This offseason the GMs of the eight USFL teams have been working harder than anyone behind the scenes. They split the NFL training camps up and covered every single one, sharing info amongst one another. Immediately after season one ended, the new free agent signings began and haven't slowed down since. This article has a list for all 224 new signings split up by teams, with a few new players per team highlighted that could be potential starters and impact players from the jump. These lists include trades, re-signings, and waiver pick-ups.
Birmingham Stallions
1. DE / Darrion Daniels / Nebraska, Oklahoma St.
2. S / T.J. Green / Clemson
3. DB / Rico Gafford / Wyoming
4. OG / Matt Kaskey / Dartmouth
5. TE / Kyle Markway / South Carolina
6. OT / Lukayus McNeil / Louisville
7. QB / Jalen Morton / Prairie View A&M
8. CB / Nate Brooks / North Texas
9. DT / Darius Stills / West Virginia
10. DE / Jordan Thompson / Northwestern
11. ILB / Rashad Smith / FAU
12. C / Cohl Cabral / Arizona St.
13. LB / Elijah Sullivan / Kansas St.
14. CB / Mark Fields II /Clemson
15. OT / Derwin Gray / Maryland
16. LB / Terrill Hanks / New Mexico St
17. WR / Austin Watkins / University of Alabama Birmingham (Via Trade)
18. RB / ZaQuandre White / South Carolina
19. OL / Marquez Tucker / Southern Utah
20. CB / Donnie Lewis Jr / Tulane 21.
21. CB / Brian Allen / Utah (Re-Sign)
22. TE / Jace Sternberger / Kansas
23. OL / Jacob Capra / San Diego St
24. DL / Joe Ozougwu / Arkansas St
Darius Still recently called his shot on our network show Talkin With Hype that he will be the Defensive Player of the Year in USFL season two. With his agility and fierce competitive mindset, he may just make his prediction a reality.
Rico Gafford has NFL level speed and is a steal for a spring league. He has spent his last few years on practice squads, and may just need a boost in tape with a season in the USFL to propel him to a 53 man roster.
Philadelphia Stars
1. WR / Samuel Akem /Montana
2. WR / Devin Gray / WR- (Re-sign)
3. OT / Airon Servais / Syracuse
4. OT / Tristen Taylor / Eastern Wash
5. WR / Keric Wheatfall / Fresno
6. QB / Kevin Thomson / Washington
7. DT / Tyler Clark / Georgia
8. CB / Stanford Samuels / Florida State
9. DT / Jordan Scott / Oregon
10. DB / Devin Taylor / Bowling Green
11. S / Jack Tocho / NC State
12. DB / Denzel Williams / Villanova
13. LB / Kadofi Wright / Buffalo
14. RB / Dexter Williams / Notre Dame (Re-sign)
15. WR / Keric Wheatfall / Fresno State
16. CB / Channing Stribling / Michigan (Re-Sign)
17. LB / Te'von Coney / Notre Dame
18. TE / Ryan Izzo / Florida State
19. TE / Lawrence Dalla Betta / West Florida
20. DB / Cody Brown / Arkansas St
21. LB / Jordan Genmark Heath / Notre Dame
22. LB / Joey Alfieri / Standford
23. RB / Jordan Scarlett / Florida
24. LB / Jordan Moore / TCU
25. LB / Darius Hodge / Marshall
The Stars have a glaring hole at QB which is a bright opening for Kevin Thompson out of Washington.
Dexter Williams was only with the Stars for one game last season, but immediately improved a run game that was depleted with injury. Being drafted by the 3 letter league, he then chose to return to the city of brotherly love instead.
DB Stribling has moved on from the USFL leaving room for a new interceptions leader. Stanford Samuels impressed at Florida State and is next in line to start for Philly.
