The UFL Showcase season kicked off this past weekend in Washington, D.C., where nearly 300 players worked out in front of UFL head coaches like Shannon Harris of the Defenders and Orlando's Anthony Becht, as well as other league scouts and officials. Unlike in past years, media attending the event were able to get a roster of player participants. A big thanks to the folks at Just Win Bets Baby! for covering the event and publishing the rosters online.
Rather than post profiles of those who are known to have attended based on their social media posts (because we have full rosters), I wanted to pick a few players at each position to spotlight. I attempted to include at least one player from a Power 5 school, when applicable, and one from a smaller school, since finding those undiscovered gems is a big part of what these Showcases are all about.
The UFL also sent out press releases with profiles, similar to ones I've written in past years, of key players scheduled to attend. As best I can, I'll try to avoid double-dipping and writing about players the UFL has already chronicled, though I also realize a small number of people have access to or have seen those lists. Once again, I'm using Dane Brugler's rankings in his yearly "The Beast" draft guide in The Athletic, one of the most in-depth and respected lists out there, to give perspective on how these players were viewed by the draft community coming out of college.
For future Showcases, if you are a player attending or know of a player attending, DM me on social media @gregmparks (Twitter/X), @gregmparks.bsky.social (Bluesky) or @g_man9784 (Instagram) to be profiled on the occasion the list of player participants is not available.
This article is part one and will feature the offense. Part two, a look at the defensive participants from the D.C. Showcase, will appear in the coming days.
*QB Darren Grainger, Georgia State: A four-year college starter, one year at Furman and three years at Georgia State, Grainger's numbers improved steadily every season, capping his career in 2023 with a 68.2% completion percentage, 2,621 yards passing and 20 touchdowns through the air (plus 10 on the ground), all personal bests. In addition, Grainger was voted the MVP of two bowl games while at GSU, displaying big-game abilities. Leading into the 2024 NFL Draft, Grainger was ranked by Brugler as the 59th-best QB available. After earning a minicamp tryout with the New York Jets, Grainger went on to the CFL before retiring in early 2025. Apparently, he's ready for a comeback.
*QB Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV: Williams started 50 of 52 games played in his college career, which began at FCS-level Campbell University. He holds a number of passing records at that school and is their all-time leader in career passing yards (8,236) and touchdowns (58). From there, Williams moved on to UNLV for his sixth and final season and not only stepped in as the starter but led the team to an 8-3 record. With the Rebels, Williams unlocked an aspect of his game previously underutilized at Campbell: His rushing ability. Williams set single-season career highs in all rushing categories while out west. After going undrafted in 2025, ranked as Brugler's 60th QB, Williams tried out with the Las Vegas Raiders before taking his talents up north to the CFL. He was on-and-off Ottawa's roster for a few months, ultimately getting released in May of this year.
*RB Noah Cain, LSU: Some players transfer up a level from the FCS or Division II to FBS. And some, like Cain, transfer from big school to big school. The 5'10", 221-pound back started his career as a Nittany Lion at Penn State where he played for three years, though one of those years was lost to an early-season knee injury. He was never a full-time starter; however, he was often in the rotation at both schools. In 2022, he led the Tigers in rushing touchdowns. His work translated to a ranking of 80th among backs in Brugler's draft guide (Louisville King star Ian Wheeler was ranked 15 spots lower at 95, for what it's worth). Though he did not get drafted in 2024, Cain did sign with the Cincinnati Bengals. In pre-season action, he rushed 11 times for 31 yards but was cut in late August.
*RB Rodney Hammond Jr., Sacramento State: A part-time player with the Pittsburgh Panthers for four years, Hammond scored 14 touchdowns in 36 games during that time. In January of 2025, Hammond transferred to Sacramento State. His performance that season earned him First Team All-Big Sky honors at running back, while also being acknowledged for his work as a kick returner, getting a Second Team nod for his special teams prowess. Hammond tore up the turf to the tune of 6.5 yards per carry on the season, amassing 1,213 yards on the ground. He added 13 touchdown runs. Brugler had Hammond slotted as the 61st-best back in the class. The Denver Broncos came calling after the draft, where he worked out at their minicamp as a tryout player this spring.
*RB Curtis Allen, Virginia Union: When it comes to stuffing the stat sheet, few did it better in 2025 than Curtis Allen. After a few modest seasons playing behind Jada Byers, Allen broke out in a big way last fall. In 12 games, he ran for 2,409 yards (over 200 yards per game) and 30 touchdowns. 30! He also averaged 8.1 yards per carry. As one would imagine, all of the accolades came his way: He was named the Black College Football Player of the Year as well as the Division II College Player of the Year. In terms of the post-season, he was selected to play in the HBCU Legacy Bowl but opted out due to a hamstring injury. He did play in the American Bowl all-star game and impressed with a big gain on a third-down screen play. While he went unsigned after the draft, Allen did tryout out at rookie minicamp with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. Despite his credentials, he was only the 68th-ranked back in the draft class per Brugler, due in part to a slow 40 time (4.90).
