Breeland Speaks has been one of the top defenders in all of spring football over the past couple of seasons. He was on an absolute tear in the UFL this year, leading the league in multiple defensive categories for the Michigan Panthers. This has led to another NFL opportunity, this time with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Breaking: The Jacksonville Jaguars are signing @USFLPanthers DE Breeland Speaks, per @AaronWilson_NFL.
Speaks was named as the #UFL's Defensive Player of the Year, posting 32 tackles, 13 TFL's (1st), & 9.5 sacks (1st).
No surprise to see him land on an NFL roster. pic.twitter.com/uJ7UqdvvRf
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) August 8, 2024
Breeland Speaks made his way to Michigan in 2023, earning All-USFL honors with the Panthers that year. He led the USFL with nine sacks, totaling 53 tackles and six TFL’s along the way. This earned Speaks a contract with the San Francisco 49ers, spending some time with the team in preseason.
Speaks returned to the spring football scene, re-signing with Michigan as the merger came to fruition. Breeland obviously made the roster, and once again played a massive role in the team’s success. He led the UFL not just in sacks (9.5), but also tackles for loss (13).
Hey @Bspeaks9…that man has a family!!
Can we take a moment to talk about how good Breeland Speaks has been once again this season? #UFLpic.twitter.com/pfLedPmOmj
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 12, 2024
Breeland’s efforts resulted in being named to the All-UFL Defense in 2024. In addition, he was dubbed as the UFL’s inaugural Defensive Player of the Year. Speaks started in all 11 games he played in this year with the Michigan Panthers – helping lead one of the top defenses in the league.
Since the UFL’s season ended, Breeland has garnered quite a bit of NFL interest. He’s had a few workouts, and was in conversations with multiple teams. Speaks has experience at the highest level, originally as a draft pick with the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, he’ll get to continue his NFL journey with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Breeland Speaks is the premier pash rusher in the UFL”
You got that right, @Bspeaks9 is HIM 🐾 pic.twitter.com/90tvMEPFHy
— Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) May 26, 2024
Final Thoughts
Without the national platform that the UFL provided Breeland with, who knows if this opportunity would have been possible. You can stay up to date with all UFL to NFL signings with our official tracker.
What are your thoughts on the Jaguars signing Breeland Speaks ahead of preseason? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
