Spring football is in the air, and with the San Antonio Brahmas making roster cuts to a 50-man roster, training camp has officially ended. The next step for the Brahmas, head coach Wade Phillips, offensive coordinator AJ Smith, and the best defense in the UFL is to prove critics wrong again. In 2024, the San Antonio Brahmas exceeded the expectations of the UFL “experts” when they won the XFL Conference championship and played in the UFL’s first championship game.
Once again, coming into the 2025 UFL season, the Brahmas are projected to be a “middle of the pack” team in the XFL Conference and will fight to earn their second consecutive playoff berth. While the Brahmas are no longer the UFL’s biggest underdog, a Brahmas 2025 roster that returns many of their top playmakers in 2024 is still not considered a legitimate championship contender in the UFL. In addition to bringing back many players, the Brahmas have upgraded several key positions, including at quarterback, with the addition of Kellen Mond.
Today, we will dissect the 2025 San Antonio Brahmas roster and give an overview of the performance expected from this collection of players representing San Antonio in the UFL.
San Antonio Brahmas Offensive Overview
It is well known to spring football fans that Brahmas offensive coordinator AJ Smith brings an offensive scheme that could be one of the top offenses in the UFL. In 2024, Smith’s offensive success was affected by inconsistent play by quarterbacks Chase Garbers and Quentin Dormady and injuries. Both quarterbacks are now out of the UFL, and former Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond steps into leading the Brahmas offense in 2025. Backup quarterbacks Kevin Hogan and Jarrett Gurantano bring a mix of potential and experience to the Brahmas, and both should be able to step up when needed and lead the Brahmas charge on offense.
In addition to the upgrade at quarterback, the Brahmas return with one of the best offensive backfields in the league. Anthony McFarland Jr. and John Lovett made their mark on the UFL in 2024 when both had to shoulder the load of the Brahmas offense down the stretch heading into the post-season and eventually to an XFL Conference championship. Jashaun Corbin is a new addition to this explosive group of running backs and should be able to help carry the load in the Brahmas running game.
The Brahmas’ top receiving threats, Jontre Kirklin, Marquez Stevenson, and tight end Alize Mack, will be excellent targets for any quarterback leading the Brahmas offense. Alize Mack is projected as the Brahmas’ top tight end after Cody Latimer called it quits after the 2024 season. Behind the starting receivers, the Brahmas also have several potential playmakers, giving San Antonio one of the deepest receiving units in the UFL.
During the 2024 UFL season, the Brahmas started the season with an offensive line full of experience and talent. Still, after the first half of the season, the Brahmas depth was challenged due to many injuries to their linemen. This year, the Brahmas should have one of the UFL’s top offensive lines at the start of the season, and if the Brahmas have better luck with injuries, they could dominate most teams in the UFL upfront with Sam Tecklenburg at center.
San Antonio Brahmas Defensive Overview
Defensively, the San Antonio Brahmas boast one of the top defensive units in the UFL. That is not a surprise when you look at head coach Wade Phillip’s career in the NFL, where he built several of the league’s top defensive units. For the 2025 Brahmas, the key players that defined the Brahma’s defensive success are returning to the UFL, and they should have more chemistry than they had at any point during the 2024 season.
The Brahmas defensive line once again features Caeveon Patton and Prince Emili. In addition to those foundational defensive linemen, the Brahmas also have Rashad Lawrence and Jacob Sykes. If this unit can stay healthy in 2025, the Brahmas should once again be strong against their opponents’ run game.
When looking at the Brahmas group of Edge players, Garrett Nelson is the apparent leader, but several talented players are available to step in and pressure opposing quarterbacks. Complementing those Edge players are inside linebackers Tavante Beckett and Jordan Williams, who have established themselves as two of the best linebackers in the UFL. The Brahmas have also added Tariq Carpenter to their linebacking position, and he can potentially be an explosive player for the Brahma’s defense.
San Antonio’s defensive secondary has improved with the addition of cornerback Greedy Williams. In addition to Williams, the Brahma’s leading tackler, safety Jordan Mosley, returns for another season in the UFL. The Brahmas group of defensive backs has excellent depth, and those players should also be able to fill essential roles on the Brahmas special teams units.
San Antonio Brahmas Specialists Overview
Some of the most popular players on the Brahmas 2024 roster return for the 2025 season: punter Brad Wing and kicker “Deestroying” Donald De La Haye. Wing is one of the top punters in the UFL, and he brings a personality to match. In addition to being an excellent punter, Wing has the distinction of throwing a touchdown pass to an offensive lineman to start the 2024 season.
Like Wing at punter, kicker Donald De La Haye brings a big, outgoing personality. He also has many subscribers and fans on his YouTube channels. Deestroying” ended his UFL season in 2024 with a broken neck after making a tackle against the Memphis Showboats in Week 2. While “Deestroying” has not attempted a field goal during a game, he does have a strong leg for kicking off, and he should get some field goal opportunities this season.
A key player on any special teams unit is the long snapper, and historically, the Brahmas have had some of the best long snappers in the UFL. According to several special teams “experts,” the Brahmas’ new long snapper, Cam Lyons, should be able to fill the shoes of Rex Sunahara, who now plays for the Cleveland Browns. If Lyons does his job well, the long-snapper position will not get many mentions this season.
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