Now that the dust has settled and all quarterbacks in the Jordan Palmer Instagram video have been identified, there’s one overriding thought some XFL fans may have:
“Who are these guys?”
If you’re an XFL fan but don’t pay close attention to college football or other alternative football leagues, the nine players from the video may not be familiar to you. Even if you’re an ardent NFL fan, many of these names may not ring a bell. After all, here is the cumulative NFL regular season stat line for all nine quarterbacks combined:
Zero pass attempts. Zero pass completions. Zero yards. Zero touchdowns. Zero regular season games played.
It’s understandable that the first wave of QB signings would be players off the radar of most fans: The high-level or more well-known veteran quarterbacks could still be angling for an NFL roster spot, working out for teams during the season. Consider this the QB baseline: The XFL is likely to supplement the current crop with other, more veteran signal-callers, as we get closer to training camp in January.
Mike Mitchell reported on the likely destination of eight of the quarterbacks – the ninth in the video, Bryan Scott, could be headed to the XFL once his contract situation with the USFL gets resolved. Until then, it appears that the league has eight quarterbacks, its first eight players of the third iteration of the XFL. While some may be wondering who exactly these players are and what talents they bring to the table, I dug into what was said about all eight when they became eligible for the NFL Draft. Few grind as much film as draftniks, so if anyone can give an accurate representation of the strengths and weaknesses of these players, it’s them. So here are the players and the buzz that surrounded them when they came out of college.
Player: Steven Montez
College: Colorado
Draft Year: 2020
Vital Information:A three-year starter, Montez left Colorado with the most passing TDs (63) and passing yards (9,710) in school history. He set 43 school records and was invited to the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl All-Star Game. Montez signed as an undrafted free agent with Washington in 2020, then joined Detroit’s practice squad in September of 2021 and was eventually waived in May 2022.
Reported XFL Assignment: Seattle
Perhaps the most heralded of the eight quarterbacks working with Jordan Palmer, Montez received a draftable grade from some prior to the 2020 NFL Draft. Many of the major draft analysts had him just outside that range, as a priority free agent. Those include NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who noted, “Montez has good size with decent arm talent and mobility but has failed to take steps forward as a three-year starter…Teams may see him as a developmental prospect based upon physical traits.”
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who had Montez as the 14th quarterback in the class, agreed on the PFA grade, writing, “Overall, Montez is dripping with natural talent due to his size, athleticism and big-time arm, but his lack of development and questionable instincts are red flags, projecting as a late round or undrafted player.”
Also writing for The Athletic, Bob McGinn (who has written his NFL Draft Series now for 38 years in which he confers with numerous scouts to compile his rankings) had Montez as the 13th-ranked QB. CBSSports.com ranked him the 10th-best QB in the class: “He showed glimpses of big-play ability during Senior Bowl practices but struggled in the game with poor decisions and a turnover.”
“Steven Montez is all peaks-and-valleys, with a lot more valleys than peaks. He’s got a good arm with noticeable arm strength, but his accuracy downfield resembles a shotgun spray more than anything precise” wrote AJ Schulte of Pro Football Network. Chief Draft Analyst Tony Pauline, also of Pro Football Network, chimed in: “Montez presented himself as a bigtime NFL prospect during his sophomore season, but his game leveled off and even regressed in some aspects since then. Physically, he’s as complete a package as any signal caller in this draft, but Montez has shown tremendous inconsistencies in all areas of his game. He possesses great upside, but he needs work from the ground up and may need his hand held often at the next level.”
Jordan Reid, now a draft analyst for ESPN, but at the time working for The Draft Network, opined on Twitter about Montez: “There’s lots of arm strength present, but he didn’t make the jump that some were expecting It may be an uphill battle for him to stick on an NFL roster early on unless it’s as a developmental player.” Montez is reportedly going to Seattle where he’ll be teamed up with offensive coordinator June Jones. Montez is a different type of QB than Jones worked with in 2020 in PJ Walker, but Jones’s offensive stylings could work to Montez’s advantage.