New Jersey Generals
1. WR / De'Mornay Pierson-El / Nebraska
2. OL / Saige Young / Vanderbilt
3. WR / Marcus Green / La-Monroe
4. DB / Jermaine Ponder / St. Francis
5. OT / Chibueze Nwanna / Charlotte
6. DT / Kenneth Randall / University of Charleston
7. CB / Adehkeem Brown / Quincy
8. WR / Warren Newman / Jackson St.
9. CB / Michael Sam / La. Tech
10. DT / Tyrone Truesdell / Florida
11. LB / Willie Eubanks III / Citadel
12. OL / Sean McMoore / Vanderbilt
13. WR / Arthur Jackson III / E. Michigan
14. DE / Justin Cates / N.C. A&T
15. TE / Bryson Cannon / E. Michigan
16. WR / Darrell Stewart / Michigan St.
17. LB / Bryan Wright / Cincinnati
18. OT / Jahmir Johnson / Texas A&M/Tennessee
19. WR / Anthony Turner / Grand View
20. OL / Bruce Trigg / NC Central/Morgan St.
21. QB / DaQuan Neal / Elizabeth City St.
22. DB / Hasan Muhammad-rogers / Lincoln University
23. OL / Jonathan Timmons / Alabama A&M
24. OL / Isaiah Battle / Clemson (Trade)
25. CB / Trae Elston / Mississippi
26. OL / Terry Poole / San Diego State
27. TE / Charles Jones / Tulane
28. WR / Chris Platt / Baylor
29. CB / Iman Marshall / USC
30. CB / Meiko Dotson / FIU
31. P / Brock Miller / Southern Utah (Re-Sign)
32. CB / Blake Countess / Michigan
33. K / Nick Sciba / Wake Forest
KaVonte Turpin was the staple of the Generals offense, with him having a 3 year contract with the Cowboys, Warren Newman is the logical man to step into his role. Whether or not he can fully fill the shoes of the reigning MVP is up in the air.
Hasan Muhammad-rogers is a tough young defensive back who can help one of the worst statistical defenses tighten up in season two.
With Luis Perez gone, Riley may still want to utilize a dual QB system that would now include DaQuan Neal moving over to the USFL from the IFL after being named the league MVP. If Riley decides he wants to try using a singular QB in season two, Neal can give Johnson a run for his money, literally.
New Orleans Breakers
1. S / Darion Slade / Campbell
2. LB / Samuel Wright / Princeton
3. WR / Eli Stove / Auburn
4. OL / Kenny Thomas / Louisville
5. QB / Aqeel Glass / Alabama A&M
6. DL / Justus Reed / Virginia Tech, Youngstown State
7. DL / Justus Reed / Youngstown State
8. LB / Zakoby McClain / Aubrun
9. QB / Davis Cheek / Elon
10. WR / Reggie Davis / Georgia
11. CB / Josh Valentine-Turner / FIU
12. DB / Derrion Rakestraw / Colorado
13. DL / Chris Richardson / UTEP
14. LB / Jordan Brailford / Oklahoma State
15. OL / Tyler Roemer / San Diego State
16. OL / Salesi Uhatafe / Utah
Glass is the most recent addition to the roster brought in by the new GM, he is under a QB oriented head coach who hand selected him to possibly start. Also, a fan favorite and HBCU legend coming out of college in 2021.
WR Eli Stove is a versatile player with all of the intangibles necessary to impact the offense immediately. If used creatively, he will have the ball every drive.
