Luis Perez and Jordan Ta’amu faced each other in the 2023 XFL Championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio. (TheUFL.com)
On February 22, 2024, the United Football League announced that quarterbacks Luis Perez and Jordan Ta’amu have signed Letters of Intent to play in the UFL and are expected to report to training camp this weekend.
Perez, who began the 2023 XFL season with the Vegas Vipers, later joined the Renegades, playing six games with the team and leading Arlington to the 2023 XFL Championship.
A native of San Diego, Perez was awarded the Harlon Hill Trophy (the NCAA Division II version of the Heisman Trophy) as the most outstanding player in D-II. Perez led Texas A&M-Commerce to the NCAA D-II national title in 2017. Prior to the XFL, he held brief stints on NFL rosters in 2018 (LA Rams), 2019 (Detroit Lions), and 2022 (LA Rams).
In 10 games last season, Ta’amu, who has starred in both the XFL and USFL, was No. 3 in the XFL with 1,878 passing yards to go along with 17 total touchdowns (14 passing) and just three interceptions. The 2023 XFL Offensive Player of the Year also rushed for 301 yards, leading the Defenders to a league-best 9-1 regular-season record and an XFL Championship Game appearance.
In 2022, Ta’amu played for the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits and threw for 2,014 yards and 14 touchdowns. In his first XFL stint, he led the league with 1,050 yards and five touchdowns in five games during the shortened 2020 season.
The two quarterbacks faced each other in the 2023 XFL Championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio with Perez leading the Renegades to a 35–26 victory over the Defenders. That night, he threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns, earning the game’s Most Valuable Player honor. Overall, for the 2023 season, Perez passed for a total of 1,636 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Renegades open their 2024 UFL season hosting the 2023 USFL Champions, the Birmingham Stallions. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, March 30 at Noon CT at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington.
The Defenders season kicks off on the road at the San Antonio Brahmas on March 31. D.C. begins home action at Audi Field on April 7 vs. the Houston Roughnecks, with kickoff slated for 4 p.m. ET.
