Arlington head coach Bob Stoops on the sidelines at Arlington at St. Louis game, Sunday March 12, 2023.
When Arlington head coach Bob Stoops was asked whether Luis Perez would be the Renegades starting quarterback, he did not hesitate to offer a response.
“Yes, he’ll be our starting quarterback. Luis has had an incredible camp so far,” Stoops confirmed. “Luis has just been exceptional. Through camp, he has completed almost 75% of his passes. So, he’s just been really sharp.”
Coach Stoops pointed out how Perez was a likeable guy who brought leadership to his locker room.
“Everything about him is positive,” Stoops said. “His leadership and commitment. He’s just a smart, likeable guy, from the locker room to the field. He coaches guys up and really galvanizes the players. They like being in the huddle with him and being on the field with him.”
With the departure of quarterback Drew Plitt during last weekend’s roster cutdown, Stoops still has two other quarterbacks in camp, namely Holton Ahlers and Lindsey Scott. Stoops was high on every one of his pivots.
“We love the other guys, too. Lindsay (Scott) brings a little bit different dimension the way he’s able to scramble, and Holton (Ahlers) the times he’s been in there has really played well,” Stoops said. “We’re really pleased with all of them, and feel like we could win with them all.”
Holton Ahlers went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft and signed with the Seattle Seahawks on May 12, 2023. On August 29, 2023, he was waived and then re-signed to the practice squad, where he experienced two releases and one re-signing. The Arlington Renegades of the XFL signed Ahlers on December 26, 2023.
The Pittsburgh Maulers selected Lindsey Scott second overall in the 2023 USFL draft. He went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. On June 16, 2023, he was then selected by the Houston Roughnecks in the 2023 XFL Rookie Draft, and eventually signed to the Roughnecks. The Arlington Renegades drafted him during the 2024 UFL dispersal draft after the USFL and XFL merged.
When it comes to specialists, the Renegades have some of the same players as last season, including placekicker Taylor Russolino and punter Marquette King. Now that the UFL is using a mixture of XFL and USFL rules, Stoops was asked if his players needed to adjust to the changes.
“Definitely, even the punt rules for inside the 20 are different,” Stoops explained. “Getting some air for kickoffs, Taylor needs to have them as deep and high as possible. And then for punting the ball, Marquette needs to put an emphasis on the height, getting that ball up to give guys time to get down there and down the ball.”
Stoops was quick to confirm the talent pool in his training camp was higher than usual. “Eliminating four teams from the USFL and eliminating four teams from the XFL from a year ago, we got to choose the best players from different teams. So the talent pool is much stronger,” Stoops said.
Stoops also noted an important point that suggests a shared degree of player quality among all teams in the newly merged league.
“I really believe each team is going to be stronger, talent-wise,” he said.
Coach Stoops believes the best way to prepare for the Renegades’ first UFL game against the Birmingham Stallions is simply to focus on ensuring his squad is well-prepared.
“Our preparation is just to be the best we can be and focus on ourselves doing that,” Stoops said. “Practicing the way we need to, to be able to perform better at a great level.”
The Arlington Renegades have a joint practice with the Houston Roughnecks on Thursday morning. They previously scrimmaged against the Roughnecks last week, and it went well, so they plan another session.
Following that, the Arlington Renegades begin the regular season on Saturday, March 30 at 1:00 PM (ET) when they face the Birmingham Stallions at home in Choctaw Stadium.
