The San Antonio Brahma’s ascension from being a below-average team in the XFL to being one of the best teams in the UFL is a story of the importance of being willing to make adjustments. In the 2024 UFL season, many Brahmas adjustments started at the top when they brought on general manager Marc Lillibridge and head coach Wade Phillips. Lillibridge and Phillips, to run the organization, set in motion a series of coaching and personnel changes that allowed the Brahmas to go from 3-7 in 2023 to 7-3 in 2024.
The next step in the Brahmas’ growth is to build on their 2024 success, which ended with a 25-point loss to the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL championship game. While the gap the Brahmas need to close to get over the top and become the top team in the UFL is less than last year, the final step in their ascension is significantly more difficult. This off-season, the Brahmas made several personnel changes to get over the top and finish the job in 2025.
Let’s look at five new additions to the 2025 San Antonio Brahmas roster that may help San Antonio lift a UFL championship trophy at the end of the season.
Defensive Back Greedy Williams
Statistically, the San Antonio Brahmas boasted the defense during the 2024 UFL season, but as teams add more talent for 2025, they need to improve their defense’s weak points. During the 2024 season, the Brahmas lacked a shutdown corner to play against their opponent’s top receiver. In spring football, signing an actual shutdown corner is rare due to the demand for those players in the NFL, but this off-season, one of those unique talents fell into Brahma’s lap in the form of Greedy Williams.
Greedy Williams comes to the UFL after playing 39 games for the Cleveland Browns from 2019 until 2022. During that time, Williams had 78 solo tackles and 21 assists. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams is a solid run defender and struggles in coverage at the NFL level, but this isn’t the NFL, and in the UFL, Williams will have an opportunity to shine.
Quarterback Kellen Mond
In the 2024 UFL season, hype was building around offensive coordinator AJ Smith and his innovative offense. During the season, that offense did not always live up to those expectations, and in the second half of the season, the Brahmas relied on their running game to help support their defense to win games for the Brahmas. The weak link for the 2024 Brahmas offense lay in their quarterback position, and that lack of performance is apparent in the absence of quarterbacks Chase Garbers and Quinten Dormady on their 2025 roster.
The Brahmas solution for the quarterback position is to add former NFL and Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond. While playing at Texas A&M from 2017 until 2020, Mond completed 801 passes with 1,358 attempts, resulting in 9,661 yards and 71 touchdowns. Mond bounced between the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns in the NFL, but coming to San Antonio in a quarterback-friendly offense sets the stage for a huge breakout season for Mond in the UFL.
Running Back Jashaun Corbin
During the portions of the 2024 season that the Brahmas faced struggles at the quarterback position, they leaned hard on their running game. Anthony McFarland was a big part of the success of their decisive running game, but McFarland has moved on to NFL opportunities and does not appear to be looking back. The Brahmas have spent many of their training camp roster spots on running back prospects, but the big catch in that process could be another former Texas A&M player, Jashaun Corbin.
During the 2021 college football season, Corbin ran for 887 yards and seven touchdowns during Corbin’s last season of college football at Florida State University. He also caught 25 passes for 144 yards and an additional touchdown. Corbin’s success in 2021 propelled him to an NFL career that saw him bounce between the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers. For the Brahmas, Corbin looks like McFarland’s best fill-in and could set him up for a big season in 2025.
Defensive Tackle Bryan Mone
The top team in the recent history of spring football is undeniably the Birmingham Stallions. What allows the Stallions to be dominant is their ability to control the line of scrimmage on offense and defense. It was obvious in the UFL Championship game that the Brahmas failed to stop the Stallions’ running game, allowing them to control the flow of the game.
The Brahmas have added defensive tackle Bryan Mone to improve their run defense. Mone comes to the Brahmas after spending several years with the Seattle Seahawks from 2019 until 2023. During that time, Mone recorded 73 total tackles, two quarterback sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass deflections. For San Antonio, Mone can fill the role of a dominant nose guard in their odd front defense, and if he can stay healthy, Mone could shut down the inside running game of the best teams in the UFL.
Linebacker Tariq Carpenter
The defining feature of the 2024 Brahmas defense was the combination of Tavante Beckett and Jordan Williams at the linebacker positions. Beckett and Williams formed what was hands-down the top linebacking unit in the UFL. This off-season, the rich have gotten richer as the Brahmas added linebacker Tariq Carpenter.
Carpenter most recently spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2023 NFL season, where he played in three games and recorded two solo tackles. Before playing for the Steelers, Carpenter spent time with the Green Bay Packers in 2022 and 2023. For Carpenter, coming to the Brahmas gives him a chance to live up to his potential while playing at Georgia Tech, where he registered 153 solo tackles, 70 assists, and intercepted four passes from 2017 until 2020.
Follow me on X: @AaronSauter7
Check out more articles on Substack
