With just one XFL Showcase remaining this weekend before a yet-to-be-announced draft, it’s the final opportunity for players off the league’s radar to show that they belong on that radar. Orlando’s Showcase on October 7th was the first of two supplemental Showcases, added to the calendar to fulfill the high demand the XFL had for its Showcase events over the summer.
Though the XFL has not released the names of the participants of the Orlando Showcase, below is a list, with brief bios, of those who confirmed their presence at the workout on social media, or who had their presence confirmed via other means:
*QB Kory Curtis (Gannon): Curtis made Dane Brugler’s draft guide at The Athletic in 2023 as the 62nd ranked QB in the draft class. Curtis began his career at Ohio State before transferring to Bryant University, finally ending up at Gannon University. He spent the last two seasons of his career there, compiling an impressive 47-11 TD-INT ratio. Curtis’s rushing stats from his junior to senior season declined significantly (from 162 rushing yards to -15) but according to Curtis on Twitter, he was playing on a broken fibula for much of the season. As a bonus, Curtis punted for Gannon in 2022.
*TE Bernard McCall (Livingstone College): McCall’s size could be intriguing to some teams – 6’2″ and 250+ pounds – and he has experience lining up all over the offensive formation. McCall is no stranger to the XFL: He took part in the league’s HBCU Showcase in 2022. McCall moved on to the NFL Alumni Academy last fall, allowing him to opt-in to an XFL training camp roster spot. He was allocated to the Defenders, but didn’t last long in camp as he was released on January 21st.
*TE Caleb Warren (Rhode Island): A block-first TE in college, Warren was the 41st ranked TE by Brugler prior to the 2023 NFL Draft. He earned a minicamp invite with the Seattle Seahawks in May after playing in the Hula Bowl. As a receiver, Warren was more than just a security blanket for the quarterback: He averaged over 14 yards per reception in his final two seasons at Rhode Island.
*TE Myles Wright (Morgan State): In his final year as a Bear, Wright caught just seven passes for 139 yards, with a long catch of 44 yards. Prior to joining Morgan State, he played at Towson, where he was predominantly a special teamer. Wright offers added value as a long snapper.
*WR Jeff Ejekam (Army): Playing receiver in Army’s triple-option offense can make Ejekam feel like the invisible man. In Ejekam’s final season of 2017, Army attempted an average of just five passes per game. It should be no surprise then that Ejekam’s stats aren’t exactly eye-popping: 11 receptions in 33 games. Since then, Ejekam has stayed active in the world of football by playing in the IFL and also signing at different times with the Tampa Bay Bandits and Memphis Showboats of the USFL.
*WR Prince Shonola (Rocky Mountain College): Another repeat Showcase attendee, Shonola was at the 2022 Florida XFL Showcase as well. He was part of the 2022 XFL draft pool, but was not chosen. He had limited opportunities as a pass-catcher in college but since then, Shonola has hung around the periphery of the pro football world, having participated in the AAF in 2019, as well as the NAL and IFL in the years following.
*WR Jovany Ruiz-Navarro (Buffalo): You have to give Ruiz-Navarro credit for his never-say-die attitude: A walk-on at UB, he was eventually put on scholarship. He missed his junior season of 2019 with an injury and then suffered another serious injury, a torn ACL in 2021 that caused him to miss all but the first two games of the season and led him to play in just four games in 2022. As a result, Ruiz-Navarro played in just 16 games in the six years he spent at Buffalo.
*WR Jerminic Smith (SW Baptist University): I wrote about Smith earlier this year after he received an XFL Combine invitation following a previous Showcase appearance. Smith also attended the Texas Showcase in 2022. He led the IFL Frisco Fighters in receiving in 2023, with 80 catches for 923 yards and 14 touchdowns.
*WR Caleb Samol (Ashland): Little info is available via the interwebs on Samol. An Ohio high school track and field and football star, Samol stayed in-state by attending Ashland University. Per Mike Lathrop of the Player 54 Podcast, Samol was one of the more impressive players at the Orlando Showcase.
*WR Steven Newbold (Tennessee State): Newbold left Tennessee State ranking in the top-10 on the school’s all-time receiving list. He started consistently since his sophomore year and even as a freshman was a major contributor to the tune of 36 receptions. Newbold moved on to the Green Bay Blizzard of the IFL, where he played in 2022 and 2023.
*WR Macgarrett Kings, Jr. (Michigan State): The 30-year old Kings is far removed from his college days, where he caught 116 passes for 1,461 yards and was a punt returner for the Michigan State Spartans. Kings was passed over for NFL work, to the point that he made headlines by camping outside Miami Dolphins headquarters, working out in the hopes he’d get recognized for a shot. That shot never materialized.
*WR/DB Orenzo Smith (Fort Valley State): Smith played WR at Fort Valley State, but can also play defensive back. Among his highlights was a 73-yard touchdown reception against Lane College in 2016.
*OT Jacob Farrell (Stephen F. Austin): Farrell’s made several stops in a short amount of time while in college. After being dismissed from Oklahoma State for violating team rules, Farrell transferred to North Texas. He ended up at Stephen F. Austin for his final seasons.
*DT Dion Bergan, Jr. (Wake Forest): The 83rd ranked DT by Brugler, Bergan took part in minicamp with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a tryout basis this past spring. Some would say the greatest ability is availability, and Bergan certainly displayed that at Wake Forest, playing in a total of 62 game during his college career. Though he wasn’t a pass-rush force, he still managed 15 tackles for loss in five seasons.
