The UFL Showcases returned to the United States on October 12 with Arlington hosting at Choctaw Stadium, the now former home of the Dallas (nee Arlington) Renegades. According to a league press release, 245 athletes took part in the event. Below is a profile of those known to have participated. Part two, with additional names and profiles, will appear in the coming days
If you are a player or you know a player attending a future Showcase, DM me on social media @gregmparks (Twitter/X), @gregmparks.bsky.social (Bluesky) or @g_man9784 (Instagram) to be profiled in a future article.
LB Steven Adair, Southern Arkansas: Making his way through the state during his college years, first at Central Arkansas then at Southern Arkansas, Adair played an important role in his teams’ linebacker rotations while also contributing extensively on the special teams units. Working against Adair is his size, at just a shade under 5’10” and 212 pounds at his pro day. However, his listed 40 time is 4.53, which is impressive, and he backed that up with a 4.46 at this Showcase, leading all linebackers (his broad jump of 10’5 also led his position group). A move to a box safety position could be in the cards. Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, Dane Brugler ranked Adair as the 236th linebacker in the class in his draft guide at The Athletic.
WR Ife Adeyi, Sam Houston State: A speedster who made the Senior Bowl watchlist in 2024, Adeyi burned up the turf at the Arlington Showcase with a 4.38 40 to lead all receivers. His broad jump also led the position with a 10’9. Both would’ve been in the top half of WR performers at the NFL Combine in February. Contributing since his true freshman season, when he caught 31 passes at SHSU, Adeyi totaled 164 receptions for over 2,300 yards and 19 touchdowns in 54 career games. He also ran the ball 36 times on reverses and end-arounds, averaging nearly nine yards per scamper. The 81st receiver in the class per Brugler, Adeyi had two different stints on the training camp roster of the Philadelphia Eagles this summer before being let go at final cuts.
G Leke Asengua, North Texas: Few, if any other players attending these Showcases have yet to exhaust their college eligibility, but Asengua is just that player. He is listed as being part of the 2026 NFL Draft class, though he currently is not on any college team after entering the transfer portal following a transfer out of North Texas. Asengua began his career at New Mexico where he played in 12 games over two seasons. He transferred to North Texas for 2022 and beyond, first on special teams and then starting sporadically thereafter. Asengua’s specialty is blocking in the run game.
WR Tavarious Battiste, McNeese State: A graduate of the 2018 NFL Draft class, Battiste would qualify as one of the older prospects to attend this Showcase. Battiste showed the ability to get deep during his college days, averaging over 17 yards per catch one year and then topping that with over 19 yards per catch in another season. A red flag is that Battiste had to serve a six-game suspension to open the 2016 season, team issued, because of an undisclosed incident at that occurred at the end of the 2015 season. Battiste also plans to work out at the Houston Showcase next month.
DE Antoine Baylis, Louisiana: First attending Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, Baylis shined there before leveling up to Louisiana for 2023 and 2024. He started half the games he played in his first season in the Bayou, compiling 48 tackles in 27 games played over those two seasons. Within those 48 tackles he had 7.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks, upping his numbers from SBU (7.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks). Baylis also impressively knocked down six passes in his last year. The 103rd edge player ranked by Brugler ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, Baylis led defensive linemen at the Arlington Showcase in 40-yard dash time (4.73) and broad jump distance (10’3).
DB Kameron Bell, Bethune-Cookman: Occasionally, players will appear on the Showcase radar that are impervious to research. Bell is close to that. The only record he has at Bethune-Cookman is a 2021 season in which he had six tackles and a sack in eight games played. His vitals on the team’s website describe him as 6’0″ and 175 pounds.
TE Maliq Carr, Houston: Listed as 6’6″ on Houston’s site but measuring in a hair under 6’4″, Carr nevertheless is a sizeable target in the pass game at 250 pounds. At that size, Carr led all tight ends in 40 time at the Arlington Showcase with a 4.57. A Michigan State Spartan to begin his college career, Carr also played on the basketball team, but on the field, he caught 54 passes in 37 games at MSU. In one season as a Cougar, he was fourth on the team in receptions and receiving yards, starting three games. He graded well in run blocking per Pro Football Focus. After the season, he played in the Tropical Bowl all-star game and had a tryout with the Washington Commanders. This following his ranking of 44th on Brugler’s list of draft-eligible tight ends. Carr was also part of WWE’s NIL program in 2022, so pro wrestling could be in his future.
