The Michigan Panthers on Wednesday have signed linebacker Bumper Pool and defensive end Mika Tafua per the UFL Communications Department. They have also placed defensive end Levi Bell on injured reserve.
Levi Bell signed with the Panthers just last week but is unfortunately on injured reserve after his first game with the Panthers this season. He appeared in 6 regular season games with the Panthers last season as well as the playoff game. He was the highest-graded defensive lineman by Pro Football Focus from both the XFL and USFL.
LB Bumper Pool – Arkansas (6’2, 235 lbs, 25 y/o)
Bumper Pool played his collegiate ball with Arkansas from 2018 to 2022 where he appeared in 55 games with 37 starts. He recorded 174 solo tackles, 267 assisted tackles, 27.5 tackles for a loss, 19 passes defended, and 3 sacks over his career. He finished his career as Arkansas’ all-time leader in tackles.
Pool was named Second Team All-SEC by the coaches in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Pool signed with the Carlina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He was released by Carolina just ahead of final roster cuts. He played in 3 NFL preseason games with the Panthers last year and recorded 6 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, and a pass defended.
DE Mika Tafua – Utah (6’3, 250 lbs, 27 y/o)
Mika Tafua was with the Panthers this season until he was waived by the team last week. Now the Panthers are bringing him back onto the roster following the injury to Levi Bell. Tafua had appeared in 7 games with the Panthers this season and had recorded 3 solo tackles and an assisted tackle.
Per Pro Football Focus he had also generated 3 QB hits and 7 additional QB hurries over that span. PFF had him as their 12th highest-graded defensive end at the time of his release last week.
Tafua played his college career with Utah where he recorded 73 solo tackles, 59 assisted tackles, 32 tackles for a loss, 17.5 sacks, 9 passes defended, and 3 forced fumbles. He appeared in 44 games with 38 starts with the program.
Tafua signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 and spent much of the year on their practice squad. He finished the 2022 season on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad.
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