There may not be a more fascinating storyline entering the 2026 UFL season than what to expect with new Birmingham Stallions head coach A.J. McCarron.
One could argue that McCarron has been the best spring football quarterback since 2023 after playing two seasons as the starter for the St. Louis Battlehawks, putting up 3,732 and 39 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in 17 regular season starts in the XFL and UFL. He now transitions to taking over a Stallions team that has, without question, been the gold standard of spring football, with three league titles in four years.
McCarron might be facing some pressure to take over for Skip Holtz as head coach, but one thing was made clear during his time with reporters at UFL Media Day: the confidence is there. He shared more about his first few months as a head coach.
A.J. McCarron on adjusting to being a head coach in first training camp
Typically, McCarron has rolled into training camp leading a team as a quarterback, but this time around, he's doing it as a head coach. McCarron told UFL NewsHub that the experience has been great for him so far.
"Yeah, it's been awesome, to be honest with you. I told our coaches last night, you know, I've been a part of this, and you, as a quarterback, you try to see, you know, how many bad apples you have on the team. And then players do a really good job, I think, of keeping it from the coaches and acting like they're a team guy. And behind the scenes, they're criticizing everything the coach does. But I mean, we haven't had one scenario, we haven't had one fight in camp. Nobody's late to meetings. Everybody's been on time. Everybody's been awesome. So transition's been great. I'm blessed to have a group like this of professionals that come to work each and every day."
McCarron has worked with some of the best coaches in his playing career, including former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. While there might be one or two things he takes away from Saban, McCarron told UFL NewsHub he is making sure to leave his own mark as a head coach.
"I'm really my own self. I mean, about the only thing from Coach Saban that we've tried to implement more than anything, and it's kind of why I went and got so many guys from the Alabama era on my staff, is focusing on the process it takes to be successful. Everybody wants results. You know, fans, everything in this world is how fast can I get rich, how fast can I get famous, whatever. Nobody wants to focus on the correct steps it takes to get to that point. And that's probably been the biggest thing we've been trying to implement into the mindset of our team is, hey, come out, practice, prepare like pros, do it the right way. And then you focus on those things and do what you're supposed to, you'll have the results you want."
A new challenge that McCarron is going through that he has never done in his career is cutting players from the team. He understands that well-being is on the other side of that news, but he will also make sure players know he will be honest every step of the way.
"Listen, there's a lot of talks, and it's never fun to be a part of that. You know, it's tough because you get to know these guys, you know, their families, kids that they might have, the situations they might be in. And, you know, you want what's best for them. My biggest thing, and I've been honest with them from the get-go, is listen, each day you put film out there, like, you're not only doing an interview for us, you're doing an interview for every other team in the league. Because we will cut some guys that can make rosters for other teams. And when those coaches call and say, 'Hey, what do you think about this guy?' Like, I'm going to be honest with them from a sense of like, 'Hey, he's a great dude. He's unbelievable at practice. And he does it the right way.' And if you're not, then we have to be honest as coaches and kind of tell it how it is. So again, we haven't had one problem with anybody on our team. They've been a joy to work with, and I'd be really shocked if, you know, probably everybody we cut didn't get picked up by somebody else."
A.J. McCarron talks Matt Corral's progression throughout training camp in 2026
One thing that is not a question heading into the Stallions' training camp is who will be the starting quarterback, as Matt Corral, who has been on the team since the UFL merger in 2024, is the clear-cut favorite. Corral has thrown for 1,142 yards and six touchdowns to six interceptions in nine games, but is 5-0 as the Stallions' starter. McCarron wanted to see what Corral had early in camp, and he has not disappointed the head coach.
"Yeah, I think he's progressed each and every week and that's what we wanted to see. Listen, this, offense is— and the terminology that we have is definitely different from what he has been running in Skip's offense. So I think him going through the struggles and seeing how he handled those struggles early in camp, and I think the last week and a half, two weeks, he's been playing the best ball. I mean, he's done an unbelievable job of command in the offense, running the offense, getting us in the correct plays when we need it. And I mean, that's what we're going to need out of him this year."
A.J. McCarron on Stallions' talented roster
This might sound way too much like a broken record, but the Stallions enter the 2026 season with one of the most talented rosters in the league. The wide receiver room is insane with Deon Cain, John Ross, and Marcus Simms leading a deep room, not to mention Anthony McFarland leading the way in the backfield. When UFL NewsHub asked McCarron, a player that might stand out and surprise fans in 2026, the talent level on the roster was too deep for him to even pick one name.
"I think you could go down the list, to be honest with you. I mean, I don't see a guy on our offense that shouldn't be in the league, to be honest with you. I mean, I played a long time in the NFL and seen a lot of practice squad guys. Like, the guys we have could easily make an NFL roster. I mean, it's kind of mind-boggling that they aren't on a roster right now, but I'm glad because we get to have them on ours."
A.J. McCarron talks Mike Repole's impact on UFL and relationship with Stallion fans
If there is one fan base that is completely torn about how they feel about new UFL co-owner Mike Repole, it's the Stallions. Repole has antagonized Stallions fans on social media for disappointing attendance numbers despite winning and nearly moving the team out of Birmingham. McCarron backed up his new boss by sharing a few things fans might not know about what has made him a great UFL owner.
"I think he's the best guy for the job, to be honest with you. I know Birmingham and other fan bases have been on his— you know, tail about some of the things. But listen, it's the changes that you need. It's, you know, I try to tell, you know, certain groups for Birmingham that are on social media, listen, it's great that you had success on the field. It didn't equate to getting people in the seats. All right? When you're running a business as a businessman, you're not going to keep a franchise in a certain area if people aren't going to show up because it's not business smart. So, I mean, it's— Repole's done an unbelievable job. I think the world of Mike. Hell, every head coaches dinner we have, I'm always right next to him and hearing his stories and his ideas. Like, he's full of ideas. The best part about him that nobody talks about, and this leadership group, is the fact that you can go to them and say, hey, this is an idea, this is what I think we need, and they will listen. And it's very rare for you to have ownership, a part of any company, that's willing to listen to the people that are working for it."
Some might have wondered about McCarron stepping in as head coach with no experience, but in a league of opportunity, this might be one that leads to a career benefiting the UFL and the sport itself. It's clear that McCarron was born to be a leader among men.