The Houston Roughnecks, participating in their second XFL season in 2023, demonstrated strong performance under the guidance of head coach and general manager Wade Phillips. The team played their home games at TDECU Stadium. They completed the regular season with a solid record of 7 wins and 3 losses, leading them to clinch the first position in the XFL South division. However, their journey in the playoffs concluded with a upset loss in the Division Finals against the Arlington Renegades, with a final score of 11-26.
Roughnecks News
Mark Perry
April 27, 2025
Roughnecks Roster
Head Coach CJ Johnson
General Manager Lionel Vital
Special Teams/Running Backs Garret Chachere
Offensive Line Bob Connelly
Defensive Line Kwahn Drake
Tight Ends Jordan Higgins
Defensive Backs Brett Maxie
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Eric Price
Assistant Secondary Zach Shagi
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Chris Wilson
Quarterback
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Brown | Quarterback | Oregon | - |
| Nolan Henderson | Quarterback | Delaware | - |
| Jalan McClendon | Quarterback | Baylor | , |
Tight End
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Epps | Tight End | Pittsburgh | - |
| Geor’Quarius Spivey | Tight End | Mississippi State | - |
| Josh Pederson | Tight End | Louisiana-Monroe | - |
| Cam Sutton | Tight End | Fresno State | , |
Running back
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Pledger IV | Running back | Utah | - |
| Lorenzo Lingard | Running back | Akron | - |
| Morgan Ellison | Running back | Southeastern Louisiana | Pickerington,OH |
| Zaquandre White | Running back | South Carolina | - |
| Kirk Merritt | Running back | Arkansas State | - |
Wide receiver
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rory Starkey | Wide receiver | Samford | - |
| Lawrence Keys III | Wide receiver | Tulane | - |
| Keke Chism | Wide receiver | Missouri | - |
| Reggie Roberson Jr. | Wide receiver | SMU | - |
| Justin Hall | Wide receiver | Ball State | - |
| T.J. Vasher | Wide receiver | Texas Tech | Wichita Falls, TX |
| C.J. Windham | Wide receiver | Middle Tenessee | - |
| Marcus Simms | Wide receiver | West Virginia | - |
| Felton Davis | Wide receiver | Michigan State | - |
| Emmanuel Butler | Wide receiver | Northern Arizona | - |
| Cyril Grayson | Wide receiver | LSU | - |
Offensive tackle
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noah Atagi | Offensive tackle | Weber State | - |
| Ryan Pope | Offensive tackle | San Diego State | Long Beach,CA |
| Avery Gennesy | Offensive tackle | Texas A&M | - |
| Zach Banner | Offensive tackle | USC | - |
| Isaiah Battle | Offensive tackle | Clemson | - |
Defensive tackle
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel Antwine | Defensive tackle | Oklahoma State | - |
| Shakel Brown | Defensive tackle | Troy | - |
| Darrius Moragne | Defensive tackle | Kansas | - |
| Glen Logan | Defensive tackle | LSU | Kenner,LA |
| Olive Sagapolu | Defensive tackle | Wisconsin | - |
Defensive end
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Franklin | Defensive end | Baylor | - |
| Byron Vaughns | Defensive end | Baylor | - |
| Eyabi Okie-Anoma | Defensive end | Charlotte | - |
| Cedric Wilcots | Defensive end | New Mexico State | - |
Middle linebacker
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Benson | Middle linebacker | Oklahoma State | - |
| Christopher Allen | Middle linebacker | Alabama | - |
| Marvin Moody Jr | Middle linebacker | Tulane | - |
| Jamir Jones | Middle linebacker | Notre Dame | - |
| J.T. Tyler | Middle linebacker | Princeton | - |
| Mike Scott | Middle linebacker | Oklahoma State | Irving,TX |
| Rashod Berry | Middle linebacker | Ohio State | - |
| Tashawn Bower | Middle linebacker | LSU | - |
Cornerback
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chu Ogbonna | Cornerback | Akron | - |
| Rayshad Williams | Cornerback | Texas Tech | - |
| Keenan Isaac | Cornerback | Alabama State | - |
| Malik Dunlap | Cornerback | Texas Tech | - |
| Armani Marsh | Cornerback | Washington State | - |
| Colby Richardson | Cornerback | LSU | - |
| Damon Arnette | Cornerback | Ohio State | - |
| Corn Elder | Cornerback | Miami (FL) | - |
Safety
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn Preston Jr. | Safety | Mississippi State | - |
| Markel Roby | Safety | Pittsburgh State | - |
USFL Conference
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  BIRM | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 265 | 180 | W1 |
| 2 |  MICH | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 228 | 189 | L1 |
| 3 |  MEM | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 188 | 290 | W1 |
| 4 | | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 158 | 233 | L6 |