This is part two of my rankings of each UFL position groups heading into the first week of the 2026 regular season. This edition focuses on the defense and special teams, with a final ranking based on a 1-8 score from each group. The offensive position groups ranking column can be found here.
Defensive Line
1. Dallas Renegades: Patrolling the interior will be 330-pound Siaki Ika, a Baylor product. Kevin Strong Jr. and Antwuan Jackson will also see time there. On the outside, there's plenty of pass rush juice with Willie Taylor III, Taco Charlton and Tashawn Bower. This has the potential to be a dominating group.
2. St. Louis Battlehawks: Pita Taumoepenu led the UFL in sacks last season off the edge. Fan favorite Travis Feeney joins him on the outside. Tackle Carlos Davis comes over from Birmingham and Taylor Stallworth from Michigan. New to the UFL is Neil Farrell Jr., who will be asked to clog the middle in the run game.
3. D.C. Defenders: D.C. brings back several players along the defensive front from last year's championship squad, including Joe Wallace, Devonnsha Maxwell, Dennis Johnson and Derick Roberson. Former NFL 2nd round draft pick Boogie Basham was a late add in camp. His job will be to rush the passer. End Derek Parish has some versatility: He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023 as a fullback.
4. Birmingham Stallions: One of the more intriguing additions to the league this year is DE Isaac Ukwu, a 2024 draft pick of the Michigan Panthers who spent the '24 and '25 pre-season with the Detroit Lions, including three sacks in three exhibition games two years ago. He'll now terrorize UFL quarterbacks.
5. Orlando Storm: The Storm are much deeper at defensive tackle than at end. Isaiah Buggs and Isaiah Mack will play on or near the nose, with youngster Fabien Lovett learning behind those two veterans. Chris Garrett is one of several former Battlehawks who made the move south with Anthony Becht. A noted special teamer, he should get more opportunities to rush off the edge.
6. Columbus Aviators: Kenny Willekes is the star here. If Columbus can find a consistent presence opposite him, they may prevent some inevitable double teams. The identity of that other end remains to be seen. Walter Palmore and Caeveon Patton are spring football veterans who are steady if unspectacular.
7. Houston Gamblers: Another team with a strong interior and questions on the outside. Rashard Lawrence and Jerrod Clark are two big bodies. Kyon Barrs comes over from the Renegades and a stint in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025. In a combined eight starts last year, ends Malik Fisher and Christopher Allen only had 1.5 sacks among them.
8. Louisville Kings: Despite being last on the list, there is upside here. Travis Bell could be effective on the inside, along with Josiah Bronson and DeVere Levelston. The pass rush could come from R.J. Oben, Daniel Grzesiak, Jaylon Allen, or several others. All it takes is for one or two of them to emerge as threats.
Linebackers
1. Dallas Renegades: The ageless Donald Payne is back for his fourth season as a Renegade. Andrew Dowell was a bright spot for Memphis last year, an early-season pickup who developed into a starter. Likewise, Kalen DeLoach came in toward the end of the year for Dallas. Expect a bigger role for him this year. J.T. Tyler made 95 tackles across the last two seasons in Houston.
2. Houston Gamblers: Anthony Hines III and Marvin Moody are a strong inside linebacker duo. Both will bring leadership to the defense as well. Former Renegade Charlie Thomas III will factor in, as will newcomer Eugene Asante, a former Auburn Tiger who ran a blazing 4.48 40-yard dash.
3. St. Louis Battlehawks: Tackling machine Jordan Williams will play a big role in stopping the run. Expect St. Louis fans to embrace his on-field play. Michael Barrett could turn out to be one of the best outside signings for 2026. A former safety, Tariq Carpenter will provide depth and special teams value.
4. D.C. Defenders: The first signee from the 2025 UFL Showcases, Brandon Smith has NFL experience. Curtis Jacobs on the outside and Micah Baskerville on the inside have high upside; they've just got to prove it at this level. Depth may be an issue if injuries hit.
5. Orlando Storm: The dissolution of the San Antonio Brahmas meant the separation of Jordan Williams and Tavante Beckett. Williams ended up in St. Louis while Beckett is in Orlando. With Mike Rose retired, he'll likely take over a similar role in coordinator Donnie Abraham's defense. Darien Butler, DaShaun White and Andrew Parker Jr. should all find a spot on defense.
6. Birmingham Stallions: Tae Crowder and Kyahva Tezino were two top tacklers for Birmingham last season. Crowder had two interception returns for touchdowns as well. Olu Fatukasi was a reserve in St. Louis last season. Dyontae Johnson and Darin Gilbert are question marks.
7. Louisville Kings: I'm a big fan of Steele Chambers but he struggled a bit in pass coverage last year. Antonio Grier might end up being a nice addition. Nick Kubitz brings a championship pedigree from his time at North Dakota State.
8. Columbus Aviators: Nobody stands out as a player that can take over a game, but there are interesting pieces here and the upside is high. Start with Jailin Walker, a former Indiana Hoosier with 4.41 speed. Storey Jackson has largely been a special teams ace. Xavier Benson is a limited athlete but a thumper against the run.
Defensive Backs
1. St. Louis Battlehawks: Both corner and safety positions are deep this year. Luq Barcoo returns to spring football after excelling with San Antonio in the XFL in 2023. Myles Sims developed last year as a rookie in St. Louis. All five corners have spring experience. At safety, former Birmingham Stallion A.J. Thomas is joined by top tackler Jordan Mosley. Depth is provided by Kameron Kelly and Daniel Isom, who've both played extensively the past few years.
