The players have arrived at UFL training camp as a new era of Dallas Renegades football is about to get underway.
Last season, the Renegades went 5-5 on the season and missed the playoffs after finishing third in the XFL Conference. It was a year filled with close losses, missed opportunities, and multiple Luis Perez touchdowns called back on penalties.
Everything changed during the offseason as the team went from "Arlington" back to the original "Dallas" name, the way Renegades fans wanted all along. They even got a new head coach for the first time in franchise history when Bob Stoops stepped down, and now Rick Neuheisel takes over. To top it off, half the roster is completely different, with the UFL going through a soft reboot for the 2026 season, with new co-owner Mike Repole riding the ship.
With all the changes and differences to the Renegades, what should fans know about the team entering the 2026 training camp? Here are all the big facts Renegades fans need to know about the team.
Everything Renegades Fans Need to Know Before Training Camp
Luis Perez is Back With Renegades in 2026
The more things change, the more things stay the same. Perez is back for his third full season as the Renegades' quarterback and fourth year in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Last season, Perez was the leading passer in the UFL, completing 71.6% of his passes for 2,298 yards and nine touchdowns to five interceptions.
Dallas's quarterback room is pretty much the same, with Perez as the leader to be the starter, while Luke Lehnen returns for his second season with the Renegades. The new face of the team is Austin Reed, who was with the Chicago Bears in the preseason last season and is set to make his first appearance in spring football.
There is a strong chance Perez wins the job again, but Lehnen has a strong arm, and Reed has the whole package as a quarterback. Don't completely count out the possibility of Perez losing the job; at the same time, a strong prediction would be that he starts in Week 1.
Key Offensive Weapons Returning for Renegades
Looking at the returning offensive skill players on the Renegades, last year's leading rusher on the team, Dae Dae Hunter, is back for another year, as he has slowly emerged from being a backup to proving he is a starting running back. Hunter got his chance when Kalen Ballage got hurt at the beginning of last year, and Hunter ran with the job as he went for 406 rushing yards (fourth in the UFL) and two touchdowns, adding another 231 yards receiving.
Despite the fact that the Renegades lost two of their top pass catchers, Sal Cannella and Isaiah Winstead, to the NFL, they still have plenty of weapons to lean on in the passing game. Dallas's leading receiver from 2025, Tyler Vaughns, is back after posting 475 yards (fifth in the UFL) and four touchdowns last year. They also have Deontay Burnett back, as he went for 349 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, and tight end Seth Green could see a bigger role in the offense this season.
As for the new weapons, wide receiver is loaded with Greg Ward, Denzel Mims, and Emmanuel Butler, all fighting for roster spots. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Peyton Hendershot enters the picture and could be competing for a starting job with Green.
A Whole New Offensive Line Enters Dallas
The only starter from the Renegades' offensive line from last year, Marcus Minor, who has a great chance of holding his job in 2026, is back, but besides that, it's going to be a very different-looking group. That might be a good thing, as last year's line struggled with Perez being the most sacked quarterback in the UFL last year, with 23.
Neuheisel's best selection with offensive lineman in the UFL Draft last month was no doubt former St. Louis Battlehawks guard Abdul Beecham. The long-time spring football lineman has been the model of consistency for the position, and Beecham gives the unit the reliable blocker they needed for so long with the interior line.
Some other names to look out for are tackles Chim Okorafor and Alex Akingbulu, as well as center Mike Novitsky. This retooled offensive line is already looking way better than the group from last year, with a mix of young and top veteran performers taking over.
Renegades Have One Massive Question on Defense
A lot of the key defenders for the Renegades are back, with veteran linebacker Donald Payne, edge rushers Willie Taylor and Taco Charlton, and Ajene Harris returning in 2026. One big departure that might have some Renegades fans concerned is defensive end Chris Odom.
While Taylor led the team with seven sacks last year, Odom is not back, so Dallas loses five sacks from the 2025 season. This leaves some wondering how the Renegades will bounce back from a big loss like that, as Odom is widely regarded as one of the top five pass rushers since modern spring football took hold in the mainstream sports world in 2019.
The Renegades will be leaning on some other guys like T.J. Franklin and Tashawn Bower. Watch for Charlton to have a bigger role in the pass rush off the edge for Dallas in 2026.
Dallas Looking at Almost a Whole New Special Teams Unit
One consistent thing about the Renegades over the years has been the solid performance of their special teams. They have always leaned on Marquette King at punter, but he has since retired from football. Last year, Lucas Havrisik scored the most points among kickers in the NFL with 66, and he has since gone on to be the kicker for the Green Bay Packers.
This season, though, is going to be very different with both guys gone. Training camp will feature a battle at kicker between Brendan Hall and Colton Theaker. There is no punter on the roster for this team, leaving some to believe they will either add one later, have one kick with the other punter, or that whoever wins the kicker battle will also punt. The rumored rule change banning punting when a team crosses the 50-yard line could also signal that punters are less important, and the position might not even be addressed.
There is at least one player back on special teams: Renegades' long-time long snapper, Antonio Ortiz. Over the last few years, Ortiz has been one of the most consistent long snappers in spring football and should see no change in how he has performed.
Renegades' Coaching Staff Gets a Makeover
Everyone knows about Neuheisel taking over as the head coach and having big shoes to fill with replacing Stoops. The last time Neuheisel was in spring football, he led the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football, going 5-3 as the head coach in 2019 before the league folded. He helped develop many great players from that team, including quarterback John Wolford, who has enjoyed a long NFL career as a backup, and linebacker Scooby Wright, who became a star for the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL.
Neuheisel has two new coordinators on the coaching staff, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and defensive coordinator Mike Gillhamer. Mazzone is a familiar face in spring football, having served as offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Breakers (2022), Pittsburgh Maulers (2023), and Memphis Showboats (2025). Gillhamer previously coached under Neuheisel with the Hotshots back in 2019 and was an assistant on the DC Defenders in 2020, back when they were in the XFL.