Last week, UFL teams pared their training camp roster down to 50 players. While these rosters are subject to change throughout the season, here is my ranking of the offensive position groups as the rosters stand today. In a future column, I’ll rank the defensive position groups, as well as provide team power rankings based on the totality of these rankings.
St. Louis Battlehawks – St. Louis has rostered the quarterback who put up the best stats in the XFL last season (A.J. McCarron) and as his backup, a QB that led his team to the playoffs (Brandon Silvers).
Birmingham Stallions – Matt Corral may have the biggest upside of any QB in the league. J’Mar Smith is a veteran of Skip Holtz’s system and Adrian Martinez is a compelling backup option.
Arlington Renegades – Can Luis Perez work his magic once again? Behind him, Holton Ahlers and Lindsey Scott are intriguing but untested at the pro level.
D.C. Defenders – Will the Defenders rely on Jordan Ta’amu’s arm a little more now with RB Abram Smith out for the year? Deondre Francois and Jalan McClendon will vie to take over D’Eriq King’s dual-threat role.
Memphis Showboats – The expectations for Case Cookus are doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Troy Williams, a former Pittsburgh Mauler starter, is a solid backup.
Michigan Panthers – E.J. Perry and Danny Etling provide a good 1-2 punch at the position. Third stringer Brian Lewerke was called back after Davis Cheek’s retirement. Lewerke failed to make the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL last year.
San Antonio Brahmas – A mild surprise to see Chase Garbers get the starting nod over Quinten Dormady. Offensive coordinator A.J. Smith left open the possibility that both could play at some point down the line.
Houston Roughnecks – Some question marks here as Jarrett Guarantano will start for Curtis Johnson’s squad. Johnson has already vowed that the backup, either Reid Sinnnett or Nolan Henderson, will also see game action.
Running back Mark Thompson, USFL Houston Gamblers (USFL/FOX)
Running Backs
Houston Roughnecks – The game plan for Houston is simple: Run, run, run. Mark Thompson scored 14 rushing touchdowns last year and was second in the league in yardage. They go three-deep here with T.J. Pledger and Tiyon Evans as capable reserves.
San Antonio Brahmas – Their backfield is really interesting, even though running the ball gets a bad rap in the run-and-shoot offense. John Lovett and Brycen Alleyne were second-stringers last year but offer a viable skillset in this scheme. Anthony McFarland was a terrific “get” by the team as a former fourth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Michigan Panthers – Wes Hills and Matthew Colburn both finished in the top 12 in the USFL in rushing last season. Hills topped the charts. Both are big, grind-it-out backs.
Birmingham Stallions – C.J. Marable returns to the Stallions for a third season and will likely tote the rock the most. Larry Rountree III averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in his NFL career, but his experience at that level will likely come in handy.
St. Louis Battlehawks – This group may have the most upward mobility of any other team in the rankings. Brian Hill is gone, replaced by NFL vet Wayne Gallman. Mataeo Durant returns from backup duty last year. Jacob Saylors could develop into a threat as well.
Memphis Showboats – Darius Victor has had success in spring football but recently turned 30, which is ancient for running backs. One of his backups, Trey Williams, is 31. Expect Memphis to rely on Titus Swen to allow Victor and Williams to have fresh legs as the season progresses.
D.C. Defenders – The loss of Abram Smith is significant: They’d be ranked in the top half of the league at RB if he were healthy. Cam’Ron Harris takes over Smith’s role as the bell cow back. He’s got potential, but his dearth of pro reps gives pause.
Arlington Renegades – The lack of explosive play potential stands out here. De’Veon Smith and Leddie Brown are plodders. Dae Dae Hunter could provide a spark but significant playing time may be too much to ask in his first pro season.
Birmingham Stallions – This is a deep group of receivers, made even deeper when they snagged Isaiah Zuber off waivers from the Roughnecks earlier this month. Add in Jace Sternberger, one of the top TEs in the league, and they become even more of a threat.
San Antonio Brahmas – There is a great blend of size and speed here, with Justin Smith and TJ Vasher providing the size, K.D. Cannon and Marquez Stevenson providing the speed. Expect the Brahmas to try to get Stevenson in the open field often. They also have two of the best tight ends from XFL 2023 in Cody Latimer and Alize Mack.
