We’re lower than a month away from the debut of the United Soccer League, which is the product of a merger between the XFL and USFL. Beginning with the March 30 matchup between the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions, eight groups will play a 10-game season that culminates in a championship contest June 16.
Earlier than we get to that, this is a useful cheat sheet on the UFL fundamentals, full with the logos, stadiums, coaches, quarterbacks and different key gamers to observe within the league. The UFL has a two-time nationwide championship profitable quarterback (who has additionally began an NFL playoff sport) in AJ McCarron and the youngest brother of a Tremendous Bowl MVP, however we’ll begin issues off with the defending XFL champions and their School Soccer Corridor of Fame coach.
Arlington Renegades
Stadium: Choctaw StadiumCoach: Bob StoopsQuarterbacks: Holton Ahlers, Luis Perez, Drew Plitt, Lindsey Scott
The Renegades come into the UFL contemporary off the 2023 XFL championship. They’re led as soon as once more by Stoops, who gained 191 video games and the 2000 BCS nationwide championship in 18 seasons on the College of Oklahoma.
So far as the quarterbacks, Perez is a spring soccer icon, as he quarterbacked Arlington to final 12 months’s XFL title. He has additionally performed within the Alliance of American Soccer, the 2020 model of the XFL and the USFL. Ahlers threw for 13,933 yards and 97 landing passes at East Carolina, whereas Scott is a dual-threat QB who handed for 11,934 yards and 127 touchdowns at Incarnate Phrase whereas including 2,988 yards and 32 touchdowns dashing.
Different gamers to observe: Vic Beasley, OLB (Clemson, former first-team All-Professional with the Atlanta Falcons); Marquette King, P (Fort Valley State, second-team All-Professional with the Oakland Raiders); Marquel Lee, LB (Wake Forest, performed 4 seasons with Raiders)
Birmingham Stallions
Stadium: Protecting StadiumCoach: Skip HoltzQuarterbacks: Matt Corral, Adrian Martinez, Jalen Morton, J’Mar Smith
Holtz, the son of School Soccer Corridor of Fame coach Lou Holtz, has excelled in spring soccer, main the Stallions to a 21-3 file (together with playoffs) and consecutive USFL titles. Previous to Birmingham, Holtz gained 152 video games over 22 seasons of faculty soccer.
The quarterbacks are led by Corral, who was a third-round draft decide by the Carolina Panthers in 2022, and Martinez, who began 5 seasons at Nebraska and Kansas State. Smith, who was the beginning quarterback on Birmingham’s 2022 USFL championship staff, may even be an element, whereas Morton has hung out within the Canadian Soccer League.
Different gamers to observe: Travin Howard, LB (TCU, Tremendous Bowl champion with Los Angeles Rams); Gary Jennings, WR (West Virginia, fourth-round decide of Seattle Seahawks in 2019); Amari Rodgers, WR (Clemson, third-round decide of Inexperienced Bay Packers in 2021)
D.C. Defenders
Stadium: Audi FieldCoach: Reggie BarlowQuarterbacks: Deondre Francois, Jalan McClendon, Jordan Ta’amu
Barlow returns to the Defenders after main them to the XFL championship sport a 12 months in the past. Previous to D.C., Barlow compiled an 83-58 file as a coach at Alabama State and Virginia State over 13 seasons. He additionally performed eight NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ta’amu was the first quarterback for the Defenders final season and has performed three skilled soccer seasons within the 2020 and 2023 variations of the XFL together with the USFL in 2022. Francois was on the XFL’s Orlando Guardians final 12 months, whereas McClendon additionally performed within the XFL for the Vegas Vipers.
Different gamers to observe: Gareon Conley, DB (Ohio State, first-round decide of Raiders in 2017); D.J. Swearinger, DB (South Carolina, eight-year NFL veteran); Preston Williams, WR (Colorado State, four-year NFL veteran, primarily with Miami Dolphins)
Houston Roughnecks
Stadium: Rice StadiumCoach: Curtis JohnsonQuarterbacks: Jarrett Guarantano, Nolan Henderson, Reid Sinnett
Johnson is in his second 12 months of teaching spring soccer, as he led the USFL’s Houston Gamblers to a 5-5 mark final season. Previous to that, he was the pinnacle coach at Tulane for 4 seasons and a longtime assistant on the faculty and NFL ranges, spending 11 seasons with the New Orleans Saints underneath Sean Payton.
Sinnett is the one quarterback to have skilled taking part in expertise, seeing time with the San Antonio Brahmas final season. He additionally had transient stint on the lively rosters of the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. Guarantano was briefly on the Denver Broncos’ lively roster in 2022, whereas Henderson had a quick offseason stint with the Baltimore Ravens.
