Houston Roughnecks Clean House, Add More Free Agents | Mark Thompson
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Houston Roughnecks Clean House, Add More Free Agents

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A few weeks ago, we reported that the Houston Roughnecks gained a new General Manager. Lionel Vital was out, and Will Lewis – formerly with the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL – took over prior to the UFL College Draft.

After a 1-9 season in the UFL, and with the addition of a new GM, it was imminent that changes were on the way. Those changes have already begun this week, with Houston absolutely gutting a large chunk of their roster, signing quite a few new faces to Letters Of Intent with the team.

Let’s take a look at who Houston let go, as there were several surprises in the mix, along with the new signings for the 2025 season.

Major Cuts In Houston

While we expected that Houston would let some players go, this mass exodus caught all of us by surprise. The Roughnecks released 16 of their athletes on Tuesday, which is intriguing given the fact that their contracts would be expiring in August, anyway. Will Lewis is clearly wasting zero time.

RB Mark Thompson: Quite possibly the most shocking release of them all is the former USFL Offensive Player of the Year, Mark Thompson. Mark was such a key piece to Coach C.J. Johnson’s offense over the past two seasons. In 2023, he was on the field for 70% of snaps for the Gamblers. While he dealt with injuries in 2024, Thompson still posted 225 rushing yards, and five touchdowns. The aging back might decide to hang it up, if no other UFL teams come calling.

RB Ezra Gray: Ezra Gray was an interesting story for Houston this year. He was one of their first picks in the UFL Super Draft, but ended up getting cut in Training Camp. Gray returned to the roster late in the season, but never saw any snaps. Ezra has bounced around a few different spring teams, and will have to find a new home once again.

TE Braedon Bowman: Bowman started in five of 10 games played for Houston this season. The former New Jersey General made his presence known in the red zone, with two touchdown receptions in 2024. Braedon finished the year with eight receptions for 65 yards. He was targeted 22 times. Bowman had a solid 71.9 Pass Blocking Grade in 2024, via PFF.

TE Woody Brandom: Brandom and Bowman both had made their way over to Houston from New Jersey during the merger. Sadly, Woody went down with a serious injury in week five against Birmingham – ending his season. Brandom had one catch for 11 yards in 2024.

TE Clint Sigg Jr.: Clint Sigg has been with Houston for a few years, primarily used as a blocking tight end. He saw action in six games with the Roughnecks this season, but didn’t receive any targets.

OG Shamarious Gilmore: Shamarious was another strange piece to the puzzle in Houston’s one-win season. Gilmore was a standout lineman with the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL. He ended up starting the first two games for the Roughnecks – but was cut abruptly. Shamarious later returned, but didn’t see the field outside of those opening weeks.

LB Gabriel Sewell Jr.: Another surprise is the release of Gabriel Sewell, who was a starting LB for Houston prior to an injury in week seven. Gabriel had 19 tackles in 2024, and was a key piece to Chris Wilson’s defense. Sewell had joined the roster through the merger process, formerly playing for the Philadelphia Stars.

LB D’Juan Hines: Hines was a late signing for the Roughnecks, and one that made an impact. He joined the team due to the injuries at linebacker, and came away with an interception in his second game of action against Michigan. Hines was a star with the New Jersey Generals for a couple of years, and is someone who could certainly get looked at by another team.

LB Christian Sam: Similar to Hines, Sam also joined Houston because of the injuries during the final few weeks of the season. He was utilized only on special teams, not seeing the field at all defensively. Sam was actually the first USFL to NFL signing of the modern era back in 2022, and also spent time with the Arlington Renegades.

DB Jai Nunn-Liddell: Jai is one of the cornerbacks that was added to the roster by Lionel Vital, but didn’t amount to much. Nunn-Liddell only played in a couple of games for the Roughnecks this season, totaling two tackles.

S Donald Rutledge Jr: Rutledge no longer being on this roster makes zero sense. Donald has been one of the staples of this defense for two seasons. In 2023 with the Gamblers, he racked up 40 tackles in seven starts. This year, he started in all ten games, totaling 55 tackles, an interception, and a PBU. He’s another player who definitely should receive a call from someone.