Michigan Panthers – Michigan is top-heavy at this spot with some questionable depth. Devin Gray, John Hightower and Trey Quinn should be atop the depth chart, with Devin Ross and Terry Wright nipping at their heels. Cole Hikutini has been featured on social media for the plays he’s made during camp at the TE position.
St. Louis Battlehawks – The team won’t get much out of its tight ends in the passing game, which limits how high they can rank. Their receiving corps is impressive, led by the returning trio of Hakeem Butler, Marcell Ateman, and Darrius Shepherd. The additions of Ja’Marcus Bradley and Blake Jackson should make the unit stronger.
D.C. Defenders – Overall, General Manager Von Hutchins did a nice job patching the holes created by players moving onto the NFL (Lucky Jackson, Chris Blair) or retiring (Josh Hammond). Their top returning player at the position is Brandon Smith, and he caught just eight passes. Keke Coutee and Kelvin Harmon are NFL cast-offs who need to prove they have something left in the tank.
Houston Roughnecks – Isiah Hennie and Justin Hall were two of the top receivers in the USFL last year, though neither averaged 11 yards per reception, showing limited big-play ability. Cyril Grayson and Anthony Ratliff-Williams should play a role on offense. Braedon Bowman may be the best bet to be a passing game threat at TE.
Memphis Showboats – TE Sage Surratt appears to be far and away the most significant chess piece Memphis has among its receiving corps. Jonathan Adams and Vinny Papale appeared on the receiving leaderboard of the USFL last year. We’ll see if they’ll continue to put up those numbers as competition has tightened in the merger.
Arlington Renegades – The return of Sal Cannella will boost this group, one that improved with the addition of Luis Perez last season. There are some solid pieces here, but nobody who will keep defensive coordinators up at night.
G Deonte Brown, NFL Carolina Panthers (pantherswire)
Offensive Line
Birmingham Stallions – Continuity is especially important along the offensive line, and the Stallions return four players from a group that was one of the best pass-protecting units in the UFL last season. G Deonte Brown, who played at Alabama and with the Carolina Panthers, is one of their key offseason additions.
San Antonio Brahmas – What was a weakness of the team last year has developed into a strength with the new coaching staff. Only two players remain from the Brahmas in 2023, while six have been added. Among the many Houston transplants on the roster is C Alex Mollette, an All-XFL selection last season.
D.C. Defenders – The O-Line was able to execute offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss’ vision well last season. G Liam Fornadel, OT D’Marcus Hayes and C Mike Maietti are among the vital returnees, while Lamont Gaillard and his 13 games of NFL experience was brought in to shore up the interior.
Memphis Showboats – I love what Head Coach John DeFilippo and General Manager Dennis Polian did in the middle of the line. C Alec Lindstrom was one of the best additions to any team this off-season. Jordan McCray is a holdover at the position and a former Tampa Bay Viper of XFL 2020. Then they acquired C Jared Thomas, who can also play guard, from the Seattle Sea Dragons.
Michigan Panthers – Claiming C Cohl Cabral after he was cut by the Stallions was a stealth move by the Panthers. OT Jarrett Horst was the number one overall pick in the 2023 USFL Draft. Chim Okorafor and Noah Johnson are other names to watch among this group.
St. Louis Battlehawks – Like a lot of teams appear to be, St. Louis may be solid on the interior but need some additional reinforcements outside. Jaryd Jones-Smith returns at left tackle after being with the Washington Commanders all season. Juwann Bushell-Beatty was a weak link at right tackle and the outside backups are replacement-level.
Arlington Renegades – There was a lot of turnover at this position in the offseason, in part due to the XFL/USFL merger creating more competition for jobs along the line. Cameron Hunt is back to play guard or center, but he’s the only Renegade returning for Jonathan Himebauch’s unit. Dru Samia and Bobby Evans are two Oklahoma Sooners that are looking to resurrect their careers in the UFL under former Sooners head coach Bob Stoops.
Houston Roughnecks – Houston was middle of the pack protecting the quarterback last year and it’s difficult to envision significant improvement here. Avery Gennessy was an All-USFL OT in 2023, and Braylon Jones may be effective at the pivot.