Consensus:Montez could benefit greatly from Jordan Palmer’s tutelage; the physical skills (size, arm strength) are there. If he can get bad habits cleaned up and instincts honed, he could find himself back on the NFL’s radar.
Player: Jawon Pass
College: Prairie View A&M
Draft Year: 2022
Vital Information: A four-star recruit, Pass committed to Louisville over Alabama and Auburn. After starting nine games as a sophomore in 2018, he played just four games over the next two years. A foot injury suffered by Pass in 2019 led to Malik Cunningham taking the reigns of the QB position for the Cardinals and he didn’t give it up. Pass entered the transfer portal in December 2020, eventually landing at Prairie View A&M. There, Pass threw 16 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in his lone season, leading the team to a first-place finish in the West Division. Pass was selected to participate in the HBCU Legacy Bowl All-Star Game prior to the NFL Draft.
Reported XFL Assignment: San Antonio
Like Montez, Pass passes the eye test, measuring in at 6’4″ and just shy of 230 pounds. In his rankings for The Athletic, Brugler had Pass as his 44th ranked QB in the 2022 draft. Prairie View A&M is considered an HBCU school, and XFL personnel have made it a point to give serious consideration to players from those colleges.
HBCUGameday.com did a story on some of the QBs participating in the Legacy Bowl. Of Pass, they said, “He completed better than 60 percent of his passes and threw for 16 touchdowns while leading his team to the SWAC West title. He’s got the physical tools, much like another PVAMU quarterback who got a shot in Jalen Morton.”
Pro Football Network singled Pass out after the first week of the 2021 college football season for his impressive debut. “Louisville transfer Jawon Pass completed 67.6% of his passes for 354 yards, 3 scores, and an interception. If he can continue his stellar play, Pass can rival (Aqeel) Glass as the top passer in the SWAC.” Pass will be working with Jaime Elizondo as his offensive coordinator in San Antonio, who had success with the XFL Tampa Bay Vipers and CFL Edmonton Eskimos with a QB who profiles similarly to Pass in Taylor Cornelius.
Consensus: Once a major recruit, injuries and circumstances have held Pass back from reaching his potential. If Palmer can help unlock it, Pass has the physical traits that could help him succeed at the pro level, even if it may not be right away.
Player: Deondre Francois
College: Hampton
Draft Year: 2020
Vital Information: A four-star recruit from the vaunted IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Francois landed with Florida State where he started in 2016 as a redshirt freshman, throwing for 20 TDs and just seven interceptions. He led FSU to a victory in the Orange Bowl that year. A torn patellar tendon prematurely ended his 2017 campaign. Francois started throughout 2018, but was suspended over a domestic incident with his girlfriend. He ended up transferring to Hampton where he set a school record in touchdown passes (26), starting all 12 games in 2019. Francois was invited to the Hula Bowl post-season All-Star Game. He wasn’t offered a contract by an NFL team and has played the last two seasons in Fan Controlled Football, where he has thrown 19 TDs against three interceptions.
Reported XFL Assignment: Orlando
Francois returns to Florida as part of head coach Terrell Buckley’s Orlando squad. Francois was not a highly-ranked quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, so little scouting is available on him. NFL teams may have shied away from him due to the video of the domestic incident that came to light.
In 2020, Brugler ranked Francois as the 59th QB in the draft. Last Word on Sports’s Dean Mullen provided one of the few scouting reports on Francois available: “He has overcome plenty of adversity to even get to this point. Additionally, the physical tools are there.”
There are more analysis pieces on Francois that have come out after the draft. The NFL Draft Bible wrote up Francois as part of their HUB free agent reports. “Average size QB that showed he had an NFL arm, with arm strength and touch to make all the throws on the field…This is a player that could be a backup NFL QB who could develop into a starter with time and coaching.”
