After the first two phases of the UFL player allocation process, the San Antonio Brahmas currently have 61 players on their 2024 roster. For the teams that survived the XFL-USFL merger, the three-phase player allocation process presents an opportunity for teams in the UFL to upgrade their roster for 2024. In many ways, the Brahmas and head coach Wade Phillips have successfully added several players that improve the quality of the San Antonio roster while also acquiring players that have pre-existing chemistry with the new coaching staff of the Brahmas.
As San Antonio prepares for phase 3 of the player allocation process, the UFL Super Dispersal Draft on January 15th, the Brahmas have another opportunity to improve their personnel as they build their 75-player roster. Leading up to this point, the Brahmas have added several new defensive players from the 2023 Houston Roughnecks roster, tight end Cody Latimer, several talented running backs, All-XFL offensive lineman Alex Mollette, and several other skills players from the XFL teams not continuing to play in the UFL. With all of the roster improvements that Wade Phillips and the Brahmas have made, a few position groups still need to be reinforced.
Many of the players available in the UFL Super Dispersal draft have the skills that the Brahmas need to put themselves in the best position heading into the 2024 season. The decisions made by Wade Phillips and his coaches in this phase of the player allocation process can put the Brahmas over the top to have a breakout season. On the other hand, if the San Antonio coaching staff cannot add players that will put the Brahmas over the top, then the 2024 season could be a challenge for the Brahmas.
Let’s examine the position groups that the Brahmas must focus on during the Super Dispersal draft.
Punter And Long Snapper
When looking at the Brahma’s current roster, the need for a punter and long snapper stands out. Brad Wing, the Brahmas punter during the 2023 season, agreed to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers to join their practice squad. That leaves San Antonio without a punter, and with several high-quality punters available from the pool of available players in the Super Dispersal draft, the Brahmas need to ensure they acquire a punter for 2024.
Long snapper is another specialist position that needs to be a top priority for the Brahmas. Before the first two phases of the player allocation period, San Antonio’s long snapper was Tommy Zozus. After the Mini-Dispersal draft, Zozus was removed from the roster, leaving the Brahmas without a long snapper. Up to this point, Wade Phillips has been adding players that he and his staff are comfortable with from the 2023 Houston Roughnecks, and former Roughnecks long-snapper Brian Khoury is available. Similar to the punter position, several long snappers are available in the pool of available players, so the Brahmas must prioritize the long snapper position in the Super Dispersal draft.
Potential Upgrades At The Quarterback Position
Heading into the Mini-Dispersal draft, many felt that the Brahmas would add Lindsey Scott Jr. as their quarterback in 2024 and into the future of the UFL. That all changed when the Arlington Renegades started the draft by selecting Scott Jr. San Antonio decided to stay with three of the quarterbacks that were already on their roster. Jack Coan, Kurt Benkert, and Matthew McKay are currently the quarterbacks for the Brahmas on the 2024 roster.
Quarterbacks Coan and Benkert led the San Antonio offense in 2023. Both quarterbacks showed the ability to manage games, but in pressure situations, both quarterbacks had a bad habit of turning the ball over. The lack of ability of Coan and Benkert to handle the pressure of making plays to win games became magnified behind an offensive line that failed to pick up blitz schemes consistently, resulting in Coan and Benkert taking big hits.
With the addition of offensive coordinator AJ Smith, it would seem realistic that the Brahmas would draft quarterback Brandon Silvers. Silvers started eight games for the Roughnecks in 2023 and showed the ability to run Smith’s offensive scheme efficiently and effectively. If the Brahmas were to select Silvers, he would have an excellent chance to step right in and run AJ Smith’s offense from day one due to his experience with the Roughnecks.
The Brahmas could also be looking for potential dual-threat quarterbacks to minimize the consequences of having pass protection issues. Orlando Guardians quarterback Quentin Dormady would be a significant upgrade at quarterback with a 2023 quarterback rating of 95.7 and chemistry with tight end Cody Latimer. Vipers quarterback Jalan McClendon is another quarterback who has shown the ability to lead an offense, and during the 2023 season, he had a quarterback rating of 95.6.
Add Beef To The Offensive Line
The Brahmas 2024 roster currently has six running backs and a loaded defense. That creates an environment where having a solid offensive line could be the difference between winning and losing every week. There is also a significant problem with the Brahma’s ability to protect their quarterbacks. The combination of a better running game and higher-quality pass protection could put the Brahmas in a position to have the most improved offense in the UFL.
During the Mini-Dispersal draft, the Brahmas added Alex Mollette and Rashaad Coward from the 2023 Roughnecks roster. Those additions should help improve the run game, but having too many quality offensive linemen is a good problem in professional football. Insulating the team from injury issues on the offensive line could also be necessary. Abdul Beecham is a high-quality offensive lineman from the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL, and he would provide a significant boost to the Brahmas offensive line unit.
Follow me on X: @AaronSauter7
Help Us Improve!
We value your feedback and want to make the UFL News Hub better for you. Please take a moment to complete our survey and share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for your support!
