With the 2026 UFL season less than about three weeks away, the 2026 Battlehawks go into a new era under the leadership of Ricky Proehl, a six year NFL assistant along with the team’s 2023 Wide Receivers coach. Under the leadership of Proehl brings a new staff, two new quarterbacks, and a gunslinger who is no stranger to spring football.
The Battlehawks 2026 quarterback room is a new look that has moved on from 3-year player Manny Wilkins, 2024 1st round pick Chevan Cordeiro, and Max Duggan who opted to join the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
After drafting (or selecting) Michael Pratt in the QB allotment portion of the 2026 UFL draft, the Battlehawks were dealt their first shakeup in the 2026 season, with Pratt opting to look for an NFL futures deal.
Current Room:
Brandon Silvers returns for his 8th professional season, all in spring football or alternative football leagues. Well traveled since coming out of Troy, Silvers appears to finally have an opportunity to claim the starting role for the first time since 2023, when was with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks.
Silvers has plenty of experience logging over 600 pass attempts in his career (postseason included). He’s worked with Offensive Coordinator A.J. Smith on two different occasions, once in the Spring League and in 2023 during the Roughnecks playoff run. With experience in Smith’s system and familiarity with the Battlehawks Wide Receivers (specifically Hakeem Butler), Silvers should be the quarterback with an inside track moving into week one of the season.
Considered to be pushing Silvers for the QB1 position, would be 2025 UDFA Ben Wooldridge. Wooldridge comes to the UFL after being released during the conclusion of the New England Patriots training camp, earning several workouts throughout the NFL season. Wooldridge shows more mobility than Silvers and possesses decent arm-strength, however could be considered to be injury-prone due to several injuries in his college career ending his seasons prematurely.
Despite being a natural passer, Wooldridge does crumble in the pocket under pressure, and could struggle to manage his effectiveness during live-reps against former NFL players. Because of this coupled with his age (26), Wooldridge may have an uphill battle with a Battlehawks staff that is looking to win-now due to the business factors surrounding the UFL.
The Battlehawks also brought in Harrison Frost to fill out the quarterback room in 2026, after the unexpected release of Michael Pratt. Frost was a member of the 2023 UDFA, who opted to join the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons while being draft eligible. Frost spent two seasons with the CFL’s Hamilton Ti-Cats seeing limited reps during his time there. Frost could be a wildcard as a 28 year old who threw over 1,000 pass attempts in college between Mercer (FCS), and West Georgia (D-II). In addition to his time on the field, Frost was a Graduate Assistant for the University of Virginia Cavaliers in the fall of 2023. With his experience, coupled by his time as a coach, Frost could be a sleeper for St. Louis if called upon.