Football
The XFL is not the only spring football league back this season. The USFL is back as well, and what is notable about their return is that the league is back for a second-straight season.
This is the first time that a spring football league has returned for a second season since … the first version of the USFL.
The USFL is holding their 2023 Draft on Tuesday, with all eight teams picking ten players each. With rosters already established, USFL franchises are now looking to add talent, and depth, to existing rosters.
One difference about the USFL draft is that no trades of picks are allowed. Another difference? Some of these players are hoping to hear their names called in a few months, during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Daryl Johnston, the USFL’s executive vice president of football operations, talked about that recently:
“That’s the hard part. We know you’re a couple months away from going through something you dreamed about as a young boy. We fully understand that. Our focus is on the back end of the (NFL) draft, potential seventh round and preferred free agency-type guys. Our GMs and scouts were at the college all-star games. They understand the athlete that we’re looking for, so that makes it a challenging part for us. But we’re not doing it like last year. Everybody in the draft pool was under contract.
“This year, you’re selecting the player, and you have the rights to that player moving forward.”
Here are the selections as they come in, and note that the New Jersey Generals lost their first-round selection for a roster violation, and their picks in rounds 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 will be dropped to the end of those rounds.
Round 1 (Overall)
1. (1) Michigan Panthers
Jarrett Horst, OT, Michigan State
2. (2) Pittsburgh Maulers
Lindsey Scott, Jr., QB, Incarnate Word
3. (3) Houston Gamblers
Chase Brice, QB, Appalachian State
4. (4) Memphis Showboats
Mason Brooks, OT, Mississippi
5. (5) New Orleans Breakers
Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
6. (6) Philadelphia Stars
Alfred Edwards III, OT, Utah State
7. (7) Birmingham Stallions
Kadeem Telfort, OT, UAB
Round 2 (Overall)
1. (8) Michigan Panthers
Tanner Morgan, QB, Minnesota
2. (9) Pittsburgh Maulers
Malik Hamm, DE, Lafayette
3. (10) Houston Gamblers
Justin Ford, CB, Montana
4. (11) Memphis Showboats
Isaiah Bolden, CB, Jackson State
5. (12) New Orleans Breakers
Noah Taylor, EDGE, Virginia
6. (13) Philadelphia Stars
Anderson Hardy, OT, Appalachian State
7. (14) Birmingham Stallions
Quinton Barrow, OT, Grand Valley State
*8. (15) New Jersey Generals
Adrian Martinez, QB, Kansas State
Round 3 (Overall)
1. (16) Michigan Panthers
Santrell Latham, LB, Southern Miss
2. (17) Pittsburgh Maulers
Tre’Quan Dorsey, OL, St. Francis
3. (18) Houston Gamblers
Joseph Fisher, OG, Shepherd
4. (19) Memphis Showboats
Brevin Allen, DE, Campbell
5. (20) New Orleans Breakers
DJ Ivey, CB, Miami, Fla.
6. (21) Philadelphia Stars
Isaac Moore, OT, Temple
7. (22) Birmingham Stallions
Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville
*8. (23) New Jersey Generals
J.J. Holloman, WR, Tennessee State
ROUND 4 (Overall)
1. (24) Michigan Panthers
DJ Scaife Jr., OL, Miami Fla.
