Off the heels of Travis Feeney returning to St. Louis, the Battlehawks have officially brought back Pita Taumoepenu. Sources confirm to Pro Football Newsroom that the UFL’s Defensive Player of the Year has re-signed, locking himself in for the 2026 UFL season.
Pita Taumoepenu has been one of spring football’s best over the past couple of years. He made his XFL debut in 2023, with the Vegas Vipers. Pita ended up winning Defensive Player of the Year that season; with 26 tackles, eight TFL’s, 7.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles to his name.
This led to an NFL stint with the Jets. Pita spent some time in New York during the ‘23 preseason, but was released during cutdowns.
With the USFL-XFL merger on the horizon, Pita ultimately made the decision to sign with the St. Louis Battlehawks, bringing tremendous depth and talent to a transformed defensive line.
In the UFL, Pita continued to put up impressive numbers. He posted 20 tackles, five TFL’s, and five sacks as a Battlehawk in 2024, starting every single game that year. Taumoepenu had a solid 74.3 Defensive Grade via PFF, also adding 30 quarterback pressures to his stat sheet.
During this past UFL season, Pita Taumoepenu was on an absolute roll. He had 27 tackles, eight sacks, 18 defensive stops, 37 quarterback pressures, and three forced fumbles to his name in 2025. Pita wreaked havoc in multiple key moments, with a few sacks in the fourth quarter to put opponents away. His efforts earned himself Defensive Player of the Year honors, for the second time in just three seasons. Pita was also named to the All-UFL First Team Defense in 2025.
If it weren’t for his age (31 years old), Taumoepenu would be in the NFL right now. He’s elite at what he does, and continues to show growth every season in the spring football space. Pita’s a strong contributor as a run defender as well. Paired up with Travis Feeney on the edge, St. Louis’ defense thrives when these two are firing on all cylinders.
For General Manager Dave Boller and Head Coach Anthony Becht – re-signing the UFL’s DPOY was a no-brainer.
What are your thoughts on Pita Taumoepenu returning to the St. Louis Battlehawks? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
