Select player capsules from the 2024 UFL Atlanta Showcase

Atlanta, Georgia was home to the third UFL Showcase on Friday, July 26. In addition to UFL decision-makers in attendance, so too were Arlington Renegades LB Donald Payne and D.C. Defenders TE Ben Bresnahan. The following are a list of players known to have attended the workout, along with some information about their careers:

*RB Demetrius Battle (UAB): A 6’0″, 245-pound bruiser, Battle donned the green and gold for the University of Alabama-Birmingham for one season in 2023 following several at West Alabama. His biggest contributions came as a sophomore, when he ran for nearly 1,000 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. At UAB, he was a part of an influx of transfers that made up head coach Trent Dilfer’s first-year roster. He was expected to form a 1-2 punch at RB, the thunder to Jermaine Brown, Jr.’s lightning, but he only ran the ball eight times in nine games. Given his size, his pro future could be at fullback, though no UFL teams carried one on their rosters in 2024. Battle was third from last in Dane Brugler’s 2024 NFL Draft Guide in The Athletic, ranking at 140 among running backs.

*CB Nolan Bernat (Illinois): It’s common for football players, at the end of their playing career, to move on to the coaching ranks. It’s a little more uncommon for players to suit back up once they’ve taken coaching positions. That’s what happened to Bernat, who is the cornerbacks and special teams coach at The College of DuPage, his fourth year on staff. Bernat played one season there before transferring to Illinois. He finished up in 2019 after two years as a reserve defensive back. Afterward, Bernat continued his trek through the fringes of pro football, playing in the CIFL as well as in Finland. He moved on to coaching from there, but apparently isn’t ready to give up on the dream of playing quite yet.

*LB KeSean Brown (Marshall): In Brugler’s draft guide, Brown was listed as the 84th-ranked linebacker. An Appalachian State transfer, Brown started eight games with the Mountaineers in 2022, amassing 39 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. In his final college season at Marshall, Brown had 36 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack. At his pro day in March, Brown ran a 4.83 40-yard dash, measuring in a 6’0″, 214 pounds. Much of his time was spent on special teams, where he was a core member of several units.

*WR Erick Brundidge (West Chester): A combo football player/entrepreneur, the 32-year old Brundidge is likely to be one of the older players at any of the UFL Showcases. At West Chester, he was known for his speed, notching two seasons in a row of more than 40 catches, leaving the program with a stat line of 121-2,372-27. In 2016, he tried out for the Green Bay Packers, then moved on to the Green Bay Blizzard of the IFL. When his football dreams ended, he started a clothing brand called Life Love Incorporated. The Green Bay Press-Gazette recently profiled his story back in March.

*WR Nick Cade (Dean College): From D-III Dean College located in Franklin, Massachusetts comes Nick Cade (not to be confused with the 90s game show Nick Arcade on Nickelodeon). Cade’s college stats are limited, showing just the 2018 season where he played seven games, caught four passes, and returned 15 kickoffs. From there, Cade traveled overseas to play football in Poland, Spain, and Brazil. He returned to the States in 2022 to join the Idaho Horsemen of the American Indoor Football League. The Nick Cade football trail goes cold again there. For what it’s worth, the team listed him as “ATH” for “athlete” upon signing him, indicating he could play multiple positions, potentially on either offense or defense.

*WR Barry Elliott (Fayetteville State): A multi-faceted player, Elliott saw his receiving stats dip significantly from 2022 (30-608-9) to 2023 (17-193-0). His kick return responsibilities increased during that time, though, and Elliott took two returns to the house in 2023. That landed him on the Dan Hansen NCAA Division II All-America Second Team as a return specialist. Prior to joining Fayetteville State, he played at the University of Charleston. Elliott came in at 117 on Brugler’s list of 2024 receiver prospects.

*S EJ Jackson (Appalachian State): Many versions of the 4-2-5 defensive scheme feature what some call the “Star” position, a hybrid safety/linebacker. That’s what Jackson often played at App State. His 5’10”, 194 pound frame will likely limit him exclusively to safety in the pros. Jackson did the inverse of KeSean Brown, starting at Marshall then moving on to App State. Experienced at the FBS level, Jackson played in 52 games across the two schools, and his playing time on defense increased throughout the 2023 season, culminating with starts in the final six games. He finished fifth on the team in tackles, with three tackles for loss and seven passes defensed. He came in at safety number 128 on Brugler’s list this spring.

*DB Malik Jones (Delta State): Another JUCO product in a long line of them to attend these UFL Showcases, Jones played 12 games in two years for Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi before moving on to Delta State. In nine games in 2021, he had 39 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Jones continued to ballhawk with the Statesmen, picking off five passes last fall, and defensing 20 passes in his two seasons there. Also an active tackler, Jones made 58 stops in 2022. He was voted a Division II All-American by the Associated Press this past year.

