Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (9) returns a Cleveland Browns punt for a touchdown in the second half of an NFL game in Cleveland. Credit: (AP Photo/David Richard)
Welcome to another year of tracking former spring league players’ progress in the NFL! This year, we’re expanding our analysis to include USFL and UFL players as well as continuing to track those from the XFL of 2020 and 2023. It’s a lot to monitor, but it’s also a lot of fun to see these players have success in the NFL.
XFL
*The NFL season began on Thursday night in a marquee match-up between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. LS Nick Moore (Tampa Bay Vipers) made his first regular season appearance since 2022 in snapping for the Ravens after missing the entirety of last season due to injury. Moore was on the field for seven plays, all either punts, field goals, or extra points.
*Having won the number two quarterback job in camp, QB Josh Johnson (Wildcats) was active behind Lamar Jackson, though he did not play. Jackson ran the ball 16 times, and if he continues to scamper that often, it will open him up for a higher chance of injury, and a higher chance Johnson sees the field.
*The next day, the NFL debuted in Brazil with the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. P Daniel Whelan (Defenders) began his second season as punter for Green Bay. He had a good start after being called upon to close out the first drive. He dropped a punt inside the 20 at the 10-yard line for a hang time of 4.53 seconds (most consider 4.3-4.5 seconds the minimum standard). His second punt went 56 yards with a 5.08 hang time and a 43-yard net; however, it was negated by a penalty. Forced to punt again, he increased his hang time (5.22 seconds) but the punt went just 41 yards. Perhaps just as important as his punting duties was the ability to hold for a rookie kicker, Brayden Narveson, who was claimed off waivers from the Titans at the end of August.
*Traded by the Atlanta Falcons following the close of training camp, QB Taylor Heinicke (Battlehawks) began his Los Angeles Chargers tenure as the emergency third quarterback.
*Just as LS Christian Kuntz (Renegades) was getting used to a new punter with the Pittsburgh Steelers, P Cameron Johnston suffered a knee injury in week one and will be out for the year. The Steelers are signing P Corliss Waitman to replace him. Kuntz will continue to chug along in his role, just as he did in week one.
*As a backup offensive lineman, OT Storm Norton (Wildcats) played only two snaps on Sunday for the Atlanta Falcons, both on special teams, one for an extra point and one for a field goal.
*S Elijah Campbell (Defenders) starred on special teams for the Miami Dolphins, making a tackle and forcing a fumble in Miami’s come-from-behind win over Jacksonville. Campbell’s play earned him a spot on the PFF Team of the Week.
*Three XFL practice squad players were elevated in week one. WR Chris Blair (Defenders) was made active by the Falcons. He played six special teams snaps, none on offense. It was his second career regular season game after making one appearance for Atlanta last season.
*Expected to fill in for long-time Chicago Bears long snapper Patrick Scales until he gets healthy, LS Scott Daly (NY Guardians) was brought up from the practice squad for the game. He made a tackle on special teams to limit a punt return to just two yards, but he also was flagged for a holding penalty on coverage as well.
*With two Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive linemen inactive due to injury, reinforcements were needed at that position. Midweek, they signed DT Ben Stille off of Arizona’s practice squad, then elevated DT CJ Brewer (Roughnecks) and DT Mike Greene from their own practice squad. Brewer’s first play from scrimmage came on Washington’s second drive, with 2:05 left in the first quarter. With the on-field temperature hovering around 90 degrees in Tampa, rotation among defensive linemen in-and-out of the game was a must. He ended up playing 32% of the defensive snaps, out-snapping the newly-signed Stille at DT. Late in the blowout Bucs win, Brewer drilled RB Austin Ekeler after he picked up about seven yards on a screen pass. It was one of two tackles Brewer made on the day (one solo, one assist).
USFL
*Not needed for week one against the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers made DE LaBryan Ray (Stars) a healthy inactive, the only defensive lineman on the roster to not suit up.
*Dallas Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey (Stallions) picked up right where he left off last season, going four-for-four on field goals, including two of 50+. Aubrey also hit a 66-yarder, which would’ve tied an NFL record had the Cowboys not been called for delay of game, erasing the kick from history. Pushing it back five yards, there was thought Dallas would actually allow Aubrey to try one from 71 yards, but instead coach Mike McCarthy opted to send his offense back onto the field. Oh what might have been.
*Aubrey’s teammate, WR Kavontae Turpin (Generals), returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown to start the year off with a bang. It was one of five punts returned by Turpin on the day, for a total of 96 yards. His only kickoff return went for 34. Turpin played six snaps on offense in addition to his special teams duties, seeing one pass target.
*S Micah Abernathy (Gamblers) was one of five core special teams players to participate in 92% of the special teams snaps for Atlanta against Pittsburgh. He played none on defense and failed to register any statistics.
*One of four defensive tackles to rotate along the line on Sunday, DT Khalil Davis (Stallions) played the least amount of snaps of the four – 22% – en route to a Houston Texans win over Indianapolis. Davis made his snaps count, collecting two tackles in the process.
*Similar to Davis, DE Jeremiah Pharms, Jr. (Maulers) played backup for the New England Patriots. He played 22% of the snaps on D, contributing one solo tackle.
*LS Mitchell Fraboni (Maulers) snapped on three made field goals, an extra point, and eight punts for the Denver Broncos in their opening-day loss to Seattle.
UFL
*One of just two UFL players to make an NFL roster out of training camp, DT Jalen Redmond (Renegades) was made inactive for week one. He joined fellow DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, a seventh round rookie, as inactives along the D-Line. Interestingly, they were inactive in favor of a rookie undrafted free agent in Taki Taimani.
*The mettle of K Jake Bates (Panthers) was tested early on in the season. The Detroit Lions eased him into action with a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter (and thanks to Mike Tirico for plugging the UFL and the fact that Bates kicked in Ford Field with the Panthers). With 20 seconds remaining, down by three, Bates was called upon to send the game into overtime with a 32-yard field goal. He did just that. All of his kickoffs went for touchbacks except one, the second one, which he expertly bounced into the landing zone, forcing Los Angeles to start at the 22-yard line.