*FB Austin Samaha, Incarnate Word: Attending these Showcases gives you an opportunity to get in front of UFL league personnel, but the odds are still against you getting signed. The odds are even longer when you're playing a position that literally no team utilized last year. That's the case for Samaha, the only fullback listed on the D.C. Showcase roster. Luckily for Samaha, he has a background as a tight end at East Texas A&M, Texas State and Incarnate Word (he was ranked with the tight ends by Brugler, at number 121). That versatility will help improve his chances of getting work in the UFL. His best season came in 2023, when he caught 16 passes for East Texas A&M (at the time known as Texas A&M-Commerce). In 2025 with Incarnate Word, he caught one pass in 11 games and, owing to his ability as a fullback, he scored a one-yard rushing TD.
*TE Johncarlos Miller, Texas Tech: Though never a full-time starter with the Red Raiders, Miller saw his fair share of time on offense in multiple-TE sets. Prior to moving up to Texas Tech, Miller starred at Elon, catching more than 20 passes in each of his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. In 2023, he was First Team All-CAA and made it into Elon's record books for receiving yardage by a tight end for a single game, season, and career. After transferring, Miller saw fewer targets in Texas Tech's offense, finishing his two seasons there with just 19 total catches. He was TE85 in Brugler's draft guide. Nevertheless, Miller impressed enough to earn a rookie minicamp tryout with the New York Giants in May.
*TE Var'Keyes Gumms, UNLV: Finding himself at UNLV following stops at North Texas and Arkansas, Gumms caught 11 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns for the Rebs in his senior season. His career started on a hot note, breaking out for the Mean Green as a redshirt freshman in 2022, catching 34 passes for 458 yards and five TDs. At Arkansas, Gumms played mostly special teams for two seasons. A bit of a Swiss army knife, Gumms has some versatility and with his size, can also play fullback and line up in the slot. On tape, he shows soft hands in the pass game and is not afraid to run over defenders. In the 2026 Dream Bowl post-season all-star game, Gumms, listed as a fullback, caught a goal-line pitch for a TD. Gumms came in at number 122 in Brugler's pre-draft tight end rankings.
*WR Dekel Crowdus, Wisconsin: Crowdus played just 30 snaps on offense across nine games last year, carrying the ball more times (twice) than he caught passes (once). So why is he on this list? Crowdus lit up Wisconsin's pro day in March, running a 4.36 40 with a broad jump and vertical jump that would've put him in rarified air amongst receivers at the NFL Combine. The 2025 fall season was Crowdus's lone one as a Badger; he came from Hawaii, where he spent one year, marking career-highs in catches (16) and receiving yards (302). Before that, he saw limited action in three years at Kentucky. Crowdus managed to parlay his strong pro day performance into a minicamp tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs after being the 239th receiver according to Brugler.
*WR Joey Isabella, Duquesne: The brother of former NFL receiver Andy Isabella, Joey ended up at Duquesne in part because of a torn ACL in his senior year of high school, which led to offers from other schools getting pulled. Isabella earned two starts as a true freshman in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, managing 17 receptions for 194 yards. Continuing to fight leg injuries early on in college, Isabella broke out in his final two years, both of which earned him First Team All-NEC selections. In 2024, he had a touchdown reception in eight straight games and ranked second in the conference in receiving yards per game. For an encore in 2025, he added Second Team honors as a punt returner, in addition to setting career-bests in all major receiving categories. A hair over 5'7", size has held Isabella back in breaking into the pro ranks. He was receiver #207 for Brugler this spring.
*OT Chris Adams, Memphis: It's rare that an offensive lineman with Adams's experience at the FBS level make it to a UFL Showcase. He started 25 games in two seasons with the Tigers, and before that, started 14 games at Old Dominion. Adams has spent time on both sides of the line, with the 2025 season coming from the left tackle position. So how did someone like Adams, who attended the NFL Combine and was ranked as the 30th offensive tackle in the draft per Brugler, end up at a Showcase after not even getting an invite to rookie minicamp? An unsightly 6.0 40-yard dash time at Memphis's pro day contributed to that. Listed on the Memphis website at 277 pounds, Adams weighed in at 311 at the pro day, which may have contributed to the slow foot speed. Another contributing factor? Injuries: Adams played through several in 2025 and was reportedly not 100% when he worked out in front of scouts. The questionable athleticism likely pushes him inside to guard as a pro.
*G Nick Blankenship, Frostburg State: In his senior year of 2025, Blankenship was named to the All-MEC First Team and the D2CAA Second Team. His blocking, along with that of his teammates, helped Frostburg State to average 172 yards on the ground last fall. The Bobcats went deep into the D-II playoffs last season, at least in part on the back of their running game, of which Blankenship played a major role. Listed at 6'4" on the team's website (which usually adds an inch or two), his size could limit Blankenship to the interior only in the pros.