*G Lawrence Lagrone (North Carolina A&T): The mammoth Lagrone will immediately turn heads with his size: At 6’1″ and 344 pounds, he’s built to be an interior lineman. In fact, he has played both guard and center during his collegiate career. Lagrone played in 46 games and was a three-year starter. Even in the season he did not start, he still saw nearly 40 snaps per game. There is an intriguing mix of strength and speed here: He put up 29 reps on the bench press in pre-draft workouts, and his upper-body power has been lauded during college; he also had the fastest 20-yard split in the 40-yard dash run at the UFL workout in Atlanta, according to New Level Performance. Lagrone participated in the HBCU Legacy Bowl post-season all-star game and was ranked the 119th draft-eligible guard by Brugler.

*DL Micah Levine (Benedict College): Levine is making another appearance on this list, having previously worked out at an XFL Orlando Showcase. He’s back for another round. Based on limited stats available, Levine’s best year appeared to come in 2019, where he had 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. He was on the roster of the Carolina Predators of the Coastal Football Alliance earlier this spring.

*DB Yahsyn McKee (Miami (OH)): A 5’9″, 168 pound corner who runs a 4.77 40 would be a tough sell. But McKee has some positives going for him as well, so much so that despite those numbers, Brugler ranked him the 85th CB in his pre-draft list. McKee came to Miami University as a transfer from Mercer, where he played both corner and receiver and in fact put up some admirable numbers on offense (37 catches, 466 yards and two touchdowns). Defensively, McKee started two seasons at Miami, intercepting six passes and knocking down 23.

*OL Justin Meade (Virginia Union): An HBCU All-American this past season, Meade is an interior lineman with experience at both guard and center. A multi-year starter, Meade has played in a lot of big games, including conference championships, divisional championships, and more. In 2023, Meade won the CIAA Lineman of the Year Award, and was First Team All-CIAA. At under 300 pounds, Meade may need to bulk up to survive playing on the inside in the pros.

*RB Dominic Roberto (Furman): The 61st ranked RB in the 2024 NFL Draft per Brugler, Roberto earned a rookie minicamp invitation from the New Orleans Saints after a strong showing in college. Roberto put together back-to-back 11 rushing TD seasons in 2022 and 2023, piling up over 1,100 yards in ’22. For his career, he ran for 2,871 yards and a 5.3 yard per carry average. A hefty back at 5’10” and 235 pounds, Roberto doesn’t have a lot of pass-catching experience (just 24 receptions) and ran a slow 40 at pro day at 4.84. What will matter most, however, is what he did in front of UFL coaches and personnel.

*WR Isaac Ross (Massachusetts): The 278th-ranked receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the 313 listed by Brugler, Ross had a quiet final season. As a receiver, he caught just three passes for nine yards. His real value to the Minutemen came as a punt returner. Ross returned 23 punts across his final two years, averaging 7.7 yards per return. That landed him as a Second Team All-Independent special teamer by the College Football Network in ’23. He began his college career at Charleston Southern, where he put much more of his receiving work on tape. In five years, he averaged more than 10 yards per catch just once.

*WR Todd Simmons (Dubuque): Per his post on Twitter/X, Simmons was planning to attend both the D.C. and Atlanta Showcases. Acquired by the Arlington Renegades as an undrafted free agent after last year’s XFL Rookie Draft, Simmons was not carried over with the team following the merger. He worked out with the Chicago Bears in 2023 but was not signed. He took his 4.4 speed to the arena leagues this year, playing in a couple of the lower levels of the sport. Curiously, there were reports earlier this month that the Baltimore Ravens were signing Simmons, one reposted by Simmons himself on Twitter/X, but that never came to fruition.

*LB Trajan Stephens-McQueen (Georgia State): A two-year starter at inside linebacker for the Panthers, Stephens-McQueen was a tackle machine. He led the team with 110 in 2019, ranking second all-time for tackles in a single season at Georgia State. His game-high that year was 20 against Army. He departed in 2021 as the fourth-leading tackler in school history, ranking seventh in tackles for loss. For the last two years, Stephens-McQueen has played with Gallos Negros of the LFA in Mexico.

*RB Jared Wilson (Mississippi Valley State): Though he carried the ball about 250 times in his six college seasons, Wilson averaged 4.0 yards or more per carry only once (save for 2021 when he ran just four times for 24 yards). After playing four years at South Alabama, a new coaching staff entered the picture, leading to a decision by Wilson to transfer to Mississippi Valley State for his final two years of eligibility. Experience on punt protection teams as well as kickoff coverage will help him get noticed. A big back at 5’11” and 228 pounds, Wilson is adept at forcing missed tackles.