On the heels of adding WR Aron Cruickshank to the roster, the St. Louis Battlehawks have re-signed four players for the 2026 season. Sources confirm to Pro Football Newsroom that St. Louis has agreed to terms with the following four athletes:
RB Jarveon Howard
OG Steven Gonzalez
OL Ryan Coll
S Avery Young
With Dave Boller and Anthony Becht picking up the pace as UFL Free Agency is underway, each of these moves makes sense.
RB Jarveon Howard
Jarveon was an offseason signing by St. Louis in 2025 – and proved to be a key piece in their backfield behind Jacob Saylors. Howard burst onto the scene immediately in their week one win over Houston, rushing for a 74 yard touchdown to put the game away late.
Howard ended up rushing for 316 yards and three touchdowns on the season, with a strong 77.7 Offensive Grade, via PFF. He produced for St. Louis at a high level, despite taking reps behind Saylors – who earned All-UFL honors himself in 2025. Jarveon saw more action down the stretch of the season as well, while St. Louis rested Jacob for the playoff push.
Howard put himself on the map when he played at Alcorn State for his final two collegiate seasons. He racked up 1,428 yards and 17 touchdowns across that span. This earned Jarveon an NFL opportunity with the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the 2024 NFL preseason.
After a quick stop with the Buffalo Bills this past preseason, Jarveon returns to St. Louis. He’s a prospect who should see more reps in 2026, especially with Jacob Saylors in Detroit.
OG Steven Gonzalez
Steven Gonzalez is officially back for a fourth stint with the Battlehawks. He’s one of those players who has shown growth each and every year – earning All-UFL honors with St. Louis this past season.
In 2023, Steven started in all ten games for St. Louis at left guard, shining as a Pass Blocker, with an 82.5 Pass Blocking grade via PFF. He earned All-XFL honors in 2023 due to these efforts.
Steven Gonzalez returned to St. Louis for the inaugural UFL season, and played at a high level once again. He started in all 11 games played this year, with a strong 83.0 Pass Blocking Grade. In 2025, that trend continued. Gonzalez was named to the All-UFL First Team, not allowing a single sack. Not surprisingly, Steven boasted a strong 80.7 Pass Blocking Grade, to go along with a 63.8 Run Blocking Grade, per PFF.
It’s strange that Steven hasn’t received an NFL opportunity yet. He has gotten better every season, elevating St. Louis’ offense to new levels every year. RB Jacob Saylors has earned All-UFL honors in two straight seasons – something that wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts guys like Gonzalez up front.
OL Ryan Coll
Ryan Coll was a fascinating add to St. Louis prior to the UFL’s 2025 season. He was released by the Indianapolis Colts, and then signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts – but immediately after, requested his release to sign with St. Louis.
Coll ended up seeing action with the Battlehawks in one game, with a strong 80.8 Pass Blocking Grade. Ryan took all of his snaps at left guard, which is in line with the majority of his college career. He has taken snaps at center, guard, and tackle.
Coll is a young prospect who played all of his college football at Richmond. He earned a starting role quickly, and was a full-time starter his last few seasons. As a junior, Ryan was named to the First Team All-CAA list – helping Richmond’s offense rank 3rd in the CAA in production. As a senior, the success continued for Ryan. He was once again All-CAA First Team – and was even given Division I FCS All-ECAC honors. Hopefully, Coll can see more playing time with St. Louis in 2026. He’s a young prospect who deserves the opportunity to develop.
S Avery Young
Avery Young was originally cut by St. Louis in UFL Training Camp, but rejoined the roster midway through the year due to injuries. Similar to Coll, Avery saw action in just one game, with three tackles to his name in a week 10 win over the DC Defenders.
Young played the entirety of his college football at Rutgers, immediately making an impact as a starter. He started in 11 of 12 games played as a freshman, and maintained his starting position through the rest of his career there.
Across his time at Rutgers, Young totaled 320 tackles, three sacks, and three interceptions. During his senior season, Avery earned All-ECAC Defense honors – posting 84 tackles, a sack, two TFL’s, an interception, and five PBU’s.
Avery Young is, no pun intended, a younger player who has the potential to develop at this level. He does have some NFL experience with the 49ers and Buccaneers.
Final Thoughts
For the St. Louis Battlehawks, this latest batch of transactions is a strong one by Boller. Jarveon Howard, Ryan Coll, and Avery Young were all first-year products who flashed potential/talent. Meanwhile, Steven Gonzalez is a staple of this O-Line – and is one of the UFL’s best at the guard position. It’s shocking he hasn’t been called in by an NFL team, given the injuries we’ve seen already through five weeks of action.
What are your thoughts on Jarveon Howard, Steven Gonzalez, and Ryan Coll returning to the lineup offensively? Will Avery Young make it through Training Camp this time? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