Consensus: Francois has given his pro career a shot in the arm with his play in the FCF. He now graduates from 7-on-7 ball back to 11-on-11. While he doesn’t have the size of a Montez or Pass, his arm strength and mobility give him some tools with which to work.
Player: Brandon Silvers
College: Troy
Draft Year: 2018
Vital Information: A four-year starter with the Trojans, Silvers set an NCAA record in completion percentage by a freshman. He left Troy with 71 career touchdown passes and just 29 interceptions. As a senior, he made a number of preseason QB award watch lists. He was also the MVP of the New Orleans Bowl. Silvers accounted for the most touchdowns in school history and still holds the school’s record for passing TDs and passing yards. Silvers was invited to the prestigious Senior Bowl postseason All-Star Game. He attended minicamp with the New Orleans Saints in 2020 but was not signed. He has played in the Alliance of American Football and XFL, with a short stint with the New York Jets sandwiched in between.
Reported XFL Assignment: Houston
The selection of Silvers to return to the XFL as an assigned quarterback may stump some longtime followers of the league. As Seattle’s QB in 2020, Silvers was on his way to being benched in favor of BJ Daniels prior to the league’s shutdown. Silvers is now matched up with offensive coordinator AJ Smith in Houston, who may be better suited to bring out his potential than was Jim Zorn.
Lance Zierlein at NFL.com had this summary of Silvers heading into the 2018 NFL Draft: “Silvers has below average NFL size and athleticism but does possess adequate arm talent and velocity. He’s a four-year starter whose stats picked up with more pass attempts but whose play has stayed relatively stagnant. Silvers doesn’t get through his progressions and find the best option and he’s not a quality counter-puncher when teams blitz him. He has an outside shot at finding a QB3 role or a practice squad.”
Matt Miller, then at Bleacher Report, now at ESPN, reported on Silvers’ participation in that year’s Senior Bowl: “The lowest-ranked quarterback on my board from the Senior Bowl, Silvers didn’t stand out as a top-tier prospect. His mechanics need a ton of work, and he seemed lost against simple Senior Bowl defenses and the speed of the South roster. He has a shot as a late-rounder with development potential, but in a deep quarterback class, he might be overlooked entirely.”
Eric Galko’s Optimum Scouting charted the QBs during Senior Bowl practice. The results are here. Galko’s observations are interesting due to his relationship with the XFL in 2020 as Director of Player Personnel. He is now the Director of Football Operations and Player Personnel of the East-West Shrine Game, another post-season all-star game for draft-eligible players.
Consensus: Silvers (and Palmer) will have some work to do to wash away memories of some of his 2020 XFL performances. Mechanics mentioned in Miller’s report can be fixed, but Zierlein’s concerns of size and athleticism are not so easily remedied. Silvers’ arm talent will keep him afloat.
Player: D’Eriq King
College: Miami (FL.)
Draft Year: 2022
Vital Information: King’s collegiate career began at the University of Houston, where he played from 2016-2019. He amassed 78 total touchdowns in just 34 games played with the Cougars. In 2018, he threw 36 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. He also played wide receiver his first two years there, finishing with 59 total receptions. King played two seasons at Miami, the first throwing 23 TDs and five interceptions. He returned for an extra season granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but played in just three games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. In total, King threw for 76 touchdown passes, ran for 32 more, and caught three TDs, all over the course of just 48 college games. King was invited to the East-West Shrine Game and the NFL Combine. He signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent, but was cut after rookie minicamp.
Reported XFL Assignment: Washington, D.C.
If he was a smidge taller, King may have been drafted. Ultimately, his size (a shade under 5’9″) was a major negative in all draft reports written about King. He was Dane Brugler’s 14th ranked QB, listed as a priority free agent. Per Brugler: “Overall, King is undersized, and his history of injuries is concerning, but he has exciting athleticism to make the transition to wide receiver while also contributing in the backfield with his ball-handling skills.”
