Since 2023 the St. Louis Battlehawks have had some of spring football’s best Running Back play when the league returned. From Brian Hill, to Jacob Saylors, it appears now Jarveon Howard is the next Battlehawks Running Back to “pop” in spring football.
The Battlehawks relied heavily on Jacob Saylors the past two seasons who earned three NFL contracts, and now is with the Detroit Lions. While his workload wasn’t as intense, his backup Jarveon Howard managed to rush for over 300 yards earning a contract with the Buffalo Bills in last season.
The Battlehawks have gone three consecutive seasons of their Running Backs earning NFL contracts with Hill and Saylors not only being premiere rushers but also being weapons in the passing game as well.
2025 Room: Jacob Saylors, Kevon Latulas, Jarveon Howard
2026 Room: Jarveon Howard, Kevon Latulas, Kylin James, Rahjai Harris
The 2026 room has seen plenty of turnover already in the back half.with the team releasing Dillon Johnson (1/24), and Jordan Waters (2/5) prior to training camp. The team selected/protected five running backs in the UFL draft, and has since signed Rahjai Harris (2/6) as a fourth option for the team.
Traditionally, the Battlehawks have kept three running backs on the roster, with the team carrying four towards the back half of the 2024 season, due to the special teams versatility of Kevon Latulas, their 2023 draft pick.
Veterans:
Jarveon Howard returns for his 2nd season in St. Louis and looks to be the bell-cow for the team this year. Howard rushed for 310 yards on 68 carries averaging 4.68 yards per rush, earning a contract with the Buffalo Bills after the UFL season. With the combination of Saylors and Howard the tandem rushed for over 800 yards, with the Battlehawks totaling over 1400 rushing yards in 2025. While the team’s offensive identity may be a bit different this year, it's safe to assume that Howard (who is still relatively young) should be enroute to a minimum 450 rushing yards this season, and possibly a bigger role in the passing game.
Kevon Latulas joins the Battlehawks for his 3rd season in St. Louis. Originally a 2023 Draft Pick during the XFL college draft, Latulas is set to own the RB2 spot looking to build on his 23 carries for 137 rushing yards. While his impact is set to grow in 2026 in the offense, Latulas biggest value is his ability to make tackles on the Battlehawks punt team, as he has totaled 3 tackles in a game multiple times in his UFL career.
Newcomers:
Kylin James earns his first pro football opportunity after a couple years at FCS Central Arkansas and 2024 with UNLV. James was used as the Rebels third rushing option, still managing to average over 7 yards a carry on 89 carries. While James wasn’t used much as a pass catcher at UNLV, he did record 99 receptions in three seasons during his time at Central Arkansas including recording 53 receptions in 2023. With Howard and Latulas not known for their pass catching ability, James may be able to find a niche with the Battlehawks as their pass-catching back.
Rahjai Harris like James has yet to earn a professional opportunity, and despite a 1,000 yard season in 2024 at ECU went undrafted in 2025. Harris is similar to Howard and their college stats also are slightly parallel. Harris’ mirrored skillset to Howard, and Latulas coupled with the fact he was a late add may find himself as a cut-candidate if Head Coach Ricky Proehl opts to keep only three running backs.