St. Louis Battlehawks Add Former Draft Pick Andy Isabella | David Durden
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St. Louis Battlehawks Cut Down Roster For 2025 Season

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With UFL cuts taking place this Thursday, the St. Louis Battlehawks saw quite a few surprises. Many fans were caught off guard with a couple of the flashy new additions – plus some mainstays – being let go with Training Camp wrapping up.

 

Let’s take a look at who the Battlehawks let go, and why certain decisions may have been made.

Offense

WR Andy Isabella
WR Jelani Baker
WR James Bostic
TE Kemari Averett
OL Eric Magwood
OL Teton Saltes

Right off the bat, the most shocking name in this bunch is WR Andy Isabella. The former second round NFL draft pick was someone that many expected to be a major asset to St. Louis and their offense in 2025. However, with the team loading up at wideout this offseason, Andy did not impress enough in camp to make the roster.

Additionally, both Jelani Baker and James Bostic have been cut. Baker was a UFL College Draft pick, and is the type of young prospect who should receive another opportunity.

Kemari Averett on the chopping block is unfortunate, but not a surprise with the addition of Chase Allen to the TE room. Averett didn’t show a ton of growth last season, and now will look for a new home. OL Eric Magwood is a tough loss, as he was a key depth piece on the offensive line the last two seasons. Teton Saltes is another depth guy who found himself in a crowded room, without a spot left. It appears that new additions in Cole Spencer and Bradley Ashmore impressed enough to ultimately crack the rotation.

Defense

DL Albert Huggins
DL Curtis Brooks
EDGE Kemoko Turay
LB John Petrishen
DB D’Angelo Mandell
DB Keylon Kennedy
S Avery Young
S Dravon Askew-Henry

Defensively, St. Louis had a couple of questionable cuts. They went out and brought in quite a bit of talent to the defensive line unit, but decided to cut Albert Huggins, Curtis Brooks, and Kemoko Turay. Turay not making the final 50 is shocking – but we’re told that injuries hampered his camp performance, ultimately leading to his release.

John Petrishen was the only linebacker released. Given his similarities to another young prospect in Callahan O’Reilly, Callahan’s previous experience in St. Louis’ defensive system likely gave him the edge.

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The secondary is where it gets interesting. Dravon Askew-Henry, who was a major contributor as a safety a year ago, has been let go. Askew-Henry had an impressive campaign in 2024 with 33 tackles and 4 PBU’s, but now is left without a home. Keylon Kennedy is a cut that won’t turn too many heads, with his limited role defensively a year ago.

Finally, Avery Young and D’Angelo Mandell were two offseason additions that simply weren’t able to make it in a room overflowing with talent. The Battlehawks brought back many of their starting DB’s from 2024, alongside re-signing Nate Meadors and Lukas Denis – two standouts from 2023.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Battlehawks saw some intriguing cuts across the board. Big NFL names such as Andy Isabella and Kemoko Turay not making the final 50 is fascinating. At the same time, players such as Blake Jackson, Carson Wells, and T.J. Pesefea – who saw limited roles in 2024 – retaining their roster spots, is slightly questionable. It seems that St. Louis is comfortable with who they have – and they’re sticking with it. It’s a strategy that could definitely pay off in dividends…or, come back to bite them with how competitive the league looks to be this year.

“We’ve made great progress over the last two seasons and to take that next step, we really wanted to raise the level of competition in training camp…We feel like we did that throughout the roster. Our staff had some tough decisions to make, but we are very excited about the collection of talent our team has moving forward and can’t wait to kick off the season.” – HC Anthony Becht

The St. Louis Battlehawks will now focus on their season opener, a week from today on March 28th against the Houston Roughnecks.

What are your thoughts on these cuts from the St. Louis Battlehawks? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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