S Jamari Brown: Jamari Brown was another offseason addition, one who missed the first half of the season because of a surgery. He joined the team for the final five weeks, seeing a bit of action on defense, and on special teams (five ST tackles).

S Mister Harriel: Harriel signed with Houston very late in the year, so he didn’t get much of an opportunity to earn playing time. Mister formerly played in the XFL with the Vegas Vipers and St. Louis Battlehawks.

S Rashad Torrence II: It was a bit frustrating to see someone like Rashad Torrence on the sidelines so often this year for Houston. As a young addition with plenty of potential, Torrence only saw the field for 62 defensive snaps in 2024. He’s another defender who mainly saw his minutes on special teams. Rashad has NFL experience, and should receive another look from someone.

P Hunter Niswander: This one is crazy. With the signing of Mike Rivers, the Roughnecks let Hunter Niswander go – who’s consistently been one of the top punters in the spring football scene the last few years. Niswander joined Houston midway through the 2023 USFL season, and was the starting punter for the Roughnecks in 2024. Despite three blocked punts (which were not his fault), he was 2nd in the UFL averaging 46.7 yards per punt.

LS Logan Klusman: Klusman, after just one season at long snapper for Houston, has been released. Logan was consistent throughout the year, helping Niswander and kicker JJ Molson see successful years. Klusman was actually one of three nominees for the All-UFL list.

New Additions

The Houston Roughnecks have added a plethora of players to the roster. Five of them were covered in an article we released yesterday (Calvin Ashley, Brian Burt, Mike Rivers, Malik Dunlap, & Chu Ogbonna).

Since then, they’ve also added 13 more athletes to the roster, who also signed Letters Of Intent with the franchise. Let’s take a look at who they’ve brought in, as there are some familiar faces in this bunch.

RB Dezmon Jackson

With two RB’s being released, the Roughnecks have added Dezmon Jackson to the backfield. Dezmon began his college career at Hutchinson CC, rushing for 1,627 yards and 17 touchdowns across two season there.

Jackson moved to Oklahoma State, playing for three seasons – starting in four of 19 games played. He rushed for 686 yards and six scores from 2019-2021. In 2022, he transferred to Sam Houston State for his final season. He posted 345 rushing yards and two scores that year. Now, he’ll look to kickstart his professional career in the UFL, with Houston.

WR Felton Davis

Felton Davis is an intriguing pickup for the wide receiver room. He played his college football at Michigan State, totaling 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns during his career there. Davis signed to the Chiefs as an UDFA in 2019, but was let go in 2020. Felton has since spent some time in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders. As of June 2023, Davis has remained a free agent.

WR Bailey Gaither

It’s about time Bailey Gaither made his way back into the spring football scene. While not announced by the league yet, we’re told that Gaither has signed his LOI with the Roughnecks as of yesterday.

Gaither was a stud for the Pittsburgh Maulers across two seasons in the USFL. He recorded five touchdowns and 698 receiving yards, making a couple of dazzling plays throughout that tenure. Gaither also caught the game winning touchdown for the Maulers in their only win of the 2022 season. Bailey is the epitome of a receiver who knows his role, and maximizes his potential while on the football field.

OG Maea Teuhema

Maea is a spring football veteran. He’s played in about every single league that you can think of. He was with the San Antonio Commanders in the AAF, before playing for the XFL’s New York Guardians in 2020.

In the USFL’s inaugural season, Maea played with the Michigan Panthers – starting in eight games for them that season. Last year in the XFL, he was a starter for five games with the San Antonio Brahmas. Given his relationship with former Brahmas GM Will Lewis, it’s not a surprise to see Teuhema land in Houston.

See also

DE Eyabi Okie

Despite what was a rather troubling career at times, having been kicked out of Alabama, Eyabi Okie put up some seriously impressive numbers throughout the next few years. Okie totaled 119 tackles and 19.5 sacks across his college career. In his senior season at Charlotte, Eyabi posted 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

Okie was selected by the Houston Roughnecks just last week, with their first pick in the UFL College Draft. It’s impressive to see him already sign with the franchise – and it’s a good sign that they’ll be able to continue to attract their draft picks moving forward.