2. Houston Gamblers: Former first round NFL draft pick Damon Arnette returns after spending some time with the Houston Texans last fall. Roman Parodie has made a lot of plays in camp. Major Burns was a late add but he showed enough in a short time to make the squad at safety. Markel Roby is back in Houston, a bright spot for the Roughnecks the past few seasons.
3. D.C. Defenders: It's a familiar look in D.C. as six of nine DBs return from 2025's team. They're led at corner by Deandre Baker and Gareon Conley, two former first round NFL draft picks. Newcomer Azizi Hearn should see time on defense. At safety, Gabe Taylor, brother of the late Sean Taylor, is a great story playing in the city in which his sibling excelled as a pro.
4. Orlando Storm: A cut-down day claim of Brandon Sebastian, who was released by Dallas, will help a relatively new defensive backfield adjust to coordinator Donnie Abraham's scheme as Sebastian played under Abraham with the Battlehawks the last few years. Lamar Jackson, Micah Abraham, and Mark Gilbert make for a deep corner group. Nate Meadors and Jaylen Mahoney should be the clubhouse leaders to start at safety.
5. Louisville Kings: Louisville kept seven corners and just three safeties, though a few corners could cross-train at the safety spots. Kenny Robinson and Keaton Ellis are veterans on the last line of defense. Cam Dantzler started four games for Memphis last year and returned an interception for a touchdown.
6. Dallas Renegades: Ajene Harris is a ballhawk who forces QBs to cut the field in half. Former Ohio State Buckeye Shaun Wade could rise up as the starter opposite Harris. Qwynnterrio Cole and Steven Jones Jr. are the standouts at safety. Depth is a question here.
7. Birmingham Stallions: The Stallions loaded up at safety with six compared to just four corners. A few of the DBs have a history in Birmingham including Steven Gilmore, Mario Goodrich, Jojo Tillery and Tre Norwood. Lukas Denis comes over from St. Louis and should compete for time at safety, as should Alex Cook.
8. Columbus Aviators: Kedrick Whitehead is known as much for his special teams play as his work on defense, but he may end up starting at one safety spot. D.J. Miller was a find for Michigan last year and he's now in Columbus. O'Donnell Fortune and Cam Smith, two former South Carolina Gamecocks, are expected to see significant snaps. There really isn't much of a difference in the teams ranked 4-8 here.
Special Teams
1. D.C. Defenders: All three specialists are back for a third season together in D.C. in 2026. Kicker Matt McCrane is looking to rebound after somewhat of a down year last year and already started the season on a high note by winning Mike Repole's kicking competition.
2. Birmingham Stallions: Ryan Langan and Colby Wadman are steady at long snapper and punter respectively. With Harrison Mevis now in the NFL, the Stallions recruited former Renegade Jonathan Garibay to kick. He performed well in Arlington in 2024 before finding himself out of the league last season.
3. Houston Gamblers: Punter Mike Rivers showed a live leg for the Roughnecks last season. His battery mate, LS Marco Ortiz, is also back. They added John Hoyland at kicker. He was briefly in training camp with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie last year.
4. St. Louis Battlehawks: Kicker Tucker McCann was last in the NFL in 2001. He hit a 57-yard field goal in college. Ryan Sanborn was one of the top punters coming out in the 2024 NFL Draft. Similarly, Matt Hembrough was a top snapper in 2023 and signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals at the time.
5. Orlando Storm: Head coach Anthony Becht's Battlehawks teams were always very good on special teams. This year, though, he's going with a relatively untested kicker in Michael Lantz. Jack Browning should be solid as a punter and Alex Matheson comes over from St. Louis to snap.
6. Columbus Aviators: The retirement of punter Jake Camarda as the pre-season closed could've been a tough pill to swallow, but Columbus was able to secure veteran Brad Robbins at the position. He'll be the tasked with leading as Ryan Coe and Payton Bunch don't have much pro experience.
7. Louisville Kings: Mac Brown is back in bright green after wearing the colors for the 2023 Orlando Guardians as their punter. Long snapper Jordan Silver will see his first pro game action since leaving college in 2022. Kicker Tanner Brown's last NFL stop was a two-day stint on the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024.
8. Dallas Renegades: Dallas is going with two young players in Colton Theaker and Brendan Hall as their specialists. It's a big jump for the 6'9" Hall in coming from Montana State. Antonio Ortiz, at long snapper, will be the veteran glue to hold this group together.
Final Tally
1. D.C. Defenders (21 points)
2. Birmingham Stallions (28 points)
3. St. Louis Battlehawks (30 points)
4. Dallas Renegades (31 points)
5. Orlando Storm (35 points)
6. Houston Gamblers (40 points)
7. Columbus Aviators (51 points)
8. Louisville Kings (52 points)
D.C. will look to become the dynasty Birmingham had been, but the Stallions haven't fallen far from their halcyon days. The new teams may struggle early on but as they gel, they could threaten for playoff spots at the end of the season. Then again, all of this could mean nothing: I had San Antonio ranked number two last year and D.C. at number six. We'll see how close I get this year as all of this is on paper: On Friday, they play games for real.