This is part two of my look at select players who attended the D.C. UFL Showcase on September 28. Part one can be found here.
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.
WR Hollis Mathis, William & Mary: A do-it-all player for the Tribe, Mathis is listed on the school’s website as a “QB/REC/RB.” Until his junior year, Mathis was a quarterback. His transition to receiver led to him being only the second player in NCAA history with 1,000 passing, receiving and rushing yards in their career. As a QB, he completed 50% of his passes in college for 1,716 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He carried the ball 260 times for 1,091 yards (4.2 average) and another 10 touchdowns. And he caught 87 passes for 1,005 yards (11.6 average) and five TDs. Listed as the 126th receiver by Dane Brugler in his draft rankings at The Athletic, Mathis, a Pittsburgh native, was invited to Steelers minicamp as a tryout player. At the D.C. Showcase, tied for the lead among receivers at the triple broad jump event (10’9).
RB Kevin Momnohin, Southern Connecticut State: Very little in the way of information is available about Momnohin’s time in college. It appears he played at Southern Connecticut State and Central Arkansas, though stats are not listed for him on either site. It also appears he’s been out of college for a few years. His profile is listed on the Euro Players site, indicating he has or is willing to play football in Europe, and lists his vitals as 5’9″ and 190 pounds. He’s here because he was first among running backs at the D.C. Showcase in the 3-cone drill (6.97).
RB Kaleb Monaco, Indiana University of Pennsylvania: In three seasons at Bloomsburg, Monaco was the primary back. He missed one game in those three seasons, toting the rock a total of 459 times. He was also the lead kick returner, with 58 returns for an average of 22.9 yards per return over that time. Upon transferring to IUP for his final year, Monaco’s stats took a dip in playing only six games. He rushed for four touchdowns on 54 attempts. He was consistent: Monaco averaged 4.7 yards per carry with Bloomsburg, and 4.6 yards per carry in his lone season at IUP.
DT Elijah Morris, East Carolina: It’s difficult enough for a true freshman to earn a starting job at any Division I program; it’s even more difficult for a walk-on true freshman. Yet that’s exactly what Elijah Morris did at East Carolina. In his first year in the program, he ended up starting seven games. He stayed in the starting lineup for most of the rest of his career. For his career, Morris played in 54 games with 45 starts, making 119 tackles (20 for loss), adding 11.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more experienced D-Lineman in these Showcases. He was ranked as the 118th defensive tackle in the 2025 draft class by Brugler.
DL Joe McNamara, Western New England: A one-year starter at Division III Western New England, McNamara set career highs in most areas in 2024. Interestingly, the one area this was not true for was sacks; in his first year in 2021, he had what turned out to be a career-high 4.5 sacks. As a graduate player in ’24, his sacks were down to just one. The 6’3″, 250-pounder from Newport, Rhode Island finished his four-year career along the defensive line with 91 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
WR/S Anton Popov, Warner University: A true two-way player, Popov can play wide receiver or safety. At Barton College and then Warner University, Popov’s priority was receiver. Highly intelligent (he graduated from Barton with a 3.86 GPA), Popov caught 31 passes for 369 yards in three seasons at Barton, starting 34 games at the Division II school. He also returned punts and kicks during his time there. Standing 5’9″, Popov profiles as a slot receiver and special teamer.
DT Justin Rhodes, Georgia Southern: Transferring to Georgia Southern for two seasons after three years at Wingate, Rhodes stepped into a starting role on the defensive interior right away. In 2023, he made 38 tackles in starting all 13 games, with 13 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His stats went down in 2024 as he started just eight of 11 games played. His final year at Wingate was 2022, where he had 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Rhodes was ranked by Brugler as the 149th defensive tackle in the 2025 draft class.
