Key Points
- Diverse Quarterback Talent: The UFL showcases a wide range of quarterback talents from various colleges, each bringing unique skills and experiences to their teams.
- Team Dynamics: With teams like the Memphis Showboats housing four quarterbacks and the Defenders with only one, the quarterback dynamics across different teams vary significantly.
- Notable Players and Moves: Kurt Benkert of the Brahmas, under AJ Smith’s offense, and Lindsey Scott are among the players to watch. The status of players like Jordan Ta’amu, Eric Dungey, and Brandon Silvers remains uncertain.
The landscape of quarterbacks in the United Football League (UFL) is evolving with a total of 20 QBs currently signed across various teams. Notably, the Defenders have only one quarterback on their roster. There’s uncertainty surrounding the return of Jordan Ta’amu and Eric Dungey, while D’Eriq King has transitioned to a college coaching role. Vipers Jalen McClendon also was not picked up by a team. New Orleans Breakers McLeod Bethel-Thompson went back the the CFL.
In the NFL, AJ McCarron, Ben DiNucci, and Alex McGough remain active, leaving their UFL prospects open. Memphis Showboats now have four quarterbacks, including Case Cookus from the Stars. Kurt Benkert of the Brahmas is anticipated to play a full season under AJ Smith’s offense, which could be a highlight to watch. Additionally, Lindsey Scott has been previously mentioned as a player to keep an eye on in the league.
Arlington Renegades Quarterbacks
Holton Ahlers
- College: East Carolina
- Hometown: Greenville, North Carolina
Holton Ahlers, born on November 10, 1999, is a 6 ft 3 in, 227 lb. He hails from Greenville, North Carolina, and attended East Carolina for college football from 2018 to 2022. Ahlers is noted for setting several records at East Carolina, including career leader in passing yards, total offensive yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. His college stats include a total of 13,933 passing yards, 97 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 60.7% over 55 games.
Lindsey Scott
- College: Incarnate Word
- Hometown: Zachary, Louisiana
Lindsey Scott, born on June 11, 1998, and standing at 5 ft 11 in, 212 lbs. Scott, originally from Zachary, Louisiana, attended several colleges, including LSU, East Mississippi, Missouri, Nicholls, and finally Incarnate Word. He had a notable college career, setting an FCS record for touchdown passes in a season with 60 at Incarnate Word. In his final college season, Scott achieved 4,686 passing yards, 60 touchdowns, and a remarkable 70.9% completion rate over 14 games.
Luis Perez
- College: Texas A&M-Commerce
- Hometown: San Diego, California
Luis Perez, born August 26, 1994, is a 6 ft 3 in, 220 lb. A San Diego, California native, Perez played at Southwestern College before transferring to Texas A&M-Commerce, where he won the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2017. Perez’s impressive college stats include 8,327 passing yards, 78 touchdowns, and a 67.5% completion rate. Notably, he led the Renegades to the XFL Championship Game victory in 2023, defeating the DC Defenders 35-26.
Birmingham Stallions Quarterbacks
Adrian Martinez
- College: Kansas State
Adrian Martinez, born on January 7, 2000. He played college football at Kansas State and Nebraska, showcasing versatility and skill. In the 2022 season at Kansas State, he achieved 1,261 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and added 627 rushing yards with ten rushing touchdowns. Throughout his college career, Martinez amassed 9,391 passing yards, 49 touchdowns, and maintained a 63.4% completion rate over 45 games.
J’Mar Smith
- College: Louisiana Tech
- Hometown: Meridian, Mississippi
J’Mar Smith, born September 24, 1996, is a 6 ft 1 in, 218 lb quarterback for the Birmingham Stallions. Hailing from Meridian, Mississippi, Smith played college football at Louisiana Tech. He was a multi-sport athlete in high school and even drafted by the MLB’s San Diego Padres. At Louisiana Tech, Smith achieved 9,523 passing yards and 51 touchdowns over 44 games. In the USFL, he has completed 131 out of 239 passing attempts, accumulating 1,573 yards and 10 touchdowns.
D.C. Defenders Quarterbacks
Deondre Francois
- College: Hampton (2019), Florida State (2015–2018)
- Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Deondre Francois, born on February 12, 1997, in Orlando, Florida, is a 6 ft 1 in, 215 lb. He played college football first at Florida State from 2015 to 2018 and then at Hampton in 2019. During his college career, Francois accumulated impressive stats with a total of 8,813 passing yards, 62 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 57.6% over 37 games. He previously played with the Fan Controlled Football League before playing with the XFL’s Orlando Guardians in 2023.
Houston Roughnecks Quarterbacks
Jarrett Guarantano
- College: Washington State
- Hometown: Lodi, New Jersey
Jarrett Guarantano, born on November 14, 1997, in Lodi, New Jersey, is a 6 ft 3 in, 219 lb. He played college football at Tennessee from 2016 to 2020 and at Washington State in 2021. Guarantano’s college career included 6,478 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, and a 62.5% completion rate over 43 games.
Kenji Bahar
- College: Monmouth
- Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Kenji Bahar, born September 21, 1997, in Baltimore, Maryland, stands at 6 ft 3 in and weighs 200 lbs. Bahar attended Monmouth University, where he set school records with 9,642 passing yards and 70 touchdowns. In his redshirt senior year, he threw for 3,684 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning him the title of Big South Offensive Player of the Year. He played for the USFL’s Houston Gamblers in 2023. He finished the season with 1,709 passing yards and 8 touchdowns.
