Houston Roughnecks Cut Roster Down For 2025 UFL Season | T.J. Pledger
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Houston Roughnecks Cut Roster Down For 2025 UFL Season

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As the team looks to put behind a disastrous 2024 season, the Houston Roughnecks have finalized their roster for their 2025 campaign.

Houston targeted quite a few free agents in the offseason. While most of these cuts were players who were new additions, there were a couple of familiar faces lost in the mix who will not be in Houston this upcoming season.

Offense

RB T.J. Pledger
WR Rory Starkey
WR Felton Davis
WR C.J. Windham
TE Malcolm Epps
OL Ryan Pope
OL Isaiah Battle
OL Sean Brown

Right off the bat, one of the names that sticks out in these releases is RB T.J. Pledger. Pledger has been a big part of Houston’s offense the last two years, especially during times where Mark Thompson was inactive, or limited, due to injury. With Kirk Merritt returning – and the late addition of Lorenzo Lingard – T.J. now finds himself without a home.

At wideout, Houston has Justin Hall and Keke Chism back in action, and with the addition of T.J. Vasher, who has impressed, it left the Roughnecks with little room. Rory Starkey, Felton Davis, and C.J. Windham – all offseason signings – have been let go. At tight end, UFL draft pick Malcolm Epps was also released.

The offensive line is where it gets interesting. Ryan Pope and Isaiah Battle aren’t surprising releases in the slightest. It was odd to see Pope signed by Houston in the first place, considering his struggles in Michigan a year ago. However, it’s unfortunate to see Sean Brown let go, who had an excellent camp. Brown is a veteran who could provide Houston with quality minutes, and should return immediately if others are underperforming.

Defense

DL Kristjan Sokoli*
DL Cedric Wilcots II
LB Ben Davis
DB Chu Ogbonna
S Jack Koerner

There’s an asterisk on Kristjan Sokoli, due to his ability to play OL/DL – he’s versatile enough to do both. This is something C.J. Johnson highlighted, when talking about Kristjan in camp, signing with Houston despite his age (33 years old).

The rest of these defensive releases aren’t shocking at all. Cedric Wilcots II and Chu Ogbonna were a couple of lesser known names who signed in the offseason – but with the talent they were going up against, it’s tough to find room for everyone. Ben Davis, formerly a LB for the San Antonio Brahmas when Will Lewis was there, is another aging player who was competing in an uphill battle.

Jack Koerner was another Lewis carry-over from the Brahmas in 2023. Jack had a solid year, with 30 tackles, a sack, and an interception. With young, upcoming stars such as Markel Roby and Leon O’Neal Jr. at safety already – Koerner finds himself released at the end of camp.

Kicking Change

At kicker, the Houston Roughnecks also saw a change. J.J. Molson – who Coach Johnson called last year’s “MVP” – has been released. Molson is currently dealing with an injury, one that won’t keep him out long enough to be placed on IR.

This has resulted in Houston claiming Chris Blewitt, from the Michigan Panthers. Blewitt, the former Stallion and Mauler, has been one of the most consistent legs in the spring scene. It’s a pickup that will hold Houston over smoothly until Molson returns. With that in mind, if Chris does well in Houston, one has to wonder if Molson will even be brought back.

Ultimately, the Roughnecks made smart decisions for the most part with these cuts. They haven’t drastically gotten better, compared to last year, but have made improvements.

Houston will kick off their UFL season on March 28th, hosting the St. Louis Battlehawks.

What are your thoughts on these cuts from the Houston Roughnecks? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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