THREE STALLIONS TO WATCH ON OFFENSE
Ricky Person Jr.: The 6-foot-1, 224-pound North Carolina State product
is one of the most physical running backs in the UFL. He didn’t get an opportunity to make a huge impact in the opener. Person rushed for 29 yards on six carries in the loss to the D.C. Generals. But he did what he does best on his most successful run of the day when he trucked a defensive player, knocking the player’s helmet off, on the way to an 11-yard run. He is also a threat in the passing game.
Jordan Thomas: He is a tight end in an offensive lineman’s body. The 6-foot-5 285-pound Thomas is perhaps the team’s best blocking tight ends and can be a mismatch in the passing game. Had one catch for 13 yards in the season opener. With his size and athleticism, Thomas can be a threat in the red zone and on extra point attempts.
CJ Marable: Like Person, the veteran Marable never got the chance to get going in the season opener. But, he did score the Stallions lone touchdown on a 12-yard reception from Alex McGough. Versatility is one area that makes Marable valuable.
THREE STALLIONS TO WATCH ON DEFENSE
Tae Crowder: Teamed with Kyahva Tezino at the middle linebacker position. Crowder was around the football all day and came up with a team- high 11 tackles. The former University of Georgia linebacker also had a pass breakup. Tezino finished with six tackles with all of them coming in the second half.
Steven Gilmore: The former Marshall cornerback standout was excellent in his first game as a Stallion. Gilmore had nine tackles and three pass breakups. Had nine career interceptions and 35 pass breakups at Marshall.
Willie Yarbary: Started his fourth season with the Stallions off with a solid performance. The 6-foot-3, 292-pound defensive end had eight tackles in the season opener. He is one of six current players who has been with the Stallions since the beginning of the 2022 season.
WHERE’S THE RUSH?
Most of the attention from the season-opening loss was the pass rushing ability of the D.C. Defenders. But pass rush was also a problem for the Stallions defense. Linebacker Chapelle Russell was credited with Birmingham’s only sack of the game. For a team that has become known for a game-changing pass rush that was not good enough to get the win.
Defensive end Ronnie Perkins got some pressure off the edge but never sacked the quarterback. Birmingham also didn’t get the push up the middle that the Stallions got last year.
A year ago, the Stallions had 36 sacks in 10 regular season and two playoff games. Defensive tackle Carlos Davis had a team-high seven sacks but the bulk of the sacks, other than that, came from players no longer with the team. The only other returnees who took part in a sack last year were defensive tackle Marvin Wilson (1.0), linebacker Kyahva Tezino (0.5) and cornerback Daniel Isom (1.0).
SCOUTING THE MICHIGAN PANTHERS
The Panthers do a good job of rushing the quarterback, which is scary for the Stallions after Alex McGough was sacked eight times in the opener. Michigan is tied for second with three sacks after the first week. Obviously that pales in comparison to the eight sacks produced by the DC Defenders. But the Panthers front still gets your attention. Four different players combined for the three sacks and one of those players was not Breeland Speaks. The Ole Miss product has 18.5 regular season over the past two seasons with the Panthers and was the UFL Defensive Player of the Year n 2024. Michigan had four sacks in last season’s playoff loss against the Stallions.
Bryce Perkins was outstanding in his first start for the Panthers. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Perkins was 16-for-19 passing for 163 yards passing and had 14 yards on six carries. He threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Samson Nacua and turned his own fumble into a 2-yard touchdown run. Best of all, he led his team to the season-opening win. Perkins has a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and started a game the following season when Matthew Stafford was hurt. He played in five games last season, completing 30 passes in 38 attempts for 343 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Linebacker Frank Ginda is a playmaking linebacker for the Panthers. This is his fourth season with the Panthers. He combined for 205 tackles in 2022 and 2023 and was the USFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. Last season, Ginda had 36 tackles in six games before suffering a season-ending injury. He opened this season with 11 tackles in a win at Memphis. In college, the former San Jose State standout led the nation with 173 tackles as a junior in 2017. He had 352 tackles in three college seasons.