Columbus Aviators head coach Ted Ginn Jr. was among the UFL coaches and scouts in attendance for the Columbus UFL Showcase on October 4 at Ohio Dominican University. A smaller Showcase roster of about 90 players took the field hoping to impress league decision makers and get their foot in the door for the 2027 season.
I was able to procure a roster of players attending this event and that's where I drew from the players profiled here. This is in addition to profiles provided by the UFL in a press release prior to the tryout. As I did for the D.C. Showcase and Houston Showcase when the roster was made available, I wanted to pick a few players at each position to spotlight. I attempted to include at least one player from a Power 5 school, when applicable, and one from a smaller school, since finding those undiscovered gems is a big part of what these Showcases are all about.
Once again, I'm using Dane Brugler's rankings in his yearly "The Beast" draft guide in The Athletic, one of the most in-depth and respected lists out there, to give perspective on how these players were viewed by the draft community coming out of college.
This article is part one and will feature the offense. Part two, a look at the defensive participants from the Houston Showcase, will appear in the coming days.
*QB Brock Bagozzi, Northern State: Bagozzi started two of his three years at Marist, one in which he was named All-Pioneer League Honorable Mention. Moving on to Missouri State for 2024, Bagozzi found his playing time sparser. He saw four games of action and did not start, throwing just five passes. Onto Northern State for 2025, Bagozzi was back in the thick of the action, leading the team in passing while completing 62% of his attempts for 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
*QB Joshua Kulka, St. Francis: Leaving Wayne State after three seasons with six touchdowns against 11 interceptions, Kulka sought a fresh start at St. Francis. That's exactly what he got. Kulka threw 748 passes in two seasons, completing nearly 65% of them for 67 TDs and 22 interceptions. Kulka played in the National Scouting Combine college all-star game last January, starting for one squad and connecting on two deep balls early in the contest. He also took part in the College Gridiron Showcase. Though no NFL teams were interested enough in Brugler's 89th-ranked QB to bring him to rookie minicamp, the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League signed him in the spring. He was the number two QB there until Sam Castronova moved up to the UFL and the Houston Gamblers when injuries struck that team. Kulka's brother, Tyler, also plays in AF1.
*RB Rushawn Baker, Elon: From Elon via Bucknell, Baker played one season, his final one, with the Phoenix. Despite only starting five of 12 games, Baker still managed to lead the team in rushing, going over 800 yards for nine touchdowns. Those numbers put him on the map as an All-CAA Honorable Mention. That came on the heels of a career at Bucknell where he played in 30 games, running for over 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns. Ranked as running back #108 by Brugler ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, Baker spent part of training camp with the New York Giants and was on the New England Patriots' practice squad for a month. He moved on to the CFL, where he spent time with Edmonton and Montreal until being cut at the end of August of this year.
*RB Barika Kpeenu, North Dakota State: Part of the powerhouse North Dakota State FCS program, Kpeenu is a North Dakota native who stayed close to home. He averaged over five yards per carry in each of his final three seasons, capping off his senior year by reaching the 1,000-yard rushing plateau, scoring 20 touchdowns in the process. That landed him on the All-MVFC First Team for 2025. He played in the American Bowl all-star game and was Brugler's 27th-ranked RB. Of Kpeenu, Brugler wrote, "Overall, Kpeenu isn’t the most explosive or creative back in this class, but he has a good feel for run-lane development and finishes with contact balance and toughness." Kpeenu signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers late in camp and spent two weeks on the squad. He totaled six carries for 24 yards in pre-season game action.
*TE James Faulkner, Gannon: Like at the Houston Showcase, tight end was a thin position in terms of numbers attending. That doesn't mean Faulkner is a slouch. Starting at Saginaw Valley State, Faulkner put himself on the radar at Notre Dame College where he led the team in receptions in 2023 (34) on his way to First Team All-MEC recognition. That momentum was halted when he transferred to Gannon University in 2024, as he missed the season due to injury. Back to his old form in 2025, Faulkner again led a team in receptions (46), as well as receiving yardage (666), setting a team record for receptions in a season by a tight end. He made the All-PSAC Second Team with that performance. Brugler had him as TE145 in 2026.
*WR Jayden Ballard, Wisconsin: Unable to break into the rotation amid a deep WR group at Ohio State, Ballard transferred to the Badgers after minimal production in four years with the Buckeyes where he mainly played special teams. Unfortunately, Wisconsin had issues with injuries at the QB position in 2025 that limited Ballard's output there as well. His final season saw Ballard catch seven passes for 150 yards and two TDs. Once a heralded high school prospect (number three in the state of Ohio in 2021), Ballard had to settle for minicamp tryouts with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans after an NFL Draft where Brugler ranked him as the 89th receiver.
*WR Tanner Knue, Eastern Michigan: An Academic All-MAC selection for three years, Knue was Third Team for his work on the field in 2022. He finished his EMU career with 154 catches for 1,866 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a grad student in 2023, Knue wore jersey number two, a new school tradition bestowing that number on the player that best shows the traits of integrity, character and selflessness. After ranking as Brugler's 76th receiver in the 2024 draft class, Knue signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent. He spent time on the practice squad and signed a futures deal but was released in April 2025.
*WR Nick Turner, Mount Union: A two-year starter with the Purple Raiders, Turner had big receiving seasons in those years. For his Mount Union career, Turner caught 114 passes for 1,856 yards (16.1 avg.) and 14 TDs. He returned punts for just one season but took one of his 11 run-backs to the house. His final two years' worth of work put Turner on the All-OAC Second Team each of those years. Standing at 5'9", Turner is probably a slot at the pro level. Though he produced at the Division III level, Turner went unranked in Brugler's guide ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
*G Ryan Johnson, Youngstown State: Mostly a right guard at Duquesne and then Youngstown State, Johnson did dabble at right tackle in his junior season of 2022 with the Penguins. In total, Johnson started 39 games in college, a significant total no matter the level. One of the key players that ran behind the line Johnson was a part of at Youngstown State was Jaleel McLaughlin, who currently plays for the Cleveland Browns. Johnson was the 36th guard ranked by Brugler and after the 2024 NFL Draft, he signed with the New England Patriots. He spent time with both the Pats and Buccaneers during training camp that summer.
*G Mickey Rewolinski, Eastern Michigan: Another Eagle appears on the list in the person of Rewolinski. A three-year starter along the interior of Eastern Michigan's offensive line, Rewolinski's personal highlight was being named All-MAC Third Team in his final year of 2025. At nearly 6'5" and 308 pounds, he just meets the size threshold to be able to play offensive tackle as well, giving teams some versatility. Rewolinski came in at guard number 67 on Brugler's rankings and he was invited to Seattle Seahawks minicamp as a tryout player this past spring.