Select player capsules from the 2024 UFL Dallas Showcase

The UFL’s Showcase season came to a close at its home base on November 10. This was a late addition to the Showcase schedule due to high demand from other workouts over the summer. It was held at Vernon Newsome Stadium in Mansfield, which is part of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Arlington Renegades QB Luis Perez was on hand to give some words of encouragement to the players trying out. It also doubled as a fan event for the Renegades as a way to reach out to the local community.

*S Jaquan Amos (Ball State): The 36th-ranked safety in the 2023 NFL Draft class according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Amos’s most extensive college action came at his first stop, Villanova, where he played 33 games over three seasons. In those three years, he intercepted eight passes, returning three of them for touchdowns. After a one-year stopover in Iowa State, Amos finished at Ball State, where in 2022 he made 95 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and six passes defensed. In his pro career, Amos was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in May, only to be released three months later. In 2024, Amos stayed active by playing for the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League.

*CB CJ Anthony (Garden City CC): Anthony got a taste of the spring football season in 2023. The previous November, he was a 10th round selection of the D.C. Defenders in the defensive backs phase of their draft. He attended training camp but was released at the first cut-down. A search of Garden City Community College’s stats for the last several years don’t list Anthony on offense or defense (he was a two-way player). About the only thing we have to go on is a YouTube interview he did from December 2022. He talked about playing briefly in Fan Controlled Football, The Spring League, and working out at the XFL’s Showcase in Hawaii.

*TE Eddie Brown (Prairie View A&M): While pro football is filled with hybrid receivers acting as tight ends, Brown is a throwback. At 6’4″ and 250 pounds, don’t look for finesse – he’ll rumble down the field. Some scouting services when he came out in 2021 even listed him as a fullback. He ran a 4.97 40-yard dash at the team’s pro day that year, so he’ll look to improve upon that number at the UFL Showcase. Also working against him is the fact that he was never a starter in college, which will hurt especially coming out of the FCS level.

*LB Jalen Choice (Jacksonville State): An experienced player in the middle of the field for the Gamecocks, Choice played 48 career games, finishing his career with back-to-back years of 80-plus tackles. While he had just one sack in five years, he made plays elsewhere behind the line of scrimmage, compiling 21.5 tackles for loss (including 12.5 in his junior year). In 2021, he played in The Spring League, then was a member of the New Jersey Generals of the USFL in 2022 and 2023. He even started one game in the team’s final season before the merger.

*S D’Verik Daniel (Florida International): A 2022 transfer from Catawba, Daniel spent two years at FIU, including the 2023 season as a full-time starter in the team’s defensive backfield. It was also his most productive college season, period, making 72 tackles, including two for a loss, and breaking up two passes. One of his best games of the season was against one of FIU’s toughest opponents, Arkansas, where Daniel had 10 stops. He’s undersized at 5’8″ and is another player who needs to improve the 40-time that is on record for him (4.87). Daniel was the 165th safety in the 2024 NFL Draft class as ranked by Brugler.

*ED David Faccone, Jr. (Morehead State): Faccone attended the Orlando UFL Showcase in September. Check out my profile of him in my column covering that event.

*QB Jake Franklin (St. Thomas): Somewhat of a nomad in college, Franklin’s odyssey began at FCS-level Abilene Christian. After a redshirt year, he went down to the JUCO ranks for 2017 and 2018, playing at Cisco Junior College and then Central Lakes College in Minnesota. He finished in 2019 at St. Thomas in 2019, though stats show he didn’t play that season. The only season in which his numbers are available are for 2018 at Central Lakes, where he was the starter. In 10 games, he completed 47.1% of his passes for 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He was not a threat to run the ball, though he did score three TDs on the ground. Franklin now coaches high school football and has written books about offensive schemes, available through his website.

*RB Alfonzo Graham (Morgan State): At all three stops in college, Graham put up gaudy yards per carry numbers, though for three seasons, it was in limited opportunities. He never rushed more than 100 times in a season until his final year, 2022, at Morgan State. In 2021, he averaged an eye-popping 9.4 yards per carry on 54 totes. As the lead back in ’22, Graham averaged 5.9 yards per carry and scored eight rushing touchdowns. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers, a torn labrum in early August sidelined him for the entire season. He was waived on April 4 of this year.