WR Anthony Sambucci, Western Michigan: The first two seasons of Sambucci’s career were spent mostly on special teams, valuable experience to have when trying to latch on in spring football. His final three years as a Bronco saw him increase his counting stats (receptions, receiving yards) each year. Sambucci’s capstone was his senior season, reeling in 34 balls for 412 yards and three touchdowns. He was listed as the 150th in Brugler’s wide receiver rankings for 2025.
RB Rayquan Smith, Virginia State: Nicknamed “The King of NIL” for having over 80 Name, Image, Likeness deals while in college, Smith dabbled in both football and track, first at Norfolk State, then at Virginia State. His first carry in college as a freshman was a 62-yard scamper. While his football stats were modest at both stops, he also contributed to the track teams at each school. As a sprinter and thrower, Smith helped Virginia State win the conference title in 2024. If nothing else, the UFL could certainly use his marketing prowess.
WR Carl Smith Jr., Robert Morris: The Colonials were his third stop in college after Virginia Tech (one year – did not play) and Lafayette (three years). A team captain in 2023 at Lafayette, his season was cut short due to injury. Largely a reserve receiver while there, Smith caught 12 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns across those three seasons. In 2024 at Robert Morris, Smith bested his career stats by hauling in 15 passes for 277 yards and two TDs. Smith played in the FCS Bowl all-star game prior to the 2025 NFL Draft and was a kick returner in that game.
CB Josh Stokes, Slippery Rock: Stokes was a top performer at the D.C. Showcase after making the same list at the Atlanta Showcase, which he also attended. Check out my previous write-up of Stokes here.
G John Thomas, New Haven: A three-time starter after transferring to New Haven from Clarion University, Thomas blocked as part of a prolific offense for the Chargers during that time. In 2023, he was a Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team selection. He showed durability while playing at that level as well, starting double-digit games each of those seasons. After his final season in 2024, Thomas quickly moved into coaching: He’s listed as an offensive quality control coach at New Haven for this fall.
LB Alex Washington, William & Mary: Making an impact dating back to his true freshman year, Washington notched an interception and a tackle for loss in three games in 2021, all the while retaining a year of eligibility. His playing time on defense seemed to increase each year, capped by a 2024 when he became a full-time starter, team captain, and All-CAA third team pick. A bit undersized at 5’11” and 224 pounds, Washington was never a major pass rush force (just three sacks in college) but as a senior made 85 tackles, leading the team, and 5.5 tackles for loss. He topped linebackers in the 3-cone time at the D.C. Showcase with a 7.01.
LB Luquay Washington, Central Connecticut State: The 43rd linebacker as ranked by Brugler coming out of college in 2024, Washington’s stat line while at CCSU wasn’t stuffed with overly impressive work: He made 110 tackles in four years with seven sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, adding three interceptions. Washington got the most out of those picks, returning them for a combined 109 yards. However, it’s Washington’s athletic profile that intrigued the Kansas City Chiefs enough to sign him as a UDFA, and then for the Pittsburgh Steelers to pick him up after he was cut by the Chiefs. He ran a 4.58 40, his speed deemed “elite” by those who put together his Relative Athletic Score.
S Jireh Wilson, UCF: After excelling for five years at East Carolina, Wilson jumped to UCF for his 2023 season. Known for his work at free safety, Wilson started four games for the Knights, seeing playing time in 12. In all, he had 46 tackles in ’23, playing both on defense and special teams, just as he did at ECU. Though he was not picked up by an NFL team after the draft, he was ranked as the 87th safety in the class by Brugler and his 4.53 40 time was not bad. However, he tipped the scales at 199 pounds and at 6’2″, that lack of bulk could’ve been a concern. His weigh-in likely was one of the more important parts of this UFL Showcase.
LB Alfred Woods, Montclair State: Showing tremendous size at 6’4″ and 225 pounds (per the Montclair State website), Woods contributed as a reserve with the Red Hawks throughout his time there. In 32 games, he made 73 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. His lone interception came in 2022. Woods’s best game as a senior came against Salisbury, where he made a season-high six tackles, a full one-third of his total on the year (18).
