Clink: UFL Week 2 First and Second Team of the Week

The purpose of this article is to shine a spotlight on players who performed at a high level in week 2 of the UFL season. Naming a First and Second Team of the Week.

First Team QB Luis Perez (ARL)

Completed 21 of his 29 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown.

First Team RB Mataeo Durant (STL)

Rushed 14 times for 104 yards and a touchdown (7.4 yards per carry). Caught his only target for 5 yards.

First Team WR Marcell Ateman (STL)

Caught 4 of his 6 targets for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns in week 2.

First Team WR Marquez Stevenson (SA)

Caught 6 of his 8 targets for 103 yards and a touchdown.

First Team WR JaVonta Payton (ARL)

Caught 5 of his 5 targets for 83 yards.

First Team TE Cody Latimer (SA)

Caught 8 of his 8 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown.

First Team LT Jaryd Jones-Smith (STL)

Allowed only 2 pressures on 38 pass blocking snaps. 

First Team LG Darrin Paulo (MEM)

He got away with a holding at one point in the game but no harm no foul. I did not count him having a single pressure allowed and he played in 50 pass-blocking snaps per PFF. PFF did record 1 hurry to his name.

First Team C Cole Schneider (BIR)

1 pressure allowed, 34 pass-blocking snaps per PFF.

First Team RG Liam Fornadel (DC)

No pressures allowed over 40 pass-blocking snaps.

First Team RT Juwann Bushell-Beatty (STL)

Stood out with good blocking on a 16-yard and 41-yard run play. PFF attributed a sack to him which saw the DT and DE cross positions with each other after contact.

First Team DE Pita Taumoepenu (STL)

5 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFLs. Additionally had 3 QB hurries and 2 QB hits. Solo run stop in the 2nd quarter.

First Team DE Taco Charlton (BIR)

3 sacks and a QB hurry.

First Team DT Jalen Redmond (ARL)

4 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 QB hurries, assisted on 2 run stops.

First Team DT Carlos Davis (BIR)

4 tackles, 2 sacks, a QB hurry, 2 solo run stops.

First Team LB Frank Ginda (MI)

14 tackles, 3 QB hurries, 3 solo run stops, 3 assisted run stops, 2 pass stops.

First Team LB Reuben Foster (HOU)

6 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 run stops, 3 assisted run stops, broke up 2 passes.

First Team LB Callahan O’Reilly (STL)

7 tackles, half a sack, 2 TFLs, a QB hurry, 3 assisted run stops.

First Team CB Corn Elder (HOU)

3 tackles, 3 breakups, and a 98-yard pick 6 in the first quarter.

First Team CB Delrick Abrams Jr. (MEM)

7 tackles, a TFL, a stop against the pass, a breakup, interception in the 4th quarter.

First Team S A.J. Hendy (SA)

Hendy had 8 tackles, a pass breakup, a run stop, and 2 assisted run stops.

First Team S Santos Ramirez (DC)

3 tackles, a pass breakup, a shared run stop, 2 stops against the pass.

First Team K Jake Bates (MI)

Made a 62-yard and 52-yard field goal.

First Team P Paxton Brooks (DC)

7 punts averaging 45.1 yards per punt. 2 punts inside the 20. Did a good job recovering a low snap off a bounce and making a great punt.

First Team RET Juwan Manigo (ARL)

Returned 5 kickoffs averaging 27.6 yards per return. Had 3 returns that stood out to me in particular making a man miss or breaking a tackle.

Second Team QB AJ McCarron (STL)

Completed 21 of his 29 passes for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Second Team RB TJ Pledger (HOU)

Rushed 11 times for 47 yards (4.3 yards per carry). Caught 3 of his 3 targets for 10 yards.

Second Team WR Marcus Simms (MI)

Caught 3 of his 8 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Second Team WR Tyler Vaughns (ARL)

Caught 5 of his 7 targets for 58 yards.

Second Team WR Chris Rowland (DC)

Caught 3 of his 2 targets for 55 yards. Adjusted quickly to grab a deflected pass for a 9-yard gain.

Second Team TE Briley Moore (DC)

Caught 3 of his 3 targets for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Second Team LT Bobby Evans (ARL)

41 pass-blocking snaps. There were 3 plays in which I attributed pressure allowed as his responsibility but a strong game from him.

Second Team LG Steven Gonzales (STL)

Had a very clean game allowing only 1 pressure by my count on 39 pass protection blocks. Did a great job blocking on a 41-yard run in the 4th quarter.

Second Team C Michael Maietti (DC)

1 pressure allowed by my count. 40 pass-blocking snaps per PFF.

Second Team RG Dru Samia (ARL)

Allowed 1 pressure in the 2nd quarter. 41 pass-blocking snaps per PFF.

Second Team RT Greg Eiland (SA)

A pressure was allowed in both the first and second quarters by my count. 45 pass blocking snaps.

Second Team DE Ethan Westbrooks (HOU)

3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hurries, assisted on a run stop.

Second Team DE Dondrea Tillman (BIR)

2 tackles, a sack, 2 QB hurries, batted a pass at the line.

Second Team DT Jordan Thompson (BIR)

3 tackles, a sack, a solo, and an assisted run stop. Batted 2 passes at the line, 1 of which was intercepted in the 2nd quarter.

Second Team DT Daniel Wise (MI)

4 tackles, 2 QB hurries, a solo run stop, 

Second Team LB DeMarquis Gates (BIR)

4 tackles, a solo run stop, and an assisted run stop. Broke up a pass over the middle in the 4th quarter.

Second Team LB Willie Harvey (STL)

6 tackles, 3 assisted run stops. Broke up a pass on a 1-point convert attempt in the third quarter.

Second Team LB Noah Dawkins (MI)

4 tackles, 2 assisted run stops, and a stop against the pass keeping the play to 0 yards in the 1st quarter.

Second Team CB Gareon Conley (DC)

3 tackles, stood out to me with tight coverage on 3 deep ball incompletions.

Second Team CB Nate Brooks (MI)

2 tackles, a run stop, broke up a pass over the middle in the 2nd quarter.

Second Team S Kenny Robinson (BIR)

2 tackles which were both shared run stops. Recovered a fumble in the 2nd quarter.

Second Team S Kedrick Whitehead Jr. (MI)

2 tackles, a QB hurry, 2 QB hits.

Second Team K JJ Molson (HOU)

Made both field goals from 51 yards and 43.

Second Team P Hunter Niswander (HOU)

6 punts averaging 47 yards per punt. 2 punts inside the 20. Had an absolute beauty of a punt for 47 yards to the 5-yard line.

Second Team RET Jarey Elder (MEM)

Returned 3 punts for 14.3 yards per return. Hit the B button with good timing making a man miss with a spin move on a 16-yard return.

@JonathanClink on Twitter

Jonathan Clink

Jonathan Clink will work as UFL News Hub's primary correspondent covering the Michigan Panthers for the 2024. He has written over 250 articles covering the Canadian Football League prior to joining UFL News Hub. Clink is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba and currently lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has a background in several other sports as well having played soccer, basketball, and hockey competitively.

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