*ED Tevaughn Grant (Wagner): Described by Wagner’s athletic department as “a tall, rangy, veteran outside linebacker with a high motor and an ability to rush the passer,” Grant played 37 games over four seasons, making 100 tackles, 18 for loss, and 10.5 sacks. Of those, 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks came in his final two seasons. In 2019, his junior year, he forced four fumbles. After spending some time in Canada in the CFL post-graduation, Grant ended up in the IFL where, in 2023, he made the All-IFL Second Team on defense for the Bay Area Panthers.

*S CJ Holmes (Jackson State): A first round pick of the Orlando Guardians in the defensive back phase of the XFL Draft for the 2023 season, Holmes was a 30-game starter at Jackson State, logging eight interceptions during his time there. He didn’t garner much pro interest until the Guardians came calling, though he did attend rookie minicamp with the New Orleans Saints. He ended up starting three games for the Guardians, totaling 24 tackles during the team’s lone season of play. From there, he went on to appear in five games with the Massachusetts Pirates of the IFL in 2024 and has re-signed for 2025.

*RB Terry Hunter (Ottawa University): From Ottawa University by way of Lincoln University, Hunter was a lightly-used back in three seasons of play. At Lincoln in 2018, Hunter rushed for four touchdowns, but averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. Upon moving to Ottawa (located in Kansas), he carried only 41 times in 2019. At 5’7″ and 214 pounds, his size compares favorably to UFL back Darius Victor (5’8″, 209 lbs). Since turning pro, he has taken his talents south of the border to play American football in Mexico.

*WR Monterio Hunt (Alcorn State): In part due to COVID and in part due to injuries, Hunt was a seven-year player in college. He began at Marshall in 2017 as a true freshman where he played in 12 games, predominantly on special teams. The next season, he went to Northwest Mississippi Community College where he caught 41 passes for 405 yards. Then it was on to Rutgers, playing two games in two seasons, missing the entirety of 2019 due to injury. From there, he played three years at Alcorn State. He showed deep threat ability, averaging 19.0 yards per catch on 64 receptions with the Braves. His extended collegiate career made him a 25-year old rookie in 2024, ranking as receiver number 268 in the class by Brugler.

*WR Florian Larose (Europe): One of two players from Europe to attend the Dallas Showcase – and profiled on the UFL’s social channels – Larose, of French descent, has been playing in the European League of Football (ELF). It’s part of the ever-growing presence of the American game overseas. Larose, just 24, has played for several ELF teams as well as the German Football League as far back as 2019. Though Larose is likely pretty raw, at 6’4″, he has the clay to mold into a viable threat in the passing game for a patient coaching staff willing to develop him.

*DL Torey Phillips (Tyler CC): At 6’5″ and 310 pounds, Phillips likely fits best on the interior of the defensive line. In his final season in 2022, Phillips had 19 tackles, a sack, and 3.5 tackles for loss. Previous to that, he had 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Phillips is still incredibly raw, having played 14 across those last two seasons. That, combined with his level of play, will make it difficult for him to even crack a UFL training camp roster, but he got his opportunity, and that’s what these Showcases are all about.

*WR Geordon Porter (Connecticut): While transfers have become commonplace in college football, and players attending two colleges has been normalized, we’re also seeing many players who’ve played for three or more. Porter is one of those, as he played four years at Arizona State, one at New Mexico, then finished up at Connecticut. Porter had 14 catches at ASU before earning a job as a starter in his one season with the Lobos, scoring two touchdowns on 22 receptions. He had another 22 grabs at UConn, showing an ability to contribute on short notice at multiple stops. Porter ran a 4.41 40 at his Pro Day, which played a part in Brugler ranking him as the 65th receiver prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. It also aided him in getting rookie minicamp invites from the New York Giants and New York Jets.

*TE Jared Scott (Idaho State): This was the former Arlington Renegade’s second Showcase appearance of 2024; he also worked out at the Houston Showcase in August. I profiled Scott in that column, found here.

*QB Matt Struck (Southern Oregon): Listed at 6’4″ and 220 pounds, Struck is an NAIA player with FBS size for the position. Struck went to Idaho State after beginning his post-high school career at Riverside City College. As an underclassman, Struck never excelled with accuracy. At Idaho State, he threw 20 touchdowns in 2019 despite completing just over 50% of his passes. He was over 60% the next year at Missouri State, though only on 79 pass attempts. Moving on to Southern Oregon, Struck dealt with injuries in 2021 and 2022, playing just eight games during that time with both seasons ending early due to serious ailments. In his senior year, Struck played behind junior Blake Asciutto, seeing action in four games, passing for five touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 64.4% of his passes.