*DT Chima Dunga (Central Missouri): The day before Dunga performed at the Orlando Showcase, he was signed by the Tulsa Oilers of the IFL. He has played two seasons in the IFL after leaving Central Missouri, where he had 55 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 11 games. Prior to Dunga’s stint at CMU, he played football at Morgan State and Lackawanna Community College.
*DT Nick James (Mississippi State): James was a backup nose tackle for the Houston Roughnecks in 2020, making five tackles in five games after being an Open Phase draft selection. He was also a part of the XFL draft pool in 2022, but was not selected. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent of the Detroit Lions in 2017, James has also experience in the CFL and AAF. At 30 years old, he was likely one of the more experienced prospects at the Showcase.
*DT Anthony Montalvo (Central Florida): Brought into the NFL as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins following the 2023 NFL Draft, Montalvo was the 61st ranked DT by Brugler. After being released by Miami, he spent time late in training camp with the Washington Commanders. He started 36 games at UCF during his career, notching 17 tackles for loss during that period. Montalvo’s work at UCF earned him an invite to the Hula Bowl All-Star game in early 2023.
*LB Reco Hannah (New Mexico): The athletic Hannah ran an impressive 4.50 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2023. That helped him finish 73rd in Brugler’s LB rankings prior to the NFL Draft. Injuries put him on the shelf for the better part of two seasons at New Mexico but he was finally healthy in 2022, when he made 67 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Before becoming a Lobo, Hannah put up eye-popping stats in two years at Highland Community College (153 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks).
*LB Jalean Brown (Mississippi College): Brown models his game after one of the game’s best at the position, Ray Lewis. In his final season in 2022, Brown made 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. He overcame a torn MCL in 2021 to compete at a high level in ’22.
*LB/S Kevin Sears (Sacred Heart): As part of Division I FCS Sacred Heart, Sears never made fewer than 30 tackles over his final four seasons. He tallied 11 tackles for loss and four sacks over that period. A LB/S hybrid, Sears offers value at either position. His final college season was 2019 and he played in Fan Controlled Football as recently as 2022.
*LB Trevon Shorts (Fairmont State): Shorts was part of the 2022 XFL draft pool after being invited to attend the DC Showcase. Since 2021, he’s played in the NAL for the Albany Empire and Carolina Cobras. He was an All-NAL selection in 2021. At Fairmont State, Shorts tallied 203 tackles and 32.5 tackles for loss in four seasons.
*LB Devin Thomas (West Florida): The son of former NFL Pro Bowler Adalius Thomas, Devin began his career at his father’s Alma mater, Southern Mississippi. As a graduate transfer, he landed at West Florida in 2022. Thomas played in 13 games, making 27 tackles and picking off a pass. For much of his college career, he played a reserve role on defense.
*CB Chris Monaco (Bloomsburg): Monaco played 46 games for the Division II Bloomsburg Huskies during his collegiate career, securing nine interceptions during that time. He also tallied 145 tackles and 33 passes defensed. Monaco has returned kicks in his career as well, including one that was taken to the house. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at his pro day at the end of March.
*CB David Tolentino (Grand View): This was not Tolentino’s first XFL Showcase appearance, as he was part of last summer’s Florida event as well. That earned him a spot in the XFL draft pool and a selection by the Roughnecks in the 10th round of the Defensive Backs Phase. Tolentino was featured as part of the Player 54 series on ESPN+ last season. While he didn’t make the team out of camp, Tolentino was brought back as a reserve during the season. He made six tackles and then was cut again after the season.
*DB Robert Sheffield (Georgetown College): A member of the 2023 NFL Draft class, Sheffield doubled his tackles per game number from his junior to senior season. His highest interception total came as a junior, though, when he picked off four passes for 81 return yards. The Tigers, not to be confused with the Georgetown Hoyas, play in the Mid-South Conference of the NAIA.
*S R’Tarriun Johnson (Old Dominion): The 179th-ranked safety in Brugler’s “The Beast” NFL Draft Guide, Johnson was a two-year starter with the Monarchs, garnering All-Conference Honorable Mention status both as a junior and senior. He was second on the team in tackles in those seasons with three interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 8.5 tackles for loss. Johnson transferred in from the JUCO ranks, where he played at Mississippi Gulf Coast.
*S Daron Bowles (Wingate): Undersized at 5’9″ and 190 pounds, Bowles registered 86 tackles and 11 pass break-ups at Wingate. He came to the Bulldogs from Kansas State and Diablo Valley College. He excelled at playing on coverage units while at K-State, coming in third in tackles on special teams in 2019. Bowles has continued chasing his pro football dream by participating in the HUB Football Camp in 2022.
*S Antwan Collier (Florida A&M): Collier was a 5th round pick of the Orlando Guardians in the Defensive Backs Phase in 2022 after working out at the HBCU Showcase that summer. However, Collier was released toward the end of training camp. He played at UCF before moving on to Florida A&M. At the HBCU Legacy Bowl All-Star game in 2022, Collier won Defensive MVP honors with nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss during the game.
*S/LB Corey Wright (Adams State): Listed as a linebacker on the school’s website, Wright’s 5’10”, 200 pound frame may be better suited for the defensive backfield. He has experience at both positions. Wright has also played on the offensive side of the ball: While at Pierce College in 2016, he played running back and averaged nearly five yards per carry.
Names without a hyperlink were provided by Mike Lathrop of the Player 54 Podcast.