Memphis Showboats
1. LB / LB Mack III / Road Island University
2. WR / DJ Meyers / Midwestern St
3. WR / Ryan McDaniel / NC Central
4. LB / Abdulmalik Lawal / Arizona St
5. DE / Kahzin Daniels / University of Charleston
6. CB / Karrheem Darrington / Bethel University in Tennessee
7. OG / Kwan Stallworth / Valdosta St
8. DB / Lamont McPhatter / California University of Pennsylvania
9. RB / David Hamm / McNeese St
10. WR / Jeff Ejekam / Army at WestPoint
11. TE / Darrell Adams / Azusa Pacific
12. RB / Justin Stockton / Texas Tech
13. TE / Jay Jay Wilson / Auburn
14. DE / Big Kat Bryant / Auburn, UCF
15. LB / Nate Hall / Northwestern
16. OC / Brett Heggie / Florida
17. WR / Talolo Limu-Jones / E. Washington
18. DT / Viane Moala / Utah/Hawaii
19. DE / Jordan Williams / Va. Tech, Clemson
20. DB / Lamont Wade / Penn State 21.
21. OL / Malik Clark / Kansas
22. WR / John Mitchell / FAU
23. LB / Aaron Hansford / Texas A&M
24. RB / Kerrith Whyte / FAU
25. DT / Dillon Faamatau / Oklahoma
26. RB / Justin Stockton / Texas Tech
27. DE / Drew Jordan / Michigan St, Duke
28. OL / Syrus Tuitele / Fresno State (Trade)
29. OL / Dustin Burns / Northwestern St
30. TE / Daniel Helm / Duke
31. WR / Derrick Dillion / LSU
32. WR / Rashard Davis / Penn State
33. CB / Josh Nurse / Utah (Trade)
34. RB / Alex Collins / Arkansas
35. OL / Jarron Jones / Notre Dame (Re-Sign)
36. CB / Troy Warner / BYU
37. QB / Cole Kelley / Southeastern Louisiana
38. K / Alex Kessman / Pittsburgh
The Quarterback position was a point of contention last year with some people saying they needed a change and others unsure, but one thing they can be sure of is that 6'7 Cole Kelley and his mobility will put up a fight for the starting position.
Big Kat Bryant is a defensive lineman a year out of UCF where he had 5 sacks, 53 tackles, and 3 pass deflections. His playmaking ability and the holes left in the Showboats DL after some suspect releases make him the top contender to pass rush for Memphis.
Linebacker Nate Hall was a star in the defensive midfield at Northwestern raking up big stats in big games. He had 9 tackles against Notre Dame and 2 interceptions against rival Minnesota his senior year. In the NFL he had 2 sacks in a single regular season game, sacking Matthew Stafford. It has been a while since we have seen him play in a game, but that may end soon with him on the Showboats.
Houston Gamblers
1. LB / Brandon Payer / CSU Pueblo
2. DE / Reggie Ngozi Walker / Kansas State
3. TE / Clint Sigg / Lindenwood
4. DB / Nazir Streater / Long Island University
5. WR / Deontez Alexander / Franklin College
6. WR / Joshua Moore / Texas
7. DT / Dion Novil / University of North Texas
8. WR / Keke Chism / Missouri
9. DB / Nick Grant / Virginia
10. DB / Malcolm Washington / University of Northern Iowa
11. LB / Storey Jackson / Liberty University
12. OL / Braylon Jones / University of Houston
13. OL / Na'Ty Rodgers / University of Houston
14. OL / Bamidele Olanesi / University of Utah
15. DB / Stefan Claiborne / Western Michigan University
16. DB / Brandon Brooks / University of Regina
17. WR / Justin Hall /Ball State
18. DB / Trey Hoskins / Lincoln State
19. LB / Jordan Young / Old Dominion
20. DL / Eli Howard / Texas Tech
21. DB / Dayan Lake Ghanwoloku / BYU
22. DL / Ronheen Bingham / Arkansas State
23. OL / Taylor Tappin / Sacramento State
24. RB / TJ Pledger / Oklahoma, Utah
25. DL / Chigozie "Go Zay" Nnoruka / UCLA, Miami The U
26. DB / Donald Rutledge / Georgia Southern
27. QB / Montell Cozart / Boise State
28. TE / Brandon Barnes / Alabama State (Re-Sign)
29. WR / Jojo Ward / Hawaii (Re-Sign)
30. LS / Cole Mazza / Alabama
31. LB / Khalan Tolson / Illinois
The Gamblers wide receivers were underutilized, but talented. Signing Justin Hall adds to that talent and brings a versatility that was missing in season one. His change of direction ability and true slot potential could be his way into the starting lineup.