2. (25) Pittsburgh Maulers
Ferlando Jordan, CB, SE Louisiana
3. (26) Houston Gamblers
Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State
4. (27) Memphis Showboats
Benny Sapp III, DB, Northern Iowa
5. (28) New Orleans Breakers
Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
6. (29) Philadelphia Stars
Truman Jones, DE, Harvard
7. (30) Birmingham Stallions
Derius Davis, WR, TCU
*8. (31) New Jersey Generals
Victor Jones, DE, Akron
ROUND 5 (Overall)
1. (32) Michigan Panthers
Dashaun White, LB, Oklahoma
2. (33) Pittsburgh Maulers
Isaiah Land, EDGE, Florida A&M
3. (34) Houston Gamblers
Jeffrey Johnson, DT, Oklahoma
4. (35) Memphis Showboats
Michael Ezeike, TE, UCLA
5. (36) New Orleans Breakers
Isaiah Moore, LB, NC State
6. (37) Philadelphia Stars
Earl Bostick, Jr., OT, Kansas
7. (38) Birmingham Stallions
Zeke Vandenburgh, LB, llinois State
*8. (39) New Jersey Generals
De’Jahn Warren, CB, Jackson State
ROUND 6 (Overall)
1. (40) Michigan Panthers
Levi Russo Bell, DT, Texas State
2. (41) Pittsburgh Maulers
Nash Jensen, OG, North Dakota State
3. (42) Houston Gamblers
Keenan Isaac, CB, Alabama State
4. (43) Memphis Showboats
Jerome Carvin, OG, Tennessee
5. (44) New Orleans Breakers
Dante Stills, DL, West Virginia
6. (45) New Jersey Generals
Derrick Tucker, S, Texas Southern
7. (46) Philadelphia Stars
Jose Ramirez, DE, Eastern Michigan
8. (47) Birmingham Stallions
Colby Sorsdal, OT, William & Mary
ROUND 7 (Overall)
1. (48) Michigan Panthers
Gunnar Oakes, TE, Eastern Michigan
2. (49) Pittsburgh Maulers
Taylor Grimes, WR, Incarnate Word
This pick is fascinating because it comes with some built-in chemistry. Grimes caught 83 passes last year playing at Incarnate Word, with the bulk of those coming from quarterback Lindsey Scott, Jr., who the Maulers drafted with the second-overall selection.
3. (50) Houston Gamblers
Alex Jensen, OT, South Dakota
4. (51) Memphis Showboats
Nehemiah Shelton, CB, San Jose State
5. (52) New Orleans Breakers
Darius Hagans, RB, Virginia State
6. (53) New Jersey Generals
Jermaine McDaniel, DE, North Carolina A&T
7. (54) Philadelphia Stars
Demontrey Jacobs, OT, South Florida
8. (55) Birmingham Stallions
Grant Dubose, WR, Charlotte
ROUND 8 (Overall)
1. (56) Michigan Panthers
Andrew Farmer II, OLB, Lane College
2. (57) Pittsburgh Maulers
CJ Turner, WR, Southeastern Louisiana
3. (58) Houston Gamblers
Brady Russell, TE, Colorado
4. (59) Memphis Showboats
Trea Shropshire, WR, UAB
5. (60) New Orleans Breakers
Jake Bobo, WR, UCLA
6. (61) New Jersey Generals
Adam Korsak, P, Rutgers
7. (62) Philadelphia Stars
Trey Botts, DL, Colorado State-Pueblo
8. (63) Birmingham Stallions
Mark Evans II, OL, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Evans had some impressive reps during Shrine Bowl practices. He was a left tackle in college, but projects best as a guard at the next level.
ROUND 9 (Overall)
1. (64) Michigan Panthers
Chim Okorafor, OT, Benedictine
2. (65) Pittsburgh Maulers
Jacob Slade, DT, Michigan State
3. (66) Houston Gamblers
Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State
4. (67) Memphis Showboats
Silas Dzansi, OT, Virginia Tech
5. (68) New Orleans Breakers
Alex Palczewski, OT, Illinois
6. (69) New Jersey Generals
Jalen Holston, RB, Virginia Tech
7. (70) Philadelphia Stars
Destin Mack, CB, Citadel
8. (71) Birmingham Stallions
B.J. Thompson, DE, Stephen F. Austin
ROUND 10 (Overall)
1. (72) Michigan Panthers
Sidy Sow, OG, Eastern Michigan
2. (73) Pittsburgh Maulers
Ethan Evans, K, Wingate
3. (74) Houston Gamblers
Colby Reeder, LB, Iowa State
4. (75) Memphis Showboats
Antonio Fletcher, S, Southern Illinois
5. (76) New Orleans Breakers
Tyler Baker-Williams, CB, NC State
6. (77) New Jersey Generals
Nick Zecchino, LS, Purdue
7. (78) Philadelphia Stars
Dre Terry, LB, Alabama A&M
8. (79) Birmingham Stallions
Starling Thomas, CB, UAB
*9. (80) New Jersey Generals
Rey Estes, CB, Grambling State
Read More Mark Schofield