By: Omar Saulters
Today was an exciting day as the Arlington Renegades looked to reload the team through the first UFL college draft. We saw a son and father reunited, quarterbacks drafted to compete with Luis Perez, and 5/10 picks go towards reconstructing both lines. Below, I’ll provide a breakdown of all ten picks, so let’s see what future Renegades players look like.
Round 1: John Rhys Plumlee (QB – UCF)
Arlington selected a quarterback with the 3rd overall pick in the entire draft!
This is quite a surprise since Luis Perez is coming off a remarkable season, completing 67% of his throws for over 2300 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 picks.
It’s hard not to see the athletic differences between these two quarterbacks.
John Rhys Plumlee is coming off his senior season with the UCF Knights, completing 62.9% of his passes for over 2200 yards with 15 touchdowns and 8 picks. Those numbers alone are impressive; without mentioning, he also ran for over 505 yards.
What is more impressive is his junior year, where he completed 63% of his passes for over 2500 yards with 14 touchdowns and 8 picks, along with 862 yards rushing. Not to mention he was a stud for the UCF Baseball Team:
The Renegades hope to develop a talented dual-threat athlete who can be the answer following Luis Perez as a succession plan or beat him out during training camp.
He is currently signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but if he doesn’t make it, the Renegades fan can be hopeful about the quarterback coming down the pipeline.
Round 2: Griffin McDowell (T – Tennessee)
Griffin McDowell is an impressive specimen, standing at 6’4″ and 300, and can move. He showed evidently through his 5.08-second 40-yard dash and a 4.57-second short shuttle.
Impressive numbers for the current Kansas City Chief. However, the injury-riddled Arlington Renegade offensive line would welcome his services if he did not make it. Luis Perez, or a future quarterback, would be taken with the first-round pick.
The best part about this player, whose nickname fun fact is “Walmart Tim Tebow,” is his flexibility in playing different positions. As stated himself in an interview with the great people over at NFL Draft Diamonds:
What makes me different from others at my position is the versatility that I have. I’ve played tackle, guard, and center on the offensive line both at UF and here at Chattanooga. I also played a year of defensive line at UF. So I understand how defensive linemen think and also the personal experience of each position in an offensive line.
Round 3: Kalen Deloach (LB – FSU)
This athlete is the epitome of production.
His senior year for FSU he started in all 13 games he appeared in. He recorded an impressive 68 tackles, including 10.5 for loss with 7.0 sacks.
His impact was further highlighted by two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, one interception, and one fumble recovery. Recognized for his excellence, he earned second-team All-American honors by The Athletic and was named first-team All-ACC. He also was named FSU Defensive MVP for the 2023 season.
All that on top of a 6’0″ 210 frame that runs a 4.47 40-yard dash, and you excited me for our defensive coming up in 2025. He’ll pair nicely with Donald Payne and create an elite LB room.
That is if he doesn’t make it on his current team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Round 4: Popo Aumavae (NT – Oregon) *PRONUNCIATION – Poe-poe Ah-moo-VYE
Besides being a wonderful name that announcers will love to say, Popo Aumavae is a 6’3″, 300-pound athletic monster who takes up space.
Unfortunately, his stats are not eye-catching. He came off a season-ending foot injury in 2022, and in 2023, he recorded 18 tackles, three for a loss, and three sacks.
I’m excited to see what Coach Stoops can do with this athlete’s immense natural talent for the current Carolina Panther if he should fall to the Renegades by next season.
Round 5: Amari Gainer (LB -UNC)
The battle between Amari Gainer and Kalen Deloach will be fierce in 2024.
The current Las Vegas Raiders linebacker also has incredible measurements (starting to see a trend with the Arlington Renegades draft picks).
Like Popo, the stats are not jaw-dropping his senior year out of UNC. 27 tackles, 6 being tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one force fumble. However, if you turn on the tape and see him run around, you must be excited to have him potentially on your roster.
Round 6: Bo Richter (OLB – Air Force)
I met Bo Richter at the College Gridiron Showcase (CGS), hosted annually in Dallas, TX. Bo was respectful and polite and played with an intensity that was palpable but also highly coachable.
The current Minnesota Viking, despite being shorter than average for the position, is still incredibly athletic, as shown by his RAS numbers:
I believe adding some help at the DL spot is crucial for the Arlington Renegades which is shown through taking 3/10 of their players at that position.
Round 7: Taki Taimani (DT – Oregon)
To round out our final defensive line selection, the Renegades selected Taki Taimani, the running mate of Popo Aumave (also a Renegade) at the University of Oregon.
He is durable (he only missed two games due to injury at Oregon and Washington). He is also plus-sized, 6’3″ and 330 lbs, with some poorer combined numbers than expected at his pro day: 25-inch vertical jump, 8-foot-6 broad jump, 5.33-second 40-yard dash, and 7.95 three-cone drill. He also only had 19 reps in the bench press of 225 pounds.
Despite some athletic concerns, he was ranked second among all Pac-12 interior defensive linemen with an 82.3 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus. With opponents averaging 4.6 YPC and giving up 12 rushing touchdowns, it is obvious that Head Coach Bob Stoops and GM Rick Mueller are trying to build a more formidable run defense.
Round 8: Spencer Rolland (T – UNC)
The Renegades made a strategic move this offseason, bolstering both their offensive and defensive lines with the addition of Spencer Rolland. His skills and versatility are expected to make a significant impact on the team.
Current Minnesota Viking Spencer Rolland is 6’6″ 306, and was named Honorable Mention All-ACC as well as a William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist in 2023
I love to see more depth at the position, especially those that can move around at different spots at the line, as he will get looks at multiple positions, as stated himself:
Round 9: Braison Mays (C – Southern Miss)
I absolutely love this pick. Braison Mays is a 6’4″ 295 pound center with unreal length I also had the chance to meet at CGS.
The current San Francisco 49’ers center wingspan was a sight in person. When called up in 2022 for Southern Miss, this player played LT.
I love what the Renegades did to bolster this offensive line by adding freak athletes who play multiple positions. If these players all suited up for the Renegades next season, I believe our offensive line (which gave up 22 sacks last year) would look a lot stronge
Round 10: Drake Stoops (WR – Oklahoma)
Despite being the last pick, this one stole the show for me. Seeing Coach Bob Stoops reunited with his son Drake was incredible.
It’s another when his son turned the lights on his senior year at the University of Oklahoma. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team … one of three Burlsworth Trophy finalists (the award given to the nation’s most outstanding football player who began his career as a walk-on).
It is easy to see why he earned those achievements after starting all 13 games and leading the team with 84 receptions, 962 yards, and 10 touchdowns, which ranked second in the Big 12 in receptions and receiving touchdowns.
To put his senior year in perspective. Before his senior year, he totaled 914 yards on 80 catches and 7 total TDs. That was across all of his 5 years before the team.
As a current LA Ram, this receiver brings another potent weapon to an offense that threw 19 touchdowns last season. The potential chemistry that Drake could have in Bob Stoops’ offense is remarkable. If it all works out, the impact on the Arlington grades could be game-changing.
