The 2024 UFL College Draft took place on Wednesday, Jul. 17, allowing each team to claim the rights to 10 players who were eligible to be selected but went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. Unlike the NFL Draft, there is no guarantee that any of these players will actually sign with the UFL team that drafted them. Each of the 10 rookies San Antonio claimed rights to are currently signed with an NFL team for training camp, so there’s really no telling as to when or if these players will ever play for the Brahmas.
The following is a breakdown of each selection from the Brahmas, who are coming off a blowout loss to the three-time champion Birmingham Stallions in the UFL Championship.
Round 1: DT Gabe Hall, Baylor
Hall’s collegiate career at Baylor got off to a good start, as he played in the first eight games of his true freshman year. Unfortunately, a knee injury caused him to miss the last six games of the season, and then he redshirted in 2020. In 2021, he recorded 18 tackles, including seven for a loss and six sacks. His production improved by a good amount in 2022, as he posted a career-high 36 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss and 4.5 sacks on the way to an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. However, his output took a hit in his super-senior season in 2023, where he made only 18 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss and two sacks.
Hall has all the physical tools to be a dominant interior defensive lineman, standing at 6-6 292 lbs with long 34 ½” arms. He has a solid initial quickness off the line, plus good hand dexterity and strength, but is a little stiff and doesn’t have much in his arsenal aside from the bull rush, which may pose issues at the next level. With how tall he is, it’s also easier for shorter offensive linemen to out-leverage him. Nonetheless, he is best suited to play the 3 or 4i-technique with his size, strength, and athleticism for a defensive lineman. Hall is currently under contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Round 2: DE Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
Murphy began his collegiate career at North Texas, where he spent three years, including a redshirt season in 2019, putting up 71 tackles, including 17.5 for a loss and 11.5 sacks in 24 games (15 starts). Most of that production came during his redshirt sophomore campaign in 2021, which saw him earn Second-Team All-CUSA honors. Following the 2021 season, he transferred to UCLA where he immediately became a starter at defensive end. Over two seasons with the Bruins, he totaled 76 tackles, including 20 for a loss and 9.5 sacks in 26 games. He also received an All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention for his 2023 performance.
Murphy is explosive off the line of scrimmage as a pass rusher but sometimes struggles with over-pursuing and getting the correct angles on the quarterback. The same goes for him in defending the run, as there have been quite a few instances of him missing tackles due to poor angling. On the positive end, he’s a great block-shedder with quick feet and a slippery way of moving. He is currently with the Minnesota Vikings for training camp.
Round 3: OT Donovan Jennings, USF
Jennings spent six seasons from 2018 to 2023 at South Florida, drawing 45 career starts at left tackle and seeing 3,625 total snaps. He earned All-Conference Second Team honors for his performance in 2021, as he let up three sacks and logged a 82.6 PFF pass-blocking grade on 427 pass-block snaps in 12 games. In 2023, his last season, he had similar success, allowing just two sacks on 459 snaps while earning a 82.0 PFF pass-blocking grade. Following the 2024 NFL Draft, he signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent.
Jennings has great upper-body strength that he uses to strike and displace defensive linemen. He also has nimble feet that allow him to mirror edge rushers and stay in front of assignments. While he mainly played left tackle throughout college, he may be a more viable option at guard with his compact 6-4 328 lbs frame. His biggest red flag is his injury history, as he missed 11 games between 2022 and 2023 due to being hurt.
Round 4: CB Miles Battle, Utah
Battle started his collegiate career at Ole Miss as a wide receiver before switching to defense midway through his redshirt sophomore season. From there, he spent two more seasons with the Rebels, mainly coming off the bench to play cornerback, before transferring to Utah for his final year of eligibility. With the Utes, he appeared in all 13 games, starting twice, and recorded 32 tackles, three pass breakups, and one interception during the 2023 season. Overall, he logged 19 pass breakups and three interceptions in 32 games on defense throughout his college career. After going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Battle has ideal size for a professional cornerback, standing at 6-3 196 lbs. The wide receiver-turned-corner is an exceptional athlete, who turned heads at Utah’s pro day with his 4.37s 40 and 37” vertical. Throughout college, he surrendered a 51.3% completion rate, mainly relying on his length and athleticism to defend passes. He is also a reliable tackler after the catch or in-run support, posting an impressive PFF tackling grade of 90.9 during the 2023 season.
