Though UFL teams were mandated to get down to 50-man rosters by Saturday, several teams made their final set of cuts on Thursday and Friday. All XFL Conference teams have already trimmed their rosters prior to Saturday’s deadline. Here is a look at those cuts as well as the initial regular season roster of each.
Arlington Renegades
Cuts: WR Sy Barnett, RB Devin Darrington, G Marquis Lucas, S Jared Mayden, DT Darrius Moragne, DT Roderick Perry, LB Christian Sam, DE Noah Taylor
Most surprising cut:RB Devin Darrington: Darrington was thought to have the inside track for the pass-catching job as he showed out well in Orlando’s revitalized offense toward the second half of last year.
Most surprising keep: RB Dae Dae Hunter: Hunter won the third-down back role over Darrington. A player who garnered little pro buzz coming out of Liberty last year, Hunter averaged over six yards per carry in each of his final two college seasons.
Analysis: The linebackers include players listed positionally at EDGE, which in this case are 3-4 pass rushers. Barnett had been featured making plays multiple times throughout camp on the team’s social media feed. The receiver room just proved too deep to crack. Nobody who played on the team last year was among these cuts. Young players like Taylor and Perry could be of interest to teams needing defensive line depth.
D.C. Defenders
Cuts: S Kentrell Brice, G Matt Carrick, LB Jordan Evans, WR Jazz Ferguson, OT Greg Long, DE Tariqious Tisdale, DE Tim Ward, RB ZaQuandre White
Most surprising cut: DE Tim Ward: Ward teamed with Trent Harris to terrorize opposing quarterbacks with the Houston Roughnecks last year. Ward was brought to D.C. to reunite with Harris, but shockingly didn’t make it. He was immediately snapped up by the San Antonio Brahmas, whose coaching staff he played for in 2023 in Houston.
Most surprising keep:DT Dennis Johnson: Johnson is a great story, having been acquired by the Defenders following his workout at the most recent XFL Combine. He’s making the jump from Grand Valley State to the pro level in the UFL.
Analysis: Those EDGE players, unlike in Arlington, are listed as DEs here instead of LBs. With only two reserve offensive linemen, that may be a position D.C. adds to via waivers once all teams make their cuts. LS Trae Barry doubles as a fourth tight end. At running back, ZaQuandre White, recently acquired when Abram Smith was injured, only lasted a few days on the roster as he couldn’t beat out the three that had been with the Defenders throughout the duration of camp.
San Antonio Brahmas
Cuts: LB Kelechi Anyalebechi, DE Terrance Lang, CB Mark Milton, WR Calvin Turner, WR Jordan Veasy, OT Jarrid Williams
Most surprising cut: WR Calvin Turner: Turner couldn’t stay healthy last year but was expected to use his hybrid RB/WR skills to add a different dimension to San Antonio’s offense.
Most surprising keep: DL Jacob Sykes: From UCLA by way of Harvard, Sykes played at UCLA in his final season in 2022 but wasn’t a full-time starter for the Bruins. He did impress in the Ivy League, though, with seven sacks in his 2021 campaign.
Analysis: San Antonio rostering two tight ends is a little misleading, as Alize Mack and Cody Latimer are likely to play more the “F” tight end that plays in the slot. Don’t expect them in-line blocking next to the offensive tackle in offensive coordinator A.J. Smith’s scheme. Recent waiver acquisition Tim Ward will play OLB in Wade Philips’ 3-4 defensive formation. In addition to the cuts, CB Gavin Heslop and OL John Yarbrough were placed on IR in moves not previously announced.
St. Louis Battlehawks
Cuts: DT Kevin Atkins, LB Nico Bolden, WR Darion Chafin, LB Emeke Egbule, DE Chris Garrett, LB Drew Lewis, WR Steven Mitchell, Jr., OT Dallas Warmack
Most surprising cut: DT Kevin Atkins: Atkins earned a free agent contract with the New York Giants after his performance with St. Louis in 2023. He returned to anchor the Battlehawks’ defensive line, but the additions of Antwuan Jackson, T.J. Pesefea and Austin Faoliu, among others, proved too much for him to overcome.
Most surprising keep: LB Callahan O’Reilly: Another XFL Combine player assigned to the Battlehawks in August, O’Reilly beat out some bigger, more experienced names for a roster spot. He was invited to Chicago Bears minicamp last May after completing his eligibility at Montana State, but was not signed.
Analysis: Three of the final cuts were players who were on the team last year in Atkins, Mitchell and Warmack. Atkins started nine games last year; Mitchell scored four receiving touchdowns; and Warmack played in five games as a backup. This is the perfect example of how each team’s depth has improved dramatically since last season. Egbule and Garrett, two former NFL draft picks, also qualified as surprising releases.
