
Louisville Kings (2-3)
The Louisville Kings may be the most exciting under .500 team in the UFL right now. Chris Redman has his team on a roll, at 2-3. The moves they made recently were the right ones, even though trading Jason Bean does sound insane on paper. Chandler Rogers is a gamer, who can manage the clock and make the right reads and decisions. On the ground, moving on from Benny Snell – and adjusting the offensive line unit – drastically improved this team in the span of one week.
Defensively, as long as Louisville can continue to generate takeaways, they’re elite. The defensive backs have been tremendous, taking on tough assignments all year long and excelling. As Chris Redman continues to figure out his identity as a Head Coach, the sky is the limit for what this team is capable of – even if it doesn’t include a playoff berth this year.
Orlando Storm (4-1)
With Anthony Becht taking the reins in Orlando, expectations were high for the Storm heading into their inaugural year. They’ve delivered, winning four straight to begin the year. Things aren’t perfectly smooth, as the offensive line has presented some legitimate issues. Also, Colin Thompson is in his first year calling plays as a young coach. His youth and inexperience has been on display at times – but overall, he’s taken on the responsibility in an impressive manner.
The strength of this team is their defense, and more specifically, their pass rush. Chris Garrett and Keshawn Banks have been the best edge duo in the UFL through five weeks. Orlando feeds off their ability to put pressure on quarterbacks, which has resulted in a couple of game-sealing turnovers and stops. The Storm are well on their way to compete for a Championship this UFL season.
St. Louis Battlehawks (3-2)
Ricky Proehl looks and sounds like a Head Coach. It’s his first opportunity to serve in that specific position, and he’s done an incredible job. Even his mistakes, which are few, he’s taken full accountability for, such as the decision to re-do their punt against Orlando this past weekend, which ended up igniting a Storm comeback late.
Proehl hired a couple of experienced spring football coordinators in A.J. Smith and Corey Chamblin, which has paid off in dividends. Chamblin’s defense has played some tremendous football, and they haven’t quite tapped into their full potential yet.
St. Louis is a team that should be able to secure a playoff berth, but it remains to be seen if they can consistently stack up against the league’s best. The Battlehawks believe that they can continue to develop Harrison Frost – which is a gamble. He’s been on a roller coaster of a ride the last couple of weeks. From throwing two interceptions on his first two passes, to leading a comeback against Birmingham, to completing 29% of his pass attempts in week four – it’s tough to know what to expect. If Smith can continue to polish his play, though, the Battlehawks can compete for a Championship.
Final Thoughts
The UFL standings currently stand as follows:
- DC Defenders (4-1)
- Orlando Storm (4-1)
- Dallas Renegades (3-2)
- St. Louis Battlehawks (3-2)
- Louisville Kings (2-3)
- Houston Gamblers (2-3)
- Columbus Aviators (1-4)
- Birmingham Stallions (1-4)
As we’ve learned with spring football over the years – anything is possible. The Arlington Renegades made the playoffs at 4-6 in 2023, and went on to win the XFL Championship.
Bottom line: tune in weekly. The quality of play continues to get better and better, with exciting finishes every week. DC and Orlando appear to be playoff locks, but the rest of the berths are wide open for the taking heading into the second half of the year.
What are your thoughts on the UFL season so far? Which teams do you predict will make the playoffs? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