Like Brugler, Zierlein cited King’s height as disqualifying; but also like Brugler, he acknowledges King’s playmaking has a role in some type of offense. “King simply falls too far below the quarterback threshold considering his level of play wasn’t good enough to create an exception for his size…His ability to run RPO and zone-read packages could be enticing for teams looking to create as many options as possible for their offense.”
Tony Pauline also projected King to another position as a pro. “King flashed ability at quarterback for the Hurricanes yet lacks the size, stature, and passing mechanics to play the position on Sundays. He did take reps at receiver during Shrine Bowl practices and projects as either a wideout or third-down back at the next level.”
King was a favorite of Pro Football Focus, though they also acknowledged his shortcomings: “When healthy, King has been one of the best college quarterbacks over the last few years. He has recorded multiple elite-graded seasons over the last few seasons thanks to his clean decision-making, dynamic rushing ability and Russell Wilson-esque deep ball. King, however, was underwhelming during Shrine Bowl measurements. He stands at 5-foot-8 with 28 5/8-inch arms.”
I was impressed with what I saw when I scouted King during his 2020 season at Miami. From my own notes: “Captain; high character; accurate on the run; has running ability; throws an easy deep ball – just seems to flick his wrist and it flies.”
Consensus: Washington is taking a big risk by playing King at QB due to his height. Most draft analysts pushed for a position change for King in the pros. If head coach Reggie Barlow and his staff are committed to King at the QB position (and as a starter), they’ll have to tailor their offense around King to hide his lack of size and to take advantage of his playmaking ability.
Player: Jalan McClendon
College: Baylor
Draft Year: 2019
Vital Information: A grad transfer from North Carolina State after arriving as a four-star recruit, McClendon ended up at Baylor for his final year of eligibility. However, he started just one game, playing in eight others. In total, he attempted only 138 passes in college. His size at 6’4″ and 222 pounds, is what football decision makers crave. He attended the NFLPA Bowl All-Star Game. McClendon was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, also spending time with Washington that summer. He was an open phase selection by the Los Angeles Wildcats in the 2019 XFL Draft. That season, he was active for all five games as the backup to Josh Johnson. He has also been a part of the National Arena League.
Reported XFL Assignment: Las Vegas
Perhaps more unusual than Silvers as an assigned QB is McClendon, who was a backup during XFL 2020. He is one, however, given his dearth of experience, who could benefit from working with Palmer. Even with his lack of playing time in college, Dane Brugler listed McClendon as his 28th ranked QB in 2019.
It may have been McClendon’s performance at the NFLPA Bowl that had draft analysts like Brugler, as well as NFL teams, taking notice. According to NFL Draft Bible’s Ric Serritella, McClendon impressed there. “(H)e has showed off his cannon arm and made a slew of nice throws…he met with a dozen teams on day one and that number is sure to increase.”
A 2021 HUB Free Agent Scouting Report by The Draft Bible caught up again with McClendon’s progress. “McClendon has a live arm and demonstrated more consistent accuracy. He has evolved greatly on his mechanics since graduating and the invested time into training seems to have finally come to fruition. McClendon is a developmental, pocket-passer who can move well enough if needed, along with prototype size.”
Consensus: McClendon is raw, but the measureables and arm talent are there. Leagues like the XFL are made for players like McClendon, who can get reps at a professional level with the potential to impress NFL scouts.
Player: Drew Plitt
College: Ball State
Draft Year: 2022
Vital Information: Plitt chose to attend Ball State over offers from fellow MAC schools Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green. As a redshirt freshman, Plitt started out the season as the number four QB but was pressed into game action during the last five games, starting three. He was a backup as a sophomore before taking the reigns as a starter his junior year. He would start his final three seasons at Ball State, staying an extra year granted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Undrafted in 2022, he attended Cincinnati Bengals minicamp and was later signed by the team. He played in two preseason games before being cut.