TE Jared Casey, Kansas: Perhaps a future as a fullback will help the undersized Casey (5’10”, 230 pounds) find a pro football home. He only ran the ball once in college, so it’ll be more for his blocking/receiving ability. Casey tied a career high with 18 catches in 2024 and scored 10 touchdowns in his career as a Jayhawk. As noted on the Kansas website, one of his favorite players is Baltimore fullback Kyle Juszcyk, and he describes himself as a “utility player.” A spot on special teams could await Casey wherever he may land. He was the 82nd-ranked TE by Brugler and had minicamp tryouts with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs.
DB Keon Clary, Texas A&M-Kingsville: Clary’s ball skills didn’t show up on the stat sheet until his final year at Texas A&M-Kingsville, when he intercepted two passes and had five passes defensed. In the previous 22 games over two seasons, Clary had just three pass break-ups to his name. Before he was at Kingsville, he attended and played football at Hutchinson Community College – where he was a wide receiver. That experience as on offense can be an asset when a player switches to defense, as Clary has done.
WR Deon Cook, University of Texas Permian Basin: A second-team All-LSC selection in 2024, Cook nearly doubled his receptions from 2023 to 2024, finishing his final year with 43 catches for 610 yards and six touchdowns. Earlier this month, Cook signed on with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the Indoor Football League. At the UFL Showcase, he was tops among all receivers at 3-cone drill with a time of 6.89.
DE Terrell Dawkins, North Texas: Finding a home first in the Carolinas before moving south to Texas to finish his college career, Dawkins began at North Carolina State in 2019 where he spent three years. His best season statistically came in 2020 where he started his only six games in those three seasons, amassing 4.5 sacks. After two years and just nine games at South Carolina, Dawkins moved to North Texas for his finale. He started nine games for the Mean Green, going out on a high note with 37 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Dawkins landed as edge rusher #230 in Brugler’s preview of the 2025 NFL Draft class. His three-cone time of 7.37 at the UFL Showcase led all defensive linemen. Strangely, it was the one drill he didn’t participate in at his pro day.
RB Christian Grubb, Portland State: After four uneventful years at UCLA where Grubb carried the ball just eight times, he made his way to Portland State for 2023 and 2024. There, he saw much more playing time, averaging over 5.0 yards per carry in both seasons. Even then, Grubb rushed 73 times in 22 total games. A key contributor in returning kicks, Grubb averaged nearly 22 yards per return on 38 total opportunities at Portland State, including one for a touchdown. At 5’9″ and 194 pounds, Grubb’s explosiveness was on display at the Showcase, where he broad jumped 11′, best among running backs. He was also in minicamp as a tryout player with the Chicago Bears in May.
RB Solo Hines, Whitworth University: It may shock some that a player from a small school like Whitworth University ended up leading running backs in 40 time (4.35) at the UFL Showcase. It’s less shocking when you dig into Hines’s background and learn that he doubled in track and field in college. At the D-III school, Solo (short for Solomon) scored 27 touchdowns in three seasons (21 rushing, six receiving) and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. He also averaged almost 10 yards per reception on 62 catches during that time. Excelling as a sprinter on the track team, Hines won the NWC Championships at 100 and 200 meters.
LB Johnny Hodges, TCU: A transfer from Navy, Hodges led TCU in tackles in two of the three years he played there (a third year was cut short due to injury). He played 31 games as a Horned Frog, making 204 tackles, 18 for loss and five sacks. Among the honors bestowed upon him, Hodges was a 2022 Second Team All-Big 12 selection and a 2024 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 pick. Brugler’s 90th-ranked linebacker in the 2025 class, Hodges earned a minicamp tryout with the Los Angeles Chargers. He had the fastest three-cone time at his position at the UFL Showcase in Arlington (6.61).
RB Ike Irabor, Union: No stranger to Choctaw Stadium, Irabor went to training camp with the Renegades last season before being released prior to the start of the regular season. Out of Union College, Irabor put up huge numbers: Over 3,600 rushing yards, 47 touchdowns, and 5.2 yards per carry across four seasons. The D-III product was ranked as RB57 by Brugler in 2023. He went to rookie minicamp with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 but went unsigned. At the Arlington Showcase, Irabor had the leading three-cone time (7.03) of all running backs.