*WR Marcus Taylor (Norfolk State): A running back coming out of high school, Taylor is the rare player that did not take a redshirt year, playing in 10 games and starting three as a true freshman in 2016. He started full-time for three years for the Spartans, leaving college having played in 43 games with 169 receptions for 1,883 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also the team’s primary kick returner all four years, Taylor had over 2,000 return yards and a 100-yard TD as a junior. He frequented the end-of-season All-MEAC lists, including in 2017 when he made the Second Team and a returner and Third Team as a receiver, the first Norfolk State player to do so since their jump to the Division I level. In the spring, Taylor ran track in college. He’s no stranger to these Showcases, having attended the XFL versions in Arizona and Texas last year. In 2024, he played indoor football for the Harrisburg Stampede of American Indoor Football. He is reported to have run a 4.34 40-yard dash at the Showcase.

*RB Paul Terry (Eastern New Mexico): His numbers steadily increasing each year at Eastern New Mexico, Terry’s capstone was his senior year when he ran 350 times for 1,888 yards (5.4 avg.) and 17 touchdowns. That performance earned him All-LSC First Team honors. Part of the “lost” draft class of 2020, Terry didn’t have a pro day because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so his ability to show out for scouts in the pre-draft process was limited. He played 2020 and 2021 in The Spring League, averaging 6.2 yards per carry in ’21. Moving on to the Philadelphia Stars, he spent parts of two seasons there, earning 31 carries in 2022 for the USFL team. Terry wasn’t selected in any of the dispersal drafts in the merger creating the UFL.

*LB Byron Vaughns (Baylor): Earning a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys after the 2024 NFL Draft, Vaughns was released in early August, just before he could participate in any preseason games. The 65th ranked linebacker by Brugler in the draft this year, Vaughns spent time at Utah State and Texas before finishing up at Baylor. Playing the JACK linebacker position, a hybrid DE/OLB and pass-rusher, Vaughns had eight tackles for loss and three sacks with the Bears in 2023, starting only one game. When Utah State won the league championship in 2021, Vaughns was voted the Defensive MVP for the game. In three seasons at Texas prior to that, he mostly played special teams and was a reserve linebacker. Length is the name of Vaughns’ game, with a wingspan in the 90th percentile for the position.

*RB Chris Voumbo (Europe): Listed on the Europlayers site as standing 6’1″ and weighing 227 pounds,Voumbo is the other French player to cross the Atlantic to try out with the UFL. He and Larose were teammates on the Paris Musketeers team in the ELF. The 26-year old Voumbo has played American football all throughout Europe, including in Spain, France, and Germany. He helped lead the Musketeers to the playoff in 2024 and was a large part of the team’s offensive game plan down the stretch.

*QB Dresser Winn (Tennessee-Martin): Not exactly at the top of many scouting lists coming out of college, Winn nevertheless landed a rookie free agent deal with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 after just one full-time season as a starter at UT-Martin. Winn did start five games as a true freshman, impressive for a QB at any level of college football. However, he compiled a record under .500 as a starter (12-13) and completed just a shade over 60% of his passes. Winn saw action in only the final preseason game for the Rams that summer, completing three-of-five passes for 21 yards. He was released at final cuts, latching on with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL afterward. Winn had a second stint with the Rams during the 2023 NFL season on the practice squad, and was back with them in camp in 2024 before getting axed at final cuts again. He started the final preseason game this year, playing the entire way, going 9-of-16 for 72 yards.

*DE Solomon Wise (Alcorn State): Wise, listed as a defensive back on the school’s online roster, is for all intents and purposes a rush end. Alcorn State has him at 245 pounds, though at Jackson State’s pro day in 2022, he weighed in at 225. His college career began at UTSA, where he played 12 games as a true freshman, taking his redshirt during his sophomore year. Wise’s playing time was scarce after that, so he moved on to the Braves for his finale. There, he had his best season, making 38 tackles, two sacks, forcing two fumbles and recovering three others. A 2022 USFL draft pick of the Philadelphia Stars, Wise was signed by the IFL’s Frisco Fighters for the 2024 season.