Round 5: DE Jamree Kromah, JMU
Kromah began his collegiate career at Rutgers, where he appeared in 24 games coming off the bench over three seasons. Looking for more playing time, he transferred to JMU in 2022, where he was a part-time starter and made 21 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks in 10 games during his first season with the Dukes. And then, his redshirt-senior campaign in 2023 saw him just about triple his production from the prior year, as he put up a career-high 60 tackles with 20.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
Kromah was the second defensive end and third defensive lineman selected by the Brahmas. Clearly one of San Antonio’s top priorities in last week’s draft was bolstering its defensive line with young talent and they did not fail at that between taking Kromah, Murphy, and Hall. Nonetheless, Komrah has good length and size (6-3 271 lbs) for his position. He is strong and has solid power that he uses to shed blocks and get to the quarterback or tailback. He’s currently under contract with the Chicago Bears.
Round 6: WR Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State
Through four seasons at Mississippi State, Griffin compiled 3,211 all-purpose yards as a wide receiver and return specialist. In the receiving department, he logged 126 receptions for 1,490 yards and nine touchdowns while making 24 starts in 44 career games. In 2022, he was an All-American return specialist after leading the nation in yards per return (32.2). Overall, he averaged 30.4 return yards on 54 career returns, with two touchdowns. The Las Vegas Raiders signed him as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft.
Griffin is a superb athlete with good shiftiness that allows him to create space on his routes. He can be a threat after the catch with his burst and speed that also help him as a return man. He is more of a body catcher than a hands catcher, which limits his ability to haul in deep, contested, or off-target passes. Regardless, I like him for who is—a slot receiver who can turn underneath catches and/or screens into big gains with his dynamic playmaking ability.
Round 7: S Beau Brade
Brade was Maryland’s leading tackler for back-to-back seasons to close out his four-year collegiate career. Both seasons he led the Terrapins in tackles (2022, 2023) also resulted in All-Big 10 Honorable Mentions for the Maryland native. In total, in 42 career games, he made 177 tackles, including 9.5 for a loss, 11 pass breakups, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
At strong safety for Maryland, Brade played over the top in even coverages and moved down into the box in odd coverages. Regardless of his position, he consistently performed effectively. He possesses solid closing speed that helps him in breaking to the ball in both pass coverage and run support. He is a reliable tackler and has good ball skills, albeit he has below-average awareness in coverage.
Round 8: Sincere Haynesworth, Tulane
Tulane had offensive success in each season with Haynesworth, a four-year full-time starter, as part of the offensive line. Overall, he totaled 57 career starts and 62 games appearances over five seasons from 2019 to 2023. He achieved countless accolades throughout his collegiate career, including AAC Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-American honors for his super-senior campaign performance in 2023. That same season, his PFF run-block grade (78.5) was eighth in the nation among centers who played 400+ snaps.
Haynesworth is on the shorter side at 6-1 310 lbs, but still has relatively long arms that he uses to his advantage in blocking. His lower center of gravity also helps him gain leverage against taller interior defensive linemen. He is tough and has about-average strength for a lineman, which allowed him to be an effective blocker at Tulane. He always has eyes in the second level for unblocked defenders and is fluid in getting to there when need-be.
Round 9: CB D.J. Miller Jr., Kent State
Miller Jr. spent three seasons with Iowa State as a reserve, appearing in 28 games over that span. During his junior season, he played just five games before suffering an injury that forced him to miss the rest of the year. For the 2022 season, he transferred to Kent State and became an immediate starter. He was one of the few bright spots for a struggling program over his two years with the Golden Flashes, recording 109 tackles and six pass breakups, and one interception in 23 games.
For Miller Jr., his best traits seem to be his awareness and instincts in pass coverage. However, his ball production was relatively low throughout his collegiate career, as he only recorded 10 passes defended on 917 coverage snaps. He’s on the smaller side for a cornerback at 5-11 187 lbs, while he ran a 4.56s 40 at his pro day. After going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Round 10: WR Joshua Cephus, UTSA
Cephus spent five seasons at UTSA, starting 56 of the 64 career contests he appeared in. Throughout college, he notched four All-Conference mentions, including First-Team All-AAC honors for his super-senior campaign, where he recorded a career-high 89 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. Overall, he totaled 313 career catches for 3,639 yards and 28 touchdowns in his time with the Roadrunners. After the 2024 NFL Draft, he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.
Cephus lined up everywhere from the outside Z and X positions, to slot receiver at UTSA. He has sticky hands, solid route-running ability, and gets good releases against press corners. He’s slippery enough to force missed tackles after the catch and get some solid YAC. He doesn’t have great top-end speed to beat defenders downfield, but he shows good concentration and tracking ability to make contested catches.
