THREE STALLIONS TO WATCH ON OFFENSE:
Alex McGough: Nobody on the roster grabs attention like the dynamic 6-foot-3, 213-pound quarterback. McGough was the USFL MVP in 2023 after leading the Stallions to their second USFL championship. He accounted for 2,508 yards with 25 touchdowns that season. McGough spent the past two NFL seasons on the practice squad with the Green Bay Packers. He was moved to wide receiver last season but returned to quarterback after joining the Stallions. McGough will share the quarterback position with Matt Corral and Case Cookus.
Davion Davis: The 5-foot-10, 210-pound wide receiver made a huge
impact in his first season with the Stallions. Davis teamed with McGough
for 39 catches for 575 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. He had a 42-yard touchdown reception in the victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers in the 2023 USFL Championship Game. He was in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders the past two seasons.
Cole Schneider: Returns for another season anchoring the Stallions offensive line. Schneider is known for his off-the-field personality, which includes often showing up to games without a shirt. On the field, he is one of the steadiest offensive linemen in the UFL. The 6-foot-3, 324-pound Schneider is UCF product.
THREE STALLIONS TO WATCH ON DEFENSE
Tae Crowder: The former linebacker at Georgia joins the Stallions this season. The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Crowder was the final selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, which earned him the honor of being chosen as Mr. Irrelevant. He was hardly irrelevant in his first three NFL seasons as he compiled 232 tackles, eight pass deflections and two interceptions in 43 games with 31 starts. He had 130 tackles for the New York Giants in 2021.
Kyahva Tezino: Could possibly be the best linebacker in the UFL. The 6-foot, 224-pound playmaker accounted for 77 tackles last season. He was the defensive star of the 25-0 UFL Championship Game win over the San Antonio Brahmas with nine tackles and two forced fumbles. Combined for 180 tackles in two seasons with the Pittsburgh Maulers before joining the Stallions in 2023.
A.J. Thomas: The 6-foot-2 216-pound safety was an All-UFL second team selection last season. He had 31 tackles and a team-high three interceptions in his first season with Birmingham.
LEADERSHIP SHIFT
Zach Potter, who was one of the architects of three spring league football championship teams in Birmingham, left in January to become the general manager at Sacramento State. Potter will serve under first-year head
coach Brennan Marion, who was the offensive mastermind for the football resurgence at UNLV under Barry Odom. Potter had worked alongside Stallions Head Coach Skip Holtz for the past three seasons.
Paul Roell, who has 30 years in the business of football personnel, was hired as the Stallions general manager in late January. Roell has NFL scouting experience with the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars. He also served as the assistant director of college scouting for the Jaguars and as a Senior Bowl and USFL scout at various times over the past eight years.
SCOUTING THE D.C. DEFENDERS
The Defenders are facing a bit of turmoil with the late defection of Head Coach Reggie Barlow, who left earlier this week to take over as the head coach at Tennessee State. Barlow led the Defenders to the XFL Championship Game in 2023 and the team was 4-6 last season. He was replaced on an interim basis by Defenders quarterback coach Shannon Harris. Harris was also part of Barlow’s staff at Alabama State.
What kind of impact will Abram Smith have during his return with the Defenders? Smith was perhaps the XFL’s top running back in 2023. He rushed for 788 yards and seven touchdowns to help the Defenders finish 9-1 in the regular season. Smith earned a shot with the Minnesota Vikings but was waived in training camp. He came back to the Defenders but suffered a knee injury during camp and was lost for the 2024 season.
Cornerbacks Kelvin Joseph and DeAndre Baker are both former SEC standouts and high NFL draft choices. Baker was one of the country’s top cornerbacks during his time at the University of Georgia. He was drafted with the 30th overall pick by the New York Giants in 2019. Baker started 16 games for the Giants as a rookie and finished with 61 tackles. Baker played 20 games over two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Joseph, who played at LSU and Kentucky, was a second round draft choice by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. He played in 33 games with three starts for the Cowboys and was credited with 40 tackles.