While the team might still be in H-Town, the UFL in Houston has completely rebranded to return to the Gamblers after being the Roughnecks since the merger in 2024.
Former Houston head coach C.J. Johnson is out after a 5-5 season with the then-Roughnecks in 2025, and in is the first Gamblers head coach from the 2022 USFL season, Kevin Sumlin. During that season, Sumlin went 3-7 as the head coach and decided to leave to be an assistant coach on the Maryland coaching staff in college.
There's a renewed excitement to see Sumlin back on the sidelines for the Gamblers as he looks to right the wrongs of 2022 with a more loaded roster and new threads. Sumlin participated in UFL Media Day as he spoke with reporters about his return and the roster.
Kevin Sumlin on how the Gamblers training camp has gone so far
One of the first questions was how training camp has been going for the team through the first two weeks. While there are some things to clean up, Sumlin seemed relatively pleased with the players and how they are working together with a mix of new and old coaches from last year's Roughnecks staff.
"I think things are going great. What we're trying to do is install three phases of football with 60 guys and a new coaching staff. But I'm pleased with where we are right now. I think anybody who's watched us, we had one joint practice situation with Louisville and got some reps against some other teams. But the players are learning us, too. We're learning them. We're getting to be a part of their lives. It's It's really day-to-day. But you see certain guys getting better by the day, understanding schemes. We've got a lot of talent on this football team."
Houston faces a three-way quarterback battle
One of the hotly contested training camp battles in the UFL is between the three quarterbacks in Houston: Hunter Dekkers, Donovan Smith, and Nolan Henderson. UFL NewsHub asked Sumlin about the quarterback battle and how it was going between the three.
"I would say that I think all three of those guys have shown at times why they're here. I think what we're looking for is, like anything else, consistency. They all have really good skill sets. They can all move and run when they want to. Then, with a newer offense for everybody, except for maybe Nolan, the two other guys got to get some more reps. We're getting coaches off the field now, letting them communicate, letting them do things. There's that part of the game. And then there's also the playing part of the game and the reads that come along with that. So we're still evaluating that. We're not in a hurry. We got plenty of time."
UFL NewsHub followed up with a question about the possibility of a two-QB system. Sumlin didn't shut down the idea, but was just focused on winning games.
"We're going to do what it takes to win. It depends on... I think that if even the starter knows, he's not over there looking over his shoulder. You have to have that confidence level as a starter, but you also have to know this is not getting in the position. Hey, look, we're trying to win games. You've got really two guys that are rookies and another guy who is really not a starter, but a starter. They're all in the same boat right now. We'll figure that out as we get along."
Kevin Sumlin talks Gamblers' offensive scheme in 2026
Sumlin is known for running a more spread offense that throws the ball anywhere on the field and keeps the defense guessing. When asked whether he would stick to that system, Sumlin is all about sticking to what he knows best.
"Well, it's what we know, right? We can be a little bit different, but I just look back and just looking at because of the way that the play clock or what I call the shot clock works in this league, you're five seconds less. I'm a big analytical guy. So you're only getting even teams that are going kind of fast or getting six possessions a game, right? You might get seven, six, right? So the efficiency of those six possessions and to maximize that does not really lend itself to huddling every down."
What brought Kevin Sumlin back to the UFL?
Sumlin had been out of spring football for four years as he had been coaching at the college level. He acknowledged that things are very different from when he was with the Gamblers back in 2022, but the changes and new faces are what convinced him to go for a second round of it.
"The reason I came back here is because of ownership. I think Russ Brandon and David Dykeman and Doug Whaley, the people that I was in contact with when this got started, and even until I met Mike Repole, which I think it's a game-changer. It helped me make a decision to be in this league. I like the direction we're headed. The players or guys were a lot younger than we were at that point. These guys have been on NFL rosters, been on practice squads, have been in camps. This thing is being run the right way. Because of leadership, that's why I'm back. I think the brand of football is going to be a little bit better than it was the last time I was in this league just because of the quality of player and what they're looking, and the guys that are this close to going back to NFL camps. Like I told these guys, my goal, I know we were playing when we were here in Dallas, but my goal is to have you guys, as many guys here, playing in that big stadium I can see out of my office over here in AT&T in the fall, and they get that."
Sumlin also noted that roster cutdowns are on March 19, so the Gamblers coach will have a lot of tough decisions to make. The question is whether he can help this team get over the hump and have a winning record for the first time since being rebooted in 2022.