At this point, the Detroit Lions are a UFL team. On Sunday they signed TE Gunnar Oakes, OL Gunnar Britton, and OL Keaton Sutherland – alongside RB Deon Jackson – all UFL players.
General Manager Brad Holmes has made it clear that he’s been watching UFL tape this spring. Detroit has now brought in eight UFL players. Over the past couple of weeks, the other names they’ve brought in include Battlehawks RB Jacob Saylors, Battlehawks DB Nick Whiteside, Panthers DB D.J. Miller Jr., and Brahmas TE Steven Stilianos.
TE Gunnar Oakes | Michigan Panthers
Quietly, Gunnar Oakes was one of the league’s stronger tight ends – which resulted in an All-UFL award at the end of the season. Oakes has been with Michigan the last two years, as one of their USFL College Draft picks out of EMU.
Gunnar is a guy that Michigan used in blocking schemes more often than not, with 54.8% of his snaps coming as a pass/run blocker. He did see an increase in reps receiving the ball, though, with 162 yards and two touchdowns to his name in 2025. Oakes has consistently gotten better throughout the last couple of seasons – and now will return to his Michigan roots in the NFL, with the Detroit Lions.
OL Gunner Britton | DC Defenders
Gunner Britton also makes his way to the Lions, as they now need some legitimate help at O-Line. Britton made his pro debut with the Defenders this past UFL season, serving DC as a rotational piece on a team that won the Championship.
Britton ended up taking over as the starting right tackle in the playoffs, when Mason Brooks went down. Across the regular season, and the postseason, he didn’t allow a single sack with DC (386 snaps). Gunner was also responsible for one of the UFL’s most exciting plays of the year: a big boy touchdown.
He’s a young prospect that will have an uphill battle the rest of the NFL preseason – but has the talent needed to make an impression in Detroit.
OL Keaton Sutherland | Birmingham Stallions
Sutherland is no stranger to the NFL, having spent a few years there with five different teams. He was an offseason signing by GM Zach Potter for the Stallions, and made a huge impact this year as someone who played a variety of roles for the team.
Keaton originally started out at tackle, but had to move to center midway through the year due to an injury to Cole Schneider. Sutherland put together a strong campaign with Birmingham, allowing just five pressures on the year.
When Schneider returned, Sutherland made the move to guard – showcasing just how versatile he is at the position. He’s a veteran who immediately makes this Lions roster better.
Without the national platform that the UFL provided these players with, who knows if this would have been made possible. You can stay up to date on all UFL to NFL signings with our official tracker.
What are your thoughts on Gunnar Oakes, Gunner Britton, and Keaton Sutherland signing with Detroit? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