Memphis Showboats Quarterbacks
Case Cookus
- College: Northern Arizona
- Hometown: Thousand Oaks, California
Case Cookus, born on October 6, 1995, in Thousand Oaks, California, is a 6 ft 4 in, 205 lb. He played college football at Northern Arizona University from 2015 to 2019. Cookus has demonstrated significant skill in the USFL, leading the Stars to the USFL championship game in 2022. His 2023 USFL statistics including 2,294 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions.
Ryan Willis
- College: Virginia Tech
- Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas
Ryan Willis, born September 28, 1996, in Overland Park, Kansas, is a 6 ft 4 in, 211 lb. Willis played college football first for the Kansas Jayhawks and then for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He had a notable college career, including making his first start at Virginia Tech against Duke, where he completed 17-of-27 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns. Willis joined the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 2023 after asking for his release from the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in 2023.
Guy Myers
- College: Charleston (W. Va.)
Guy Myers, a University of Charleston alum. In his college career at Charleston, Myers achieved 2,658 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns, along with 18 rushing touchdowns. He has previously played for the Generals and the 2022 Bandits before rejoining the Showboats. Myers, known for his versatile playing style, was one of three quarterbacks signed by the Showboats prior to the dispersal draft, joining a roster that includes Ryan Willis and Cole Kelley.
Cole Kelley
- College: SE Louisiana
Cole Kelley joins the Memphis Showboats after stints with Arkansas and SE Louisiana. At SE Louisiana, Kelley, a towering 6-7, 250-pound quarterback, displayed impressive statistics with a total of 3,634 passing yards and 31 touchdowns in 2021. His collegiate accolades include All-American honors (FCS 2020, 2021), the FCS Walter Payton Award, and All-Conference honors. Despite these achievements, Kelley was an undrafted free agent (UDFA) in the 2022 NFL Draft before signing with the Memphis Showboats.
Michigan Panthers Quarterbacks
Danny Etling
- College: LSU
Danny Etling, the LSU alum, is a quarterback for the Michigan Panthers. He transferred to LSU in 2015 and served as the starting quarterback for two seasons (2016 and 2017), passing for a total of 4,586 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Etling’s quarterback rating at LSU was 144.4. In the 2016 season, he led the Tigers to a 7–4 regular season and a Citrus Bowl victory over Louisville. The following year, the team had a 9–3 regular season, although they lost to Notre Dame in the 2018 Citrus Bowl.
Davis Cheek
- College: Elon
Davis Cheek, a quarterback for the Michigan Panthers, previously played college football at Elon. He holds the record at Elon for the second most career passing yards (8,548), attempts (1,149), completions (701), and touchdown passes (51), along with the highest career completion percentage (66.8%). Cheek’s tenure at Elon was marked by significant achievements, including being named CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award in 2021. After going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cheek signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent.
Brian Lewerke
- College: Michigan State
Brian Lewerke, who played college football at Michigan State, is now a quarterback for the Michigan Panthers. His college career includes notable accomplishments, such as earning the Offensive MVP award in the 2017 Holiday Bowl. Lewerke’s senior season at Michigan State was impressive, with 2,759 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 58.6. During the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl, he led the Spartans to victory over Wake Forest and became the school’s all-time leader in total yards from scrimmage.
San Antonio Brahmas Quarterbacks
Kurt Benkert
- College: Virginia
Kurt Benkert, a quarterback for the San Antonio Brahmas, played college football at East Carolina and Virginia. At Virginia, Benkert set a school record with 455 passing yards in a single game during his senior season in 2017. He completed 298 of 509 passes for 3,207 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions that year. Benkert was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons following the 2018 NFL Draft and has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.
Matthew McKay
- College: Elon
Matthew McKay, who played college football for NC State, Montana State, and Elon, is a quarterback for the San Antonio Brahmas. During his time at Elon, he started all twelve games and completed 197 of 323 passes for a career-high 21 touchdowns with only four interceptions. McKay added 458 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. His best performance came against Vanderbilt, where he threw for 333 yards and accounted for four touchdowns.
Jack Coan
- College: Notre Dame
Jack Coan, is returning to the San Antonio Brahmas. He played college football at Wisconsin and Notre Dame. During his time at Wisconsin, Coan had his most notable season in 2019, completing 236 of 339 passes for 2,727 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. After transferring to Notre Dame as a graduate student, Coan was the starting quarterback in 2021, completing 253 of 386 passes for 3,150 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
St. Louis Battlehawks Quarterbacks
Manny Wilkins
- College: Arizona State
Manny Wilkins played college football at Arizona State. As a sophomore, he started 10 games, completing 197 of 311 passes for 2,329 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. His junior year saw him start all 13 games, throwing for 3,270 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. In his senior year, he maintained his starting position in all 13 games, achieving 3,025 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Wilkins also contributed significantly with his rushing ability, recording 452 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns in his senior year. Wilkins played with the Battlehawks in 2023
Nick Tiano
- College: UT-Chattanooga
Nick Tiano transferred to UT-Chattanooga from Mississippi State. In his first season at Chattanooga, Tiano made his first collegiate start against Jacksonville State, going 23 of 43 for 218 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His junior year was notable, playing in all 11 games and completing 233 of 378 passes for 2,710 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. In his senior year, Tiano started all twelve games, throwing for 2,242 yards, 14 touchdowns, and a career-high 10 interceptions. Additionally, he rushed for 384 yards and 9 touchdowns, earning him the SoCon Offensive Player of the Month in November. Tiano played with the Battlehawks in 2023
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