Reported XFL Assignment: Arlington
Plitt was off the radar of most draft analysts, drawing a “huh?” when Cincinnati grabbed him as an extra camp arm over the summer. He was the 34th ranked QB by Brugler heading into the 2022 draft. NFL Draft Buzz had him 24th ranked and predicted him to be a potential undrafted free agent. Among his strengths: “Enough arm strength to drive the ball through tight windows up to 20 yards downfield. Spreads the ball around to multiple receivers…Sees the field very well when the play breaks down and occasionally changes plays at the line…Athletic quarterback who is a threat to leave the pocket and gain positive yardage at any time.”
His weaknesses, from that same article: “Inconsistent downfield passer and puts too much air under his throws…Marginal height, which will prove more of a detriment in an offense that asks him to drop back from center more often…Too often fails to give receivers a chance to make a play after the catch. High completion percentage padded by many quick screens.”
Per Tony Pauline at The Football Network: “Plitt was a solid game manager for Ball State but comes with arm-strength limitations. He’s a potential third quarterback whose greatest asset would be another pair of eyes on the sidelines.” Draft analysts don’t always agree, as Pauline’s thoughts about Plitt’s arm strength seem to be at odds with NFL Draft Buzz.
Then there are the words of Plitt himself, in an interview with Chrissy Froyd at The Draft Network: “‘The year before I was calling a lot of my own plays. I was calling two-minute drills this year, calling plays on my own,’ Plitt said. ‘I had the full range of the offense to call what I wanted to based on what I saw on the field. That’s part of the reason I chose to stay this year was added control of the offense. I was calling all of the protection calls, I had the run game protection calls, I was doing basically everything at the line—if someone needed to know something, I was telling them what they were doing.”’
Consensus: It remains to be seen what kind of offense Jonathan Hayes and Chuck Long employ in Arlington. An offense where Plitt can get the ball out quickly, accompanied by a strong running game, may work the best. Plitt’s intelligence and experience calling plays and protections at the line of scrimmage at Ball State will help him in processing Hayes and Long’s offense.
Player: Ryan Willis
College: Virginia Tech
Draft Year: 2020
Vital Information: Another transfer player, Willis began his career at Kansas, where he set a school record for freshman passing yards. After two seasons, he transferred to Virginia Tech. Willis started 10 games in 2018, throwing 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He added 354 rushing yards and four TDs on the ground. Like D’Eriq King, an injury (foot) in his final season stunted an opportunity to show NFL scouts his full range of talent. He started just four games as a senior and did not garner interest from the NFL after the draft – in 2020, COVID prevented players like Willis from trying out in minicamps to earn a spot on the roster. He ended up in The Spring League in 2021, where he was named MVP of their championship game and of their season. That earned him a spot with the Chicago Bears’ practice squad late in the 2021 season. He signed a futures contract after the season but was waived in May.
Reported XFL Assignment: St. Louis
Willis was another low-ranked QB in his draft class, coming in at 42nd by Brugler. He was ranked similarly by the Great Blue North Draft Report, at 46th. Partly because of the injury in his senior season, there just wasn’t a lot of tape for the draft community to delve into in 2020, resulting in few true scouting reports.
Ric Serritella of HUB Football provided a look at Willis as a pro free agent in 2021. “Willis enjoyed a Tommy Maddox-like explosion, unleashing devastating deep balls week after week and spraying the ball all over the field,” he wrote of Willis’s TSL exploits. The comparison to Maddox, the MVP of the 2001 XFL season, seems prescient.
Interestingly, Willis’s TSL league MVP award came in the Air Raid under Hal Mumme. We don’t know what kind of offense Bruce Gradkowski will run in St. Louis, as he’s never helmed a pro offense before. Gradkowski, a former pro QB, is another security blanket Willis will be afforded as St. Louis, and the XFL as a whole, attempts to provide its quarterbacks with all the tools to be successful and to put an enticing product on the field for fans.
Consensus: Willis has experienced success at the pro level many of the others in this crop have not, even if that was only in The Spring League. That success should give confidence to the rabid St. Louis fanbase that even if Willis doesn’t end up starting on opening day, he’ll make it a hell of a competition.