EDGE Jamir Jones

Interestingly enough, Jamir Jones finds his way to Houston, after being with the San Antonio Brahmas this past season in the UFL. Jones had two tackles and five QB hurries with the Brahmas, prior to getting cut midway through the year.

Jamir has plenty of NFL experience, with the Steelers, Rams, and Jaguars. He’s posted 20 tackles across his NFL career, which includes one start (32 games played).

EDGE Vaughn Taylor Jr.

The Pittsburgh Maulers had one of the top defenses in all of spring football last year, with Vaughn Taylor Jr. playing a big part in that success. Taylor made his professional debut in the USFL, racking up 17 tackles, two sacks, and two PBU’s with the Maulers in 2023.

He surprisingly wasn’t picked up by a UFL team during the merger. After considering some CFL opportunities, Vaughn has now signed with Houston. The Morehead State product has a lot of juice left in the tank, and is someone who brings versatility and legitimate skill to this Roughnecks roster.

LB Ben Davis

Another player that made his way back to a Will Lewis-run team is linebacker Ben Davis. Davis served as a team captain for the San Antonio Brahmas in 2023, with 15 tackles and two TFL’s to his name.

Davis played the majority of his college days at Alabama, but transferred to Texas for his final season, where he tallied 16 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He’s a hard hitting linebacker with high IQ, and one that could certainly fit Chris Wilson’s defense well.

LB Mike Scott

Will Lewis is getting the entire group of linebackers back together…at least the ones that are available. Mike Scott, brother of Delontae Scott, was with the Brahmas in 2023, with nine tackles and two sacks that season. The year prior, he was in the USFL, with the Tampa Bay Bandits – posting 18 tackles and three sacks. Scott adds depth to the defense, and should be someone who could end up making the roster in 2025 with a strong performance at Training Camp.

LB Juwan Mitchell

While Juwan Mitchell wasn’t selected in the UFL College Draft, he was eligible – since he came out of college this past year. Mitchell began his career at Butler CC in Kansas, with 55 tackles, two sacks, and an interception in 2018.

From there, Juwan played at three different FBS schools (Texas, Tennessee, Colorado) – racking up 184 tackles, three sacks, and an interception across that span. Mitchell is a young linebacker with tremendous upside, and is the type of prospect Houston needs with a defense that was dominated by older players in 2024.

DB Marquis Wilson

Just like Mitchell, Wilson was available to be selected in the UFL College Draft. He wasn’t picked up by any teams, but the Roughnecks have now signed him to a LOI for 2025. Wilson played the majority of his college ball at Penn State, before transferring to Purdue for his final season. Marquis totaled 77 tackles and five interceptions throughout his career.

S Shawn Preston Jr.

Shawn Preston is an exciting prospect at the safety position. He played all of his college football at Mississippi State, with 206 tackles, 10 TFL’s, five interceptions, and 17 PBU’s to his name. In 2023, Shawn was named to the Phil Steele All-SEC Fourth Team list, with 59 tackles, three interceptions, and six PBU’s.

Preston was invited to the New Orleans Saints mini-camp, but remained a free agent. Now, he’ll look to kickstart his pro career in the UFL with the Roughnecks.

LS Marco Ortiz

With the release of Logan Klusman, the Roughnecks have added Marco Ortiz to the roster. This is their third long snapper across the last two years. Marco is the brother of Arlington Renegades LS Antonio. He played for a few years at Florida, before moving to Nebraska for his final season. In 2023, he was named as a Patrick Mannelly Award Finalist – being one of just three long snappers in the entire country to receive such recognition.

Final Thoughts

This is quite possibly the largest roster turnover we’ve seen happen in one sitting, in modern spring football history. As C.J. Johnson said at the end of their 2024 campaign, it was a “season full of winters” for Houston.

It’s evident that they do not want the same story repeated in 2025. This organization wants to win, and with Lewis and Johnson constructing a new roster for the upcoming season, it’ll be exciting to watch how it all unfolds heading towards Training Camp.

What are your thoughts on all of this movement for the Houston Roughnecks? Were any of these releases a mistake? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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