Defenders Complete Rookie Draft

T, Gottlieb Ayedze, Maryland 

• Currently signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. 
• Played in 11 games for the Terps at right tackle, starting the final 10 games of the  season 
• Blocked for the fourth-ranked overall offense in the Big Ten (387.3 ypg) and the  top-ranked passing offense (278.9 passing ypg) 
• Was the sixth-highest rated pass blocking tackle in the Big Ten (over 500 snaps)  with a 76.5 grade via Pro Football Focus. 
• Participated in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl. 
• Transferred to Maryland after spending his 2019-22 at Frostburg State, where he  was selected to the All-MEC First Team three times. 

QB, Kedon Slovis, BYU 

• Currently signed with the Indianapolis Colts. 
• Spent one season at BYU, throwing for 1,716 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six  interceptions in eight games. 
• Spent time at USC and Pitt before transferring to BYU. 

DT, Leonard Taylor III, Miami 

• Currently signed with the New York Jets. 
• In three seasons at Miami, Taylor totaled 65 tackles (26 solo), one pass defensed,  six sacks, and one interception. 
• Had his best statistical season during the 2022 season, tallying 24 total tackles,  three sacks, and an interception. According to Pro Football Focus that year, he  scored an 87.3 defensive grade and an 85.5 pressure grade. 

T, Garet Greenfield, South Dakota State 

• Currently signed with the Seattle Seahawks. 
• Helped the SDSU capture an FCS Championship while earning his Third All American honor and received an invite to play in the East/West Shrine game in  2023. 
• Broke out during the 2020-21 season by earning All-American honors as a right  tackle for the Jackrabbits.  

DE, Braiden McGregor, Michigan 

• Currently signed with the New York Jets. 
• An honorable mention all-Big Ten selection in 2023 after starting all 15 games for  the national champion Michigan Wolverines, recording 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks. • Was a part time starter in his first two years at Michigan.  
   

RB, Michael Wiley, Arizona 

• Currently signed with the Washington Commanders. 
• Played five seasons in Arizona, running for 1,712 yards and 16 touchdowns, while  averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. 
• Appeared in 10 games in 2023 for the Wildcats, rushing 70 times for 311 yards  and three touchdowns. Also made 28 receptions for 306 yards and five  touchdowns.

LB, Dallas Gant, Toledo 

• Currently signed with the Minnesota Vikings. 
• Finished his college career with 286 total tackles, 17 tackles for losses, five forced  fumbles, eight passes defended, one interception and two and a half sacks at  Toledo and Ohio State. 
• He was a First-Team All-MAC member in 2022,  
• At Toledo, had career totals of 233 tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack, one  interception, eight passes defensed and three forced fumbles. The Rockets also  made the Mid-American Conference title game in both years he anchored the  defense, taking the crown in 2022. 
• Over a four-year stay at Ohio State, established himself as a key reserve  linebacker and core special teams player, with 54 career tackles and 3.5 tackles for-loss. 

LB, Curtis Jacobs, Penn State 

• Currently signed with Kansas City Chiefs. 
• During the 2023 season at Penn State, played 13 games, tallying 49 tackles and  2.5 sacks 

QB, Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin 

• Currently signed with the San Francisco 49ers. 
• In 2023 at Wisconsin, completed 65 percent of his passes for 9 touchdowns and 4  interceptions.  
• Spent his first three years of college at Oklahoma, but threw only 70 passes.  • Spent two seasons as a starter at SMU, attempted 897 passes, completed 66.4  percent of them and threw 72 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions. 

S, Omar Brown, Nebraska 

• Currently signed with the Denver Broncos. 
• Played in all 12 games with eight starts in his final season at Nebraska. He was  tied for second on the team with 51 tackles while adding three tackles for loss,  three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one  interception.  
• An honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection and was key member of a “Blackshirt” unit that posted Nebraska's best rushing defense (92.9 yards per game), total  defense (303.5 yards per game) and scoring defense (18.3 points per game) since  the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. NU ranked in the top 20 nationally in each  of those three categories.
• Before transferring to Nebraska, spent three seasons at Northern Iowa, where he was the FCS 2019 freshman defensive player of the year. He was third-team FCS  AL-American as a freshman.

The United Football League (UFL) is set to launch as the premier spring football platform, formed by the merging of the XFL and USFL in 2024. The UFL has eight teams in Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St. Louis (MO), and Washington D.C.