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An “United Football League” has been formed from the USFL and XFL. In an attempt to deliver the best spring professional football product fans have seen since the founding of the USFL forty years ago, the two organizations, together with broadcast partners FOX, ABC, and ESPN, are trying to blend their best features.
It’s time to take a look at the top players in the recently combined UFL as clubs report to the league’s consolidated training camp this weekend in Arlington, Texas, in anticipation of the first season beginning on March 30.
The Birmingham Stallions, the reigning champions, are at the top of the list of the best spring professional football teams in contemporary history.
Fans of teams like the Houston Roughnecks of XFL 2020 or the Orlando Apollos of the AAF may disagree with that statement. Ultimately, the stories of those two teams were never completed. (Cue the Dwayne Johnson/Cody Rhodes allusion).
The contemporary period The first and second chapters of Birmingham Stallions’ narrative have been magnificently concluded. Consequently, they are the UFL squad to take the mountaintop.
And there are a lot of grounds for thinking they won’t be.
The Stallions’ success has been greatly attributed to Birmingham’s coaching continuity under Skip Holtz’s direction and leadership.
© Kevin Whitlock, USA TODAY NETWORK, Massillon Independent
First off, the squad is back for its third season under Skip Holtz’s direction and leadership, utilizing the same offensive and defensive systems that helped Birmingham win.
In contrast to several retired or semi-retired experienced head coaches who have treated spring football as a side business, Holtz is totally devoted to fostering a winning culture in Birmingham. He has been fully committed since the beginning.
Continuity is key in the usually turbulent world of spring pro football, where players and coaches seek greater success by leaving for the safer confines of college or the NFL. That’s in Birmingham.
Then there’s Zach Potter, a 23-year-old wunderkind and one of the best emerging talent evaluators in the football world, who is the Stallions’ secret ingredient. With his outstanding performance in The Spring League and the USFL, the Council Bluffs, Iowa native—who started his official football schooling at Iowa Western Community College—has rapidly risen up the professional ranks.
When it comes to picking the top player from among the peripheral NFL players for Spring Pro Football, nobody is as skilled as Potter.
Birmingham’s football brass is among the best, as seen by the Stallions’ on-field accomplishments and their ability to give players the most NFL opportunity.
This is also the reason why, as demonstrated by Birmingham’s most recent signing of Ole Miss standout and 2022 third-round draft pick quarterback Matt Corral, they have grown to be a sought-after destination for athletes seeking a way back into the NFL.
Matt Corral, a former quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, is eager to begin a new chapter in his career with the Stallions.
Copyright USA TODAY Sports, Bob Donnan
With eighteen previous NFL draft selections on their roster, the Stallions have the most of any UFL team. Numerous players from the 2020, 2021, and even 2022 NFL draft pools are among these. With 11 players chosen by NFL teams, St. Louis is the second-closest team in this category.
In addition, there are a total of 18 previous NFL draft selections among the other three teams in the newly formed USFL conference. Moreover, the Stallions are the best of all the UFL clubs, as 35 of the players on their offseason roster had played in the NFL. At 25, San Antonio comes in second in that particular category.
Birmingham has quite the collection of spring pro football standouts spread over its roster, excluding their stockpile of promising recent NFL players.
This is particularly noticeable on defense, namely at linebacker. Now paired with all USFL linebackers Kyahava Tezino, Chris Orr, and the back-from-vacation DeMarquis Gates comes spring league veteran Scooby Wright. Since 2019, the latter has undoubtedly been the best linebacker in the spring.
Given everything that has been documented, what will prevent the Stallions from winning in 2024? We’ll examine the three challenges facing the team as they get ready for the regular season in Parts Two through Four.
