The United Football League (UFL) announced multiple player signings for the 2025 season, including notable additions across all eight teams. Former USFL MVP Alex McGough rejoins the Birmingham Stallions, while UFL passing leader Luis Perez (King Of Spring) returns to the Arlington Renegades. The league, entering its second season after the XFL-USFL merger, starts training camp on February 27th.

ARLINGTON RENEGADES

Amani Bledsoe, DE (Oklahoma) Bledsoe recorded 59 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks during his three seasons at Oklahoma. His NFL experience includes 19 games with the Bengals and Titans, where he tallied 18 tackles and three pass breakups.

JaVonta Payton, WR (Tennessee) Payton played at three different schools: Northwest Mississippi CC, Mississippi State, and Tennessee. At Tennessee, he led the SEC with 22.9 yards per catch in 2021. He won the 2023 XFL Championship with the Renegades and recorded 23 receptions for 379 yards and five touchdowns in the 2024 UFL season.

Deontay Burnett, WR (USC) At USC, Burnett totaled 152 receptions for 1,897 yards and 16 touchdowns across three seasons. He played eight NFL games with the Jets and Eagles, recording 15 receptions for 210 yards. In the 2024 UFL season with the Renegades, he started five games and recorded 33 receptions for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

Luis Perez, QB (Texas A&M-Commerce) Perez threw for 8,327 yards and 78 touchdowns at Texas A&M-Commerce with a 67.5% completion percentage. He won the 2023 XFL Championship with the Renegades as MVP. In the 2024 UFL season, he led the league with 2,309 passing yards and 18 touchdowns.

BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS

Alex McGough, QB (Florida International) McGough holds FIU records with 65 career passing touchdowns and 9,091 passing yards. He won two USFL championships with Birmingham in 2022 and 2023. In the 2023 USFL season, he completed 67.4% of his passes for 2,105 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is listed at WR but will be playing QB again. He is the sure first pick in most UFL fantasy drafts.

D.J. Coleman, DE (Missouri) Coleman recorded 37 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks in 12 games at Missouri. Before Missouri, he made 179 tackles and 18 sacks at Jacksonville State. He played one NFL game with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, recording three tackles.

DC DEFENDERS

Badara Traore, T (LSU) Traore played 26 games with five starts at LSU and was part of their 2019 national championship team. He spent time with four NFL teams: Bears, Jaguars, Cardinals, and Panthers. He appeared in two NFL games, one each with the Jaguars and Cardinals.

Michael Ojemudia, CB (Iowa) Ojemudia played 22 NFL games for the Broncos and Bears from 2020-2022. He recorded 73 tackles, eight pass breakups, and four forced fumbles in his NFL career. He was a third-round draft pick by the Broncos in 2020 and started 12 games in the NFL.

Rayshad Nichols, DT (Stephen F. Austin) Nichols played one NFL game with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. He recorded four tackles in his lone NFL appearance. He spent time on the Ravens’ practice squad after signing as an undrafted free agent.

MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS

Zeke Vandenburgh, MLB (Illinois State) Vandenburgh won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS during 2022. He led the Missouri Valley Conference with 100 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks in his final season. He spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins on injured reserve without appearing in any games.

Brandon Matterson, DT (UTSA) Matterson played 59 games with 20 starts at UTSA, recording 100 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. He earned All-American Athletic Conference third team honors in his final season. He signed with both the Broncos and Buccaneers in 2024 but did not appear in any NFL games.

Jacob Kibodi, RB (Louisiana) Kibodi rushed for 898 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons at Louisiana. He played for three college programs: Texas A&M, Incarnate Word, and Louisiana. He made his NFL debut with the Cleveland Browns in 2024, recording 24 rushing yards and 15 receiving yards.

Mark Gilbert, CB (Duke) Gilbert earned All-ACC honors at Duke in 2017. He played eight NFL games with the Detroit Lions in 2021, recording three tackles, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble. He played for the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL in 2023 before joining the UFL.

MICHIGAN PANTHERS

Frank Ginda, OLB (San Jose State) Ginda set a Mountain West record with 173 tackles in 2017 at San Jose State. He earned All-Mountain West first team honors that season. He won USFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 with the Michigan Panthers.

SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS

Greedy Williams, CB (LSU) Williams earned consensus All-American honors at LSU in 2018. He was drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Browns in 2019. He played 39 NFL games with 21 starts, recording 99 tackles, two interceptions, and 12 pass breakups.

ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS

John Petrishen, OLB (Pittsburgh) Petrishen played at both Penn State and Pittsburgh during his college career. In his final season at Pittsburgh, he recorded 74 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions. He participated in NFL rookie minicamps with the Commanders and Bills.

These signings strengthen rosters across the UFL as teams prepare for the season kickoff on March 28th. The league continues to attract talent from both NFL practice squads and successful spring league veterans, building on its inaugural 2024 season. Teams can continue signing players until the final roster deadline before training camp begins.

Here’s a complete list of UFL transactions from January 23-27, 2025:

WAIVER TERMINATIONS (January 23):

Birmingham Stallions:

  • Gary Jennings (WR, West Virginia)

Memphis Showboats:

  • Darrin Paulo (G, Utah)
  • Greg Reaves (OLB, South Florida)
  • Jordan McCray (C, Central Florida)
  • Lamont McPhatter II (S, California-PA)
  • Tyshun Render (OLB, Middle Tennessee)

WAIVER REQUESTS (January 27):

Birmingham Stallions:

  • Damarcus Mitchell (DE, Purdue)

St. Louis Battlehawks:

  • Drew Lewis (ILB, Colorado) *Claiming Deadline: 6:00 pm EST Tuesday, 1/28/2025

RETIREMENT:

Michigan Panthers:

  • Trey Quinn (WR, SMU)
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Mark Perry Editor
Mark Perry, a devoted sports journalist and founder of UFL News Hub, has been a key figure in XFL, USFL and UFL coverage since 2018.

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