Different gamers to observe: Reuben Foster, LB (Alabama, first-round decide of San Francisco 49ers in 2017); Ryan Izzo, TE (Florida State, performed three seasons with New England Patriots); Ethan Westbrooks, DE (West Texas A&M, performed 5 seasons with Rams)
Memphis Showboats
Stadium: Simmons Financial institution Liberty StadiumCoach: John DeFilippoQuarterbacks: Case Cookus, Cole Kelley, Troy Williams
DeFilippo is in his second season of teaching spring soccer, serving as the pinnacle man for the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers final season. Previous to that, he spent greater than 20 years as a school and NFL assistant, largely as a quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator.
Cookus is taking part in his third season of spring soccer, spending the earlier two years with USFL’s Philadelphia Stars, the place he mixed to throw for 3,629 yards and 27 landing passes. He’ll compete with Kelley, who threw for 1,534 yards and 7 landing passes for Memphis final season, and Williams, who threw for 1,414 yards and 6 landing passes for the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers.
Different gamers to observe: Daylon Mack, DT (Texas A&M, No. 6 participant in 2015 ESPN 300); Dylan Moses, LB (Alabama, No. 5 participant in 2017 ESPN 300); Vinny Papale, WR (Delaware, son of former Philadelphia Eagles WR Vince Papale, the inspiration for the 2006 movie “Invincible”)
Michigan Panthers
Stadium: Ford FieldCoach: Mike NolanQuarterbacks: Davis Cheek, Danny Etling, Brian Lewerke, E.J. Perry
Nolan brings greater than 4 a long time of teaching expertise, the newest being a 4-6 file with the Panthers within the USFL final 12 months. Nolan additionally spent three-plus seasons as the pinnacle coach of the San Francisco 49ers and served as a defensive coordinator for eight NFL groups.
Etling was a seventh-round decide of the New England Patriots and has been on the observe squad of seven NFL groups. Lewerke had a quick stint on the New York Giants’ lively roster in 2021. Perry has bounced between the USFL and NFL the previous few seasons, whereas Cheek performed one sport for the USFL’s Breakers final 12 months.
Different gamers to observe: Kai Nacua, S (BYU, five-year NFL veteran and oldest brother of Rams WR Puka Nacua); Samson Nacua, WR (BYU, older brother of Puka Nacua); Breeland Speaks, DE (Ole Miss, second-round decide of Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in 2018)
San Antonio Brahmas
Stadium: The AlamodomeCoach: Wade PhillipsQuarterbacks: Quinten Dormady, Tom Flacco, Chase Garbers
Phillips strikes to the Brahmas after a profitable stint with the Roughnecks within the XFL final season wherein he led them to a Western Division championship. The 76-year-old was an NFL fixture for practically 50 years as a defensive coordinator and head coach, compiling a 90-73 file (together with playoffs) in nine-plus seasons as a head coach.
The headliner among the many QBs is Flacco, the youthful brother of longtime NFL signal-caller Joe Flacco. Dormady was the first starter for the XFL’s Orlando Guardians final season, throwing for 1,507 yards and 10 landing passes. Garbers was on the Las Vegas Raiders’ lively roster for the ultimate two video games of the 2022 season.
Different gamers to observe: Donald De La Haye, Ok (UCF, YouTube account (@Deestroying) has 5.77 million subscribers); Teez Tabor, DB (Florida, second-round draft decide of Detroit Lions in 2017); Kade Warner, WR (Kansas State, son of NFL Corridor of Famer Kurt Warner)
St. Louis Battlehawks
Stadium: The Dome at America’s CenterCoach: Anthony BechtQuarterbacks: AJ McCarron, Brandon Silvers, Manny Wilkins
Becht returns for his second season teaching the Battlehawks after main St. Louis to a 7-3 file within the XFL final 12 months. He spent 11 seasons as a good finish within the NFL with 5 groups after being chosen by the New York Jets within the first spherical of the 2000 NFL draft.
Together with profitable two nationwide titles at Alabama, McCarron has spent 9 seasons within the NFL, most just lately with the Bengals in 2023. McCarron threw for two,150 yards and 24 landing passes for the Battlehawks final season. Silvers was the first starter for the Roughnecks final 12 months, throwing for 1,551 yards and 13 landing passes, whereas Wilkins returns after serving as St. Louis’ backup final season.
Different gamers to observe: Hakeem Butler, WR (Iowa State, fourth-round decide by Arizona Cardinals in 2019); Wayne Gallman, RB (Clemson, six-year NFL veteran, primarily with New York Giants); Jahcour Pearson, WR (Ole Miss, XFL’s main receiver in 2023)
