ARLINGTON, TEXAS (June 10, 2026) – The United Football League today announced that
St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Hakeem Butler has been named the 2026 UFL Offensive Player of the Year presented by Progressive. Butler becomes the first player in league history to win the award multiple times after also earning the honor in 2024.
The 2026 UFL Offensive Player of the Year was selected by a panel of media members, broadcast partners, and coaches and team football personnel from all eight teams. Selections were based on player performances throughout the recently concluded regular season.
Butler was recently named to the 2026 All-UFL Team following another dominant season in the Battlehawks offense. In nine games, the former Iowa State standout led the UFL with 641 receiving yards on 29 receptions, while also pacing the league in receiving yards per game (71.2) and yards per reception (22.1). One of the UFL’s premier big-play threats throughout the season, Butler recorded nine receptions of 30-or-more yards and added three touchdown catches, including a 75-yard score against the DC Defenders in Week 4.
Despite missing one game, Butler was a big play machine all season, finishing just 11 yards shy of his own UFL and Battlehawks single-season receiving record of 652 yards, which he established during the 2024 campaign.
Butler earned UFL Offensive Player of the Week honors following his Week Three performance against the Birmingham Stallions. In the contest, he recorded four receptions for 146 yards, including a momentum-shifting 64-yard touchdown reception that helped rally St. Louis to a 34-30 victory.
During the 2026 season, Butler also cemented his place in spring football history by becoming the all-time leader in career receiving yards. He surpassed the previous record of 1,801 yards held by Jonathan Adams and now owns 2,192 career receiving yards.
Since joining the Battlehawks, Butler has established himself as one of the league’s premier offensive playmakers and one of the most productive receivers in modern spring football history. His combination of size, explosiveness, and downfield ability has consistently created matchup challenges for opposing defenses and helped power the Battlehawks offense over the last three seasons.
Butler will be honored at the UFL Awards presented by Dynasty Financial Partners celebration on Friday, June 12, leading into the United Bowl, which will be played on Saturday, June 13, at 3 p.m. ET at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. and broadcast nationally on ABC.
Limited tickets remain available for the United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank at Ticketmaster.com.