With Domenique Davis moving up to the Bengals, there is a need for a new big body in the center of the Gamblers defensive line. At 6'4" and 310 lbs, Dion Novil could be the answer, and could fill Davis' shoes as soon as he steps on the practice field.
With Will Likely and Jamar Summers both deciding not to return, the door is wide open for a new staple playmaker in the Houston Secondary. Nazir Streater has already shown his playmaking ability in college when he topped the ESPN Top Ten plays with a one handed interception. GM Bob Morris raved about his stats saying, "you can't teach high numbers in the interception column". Safe to say, he could be a big name soon.
Pittsburgh Maulers
1. QB / Chase Fourcade / Nichols State
2. QB / Troy Williams / Utah
3. QB / James Morgan- FIU
4. RB / Duane Gary- Western Connecticut
5. FB / Mason Stokke - Wisconsin
6. TE / Datryan Evans- Friends
7. WR / Josh Simmons- Prairie View
8. WR / Hunter Rison - Grand Valley
9. DB / Xavier Lewis- SLU
10. DB / Caleb Ham- Fordham
11. DB / Trajan Bandy- Miami
12. DB / Sedevyn Gray- West Bama
13. DB / Shedrick Kirk- Kentucky Wesleyan
14. P / Matt Mengal- UCLA (Re-sign New Team)
15. K / Nate Hierlhy- Redlands
16. WR /Bailey Gaither / San Jose State (Re-Sign)
17. LS / Luke Barnes- Alabama State
18. DB / Eric Burrell- Wisconsin
19. OL / Dominic Logan / Oklahoma State
20. DL / Vaughn Taylor / Morehead State
21. OL / Coto Thomas- Sam Houston State
22. OL / Jerome Brown / Lincoln (CA)
23. WR / Samson Nacua / BYU
24. DB / Beau Tanner / BYU
25. QB / Connor Sampson / Western Illinois
26. LB / Reuben Foster / Alabama
Vaughn Taylor is a monster on the defensive line that only will add to the depth and veracity of the Maulers pass rush. Racking up 23 TFLs and 10 sacks his senior year at Morehead State, he will be at least a rotational player for the black and gold.
Hunter Rison is a wide receiver with big playmaking ability in his DNA. The son of Andre Rison, he was brought in to fill holes in the passing game that will be essential with Pittsburgh's revitalized offense.
The defensive coordinator of the Maulers scooped up a familiar face from his collegiate coaching career with defensive back Xavier Lewis. It would be an easy mental leap to assume he wouldn't bring him in without intentions of using him in the system he played in college.
Michigan Panthers
1. DB / Kiante Hardin / Pittsburgh State
2. DB / Keandre Evans / Ouachita Baptist University
3. WR / La’Darius McElroy / Ouachita Baptist University
4. RB / LaDarren Brown / Oklahoma State
5. DB / Warren Saba / East Carolina (Re-sign)
6. LB / Paddy Fisher / Northwestern
7. LB / Charles Williams / Northwood
8. OT / Ka'John Armstrong / Eastern Michigan
9. OL / Gene Pryor / Hawaii
10. WR / Mister "Whop" Philyor / Indiana
11. DT / Jamal Milan / Illinois
12. OL / Noah Johnson / Kansas St
13. DT / Garrett Marino / UAB
14. TE / Cole Hikutini / Louisville
15. TE / Kyle Markway / South Carolina (Trade)
16. LB / Leon Jacobs / Wisconsin
17. OT / Ryan Nelson / Virginia
18. OT / Corey Hoelck / Nebraska-Kearney
19. OL / Api Mane / FIU, Kansas
20. WR / AJ Richardson / Boise St.
21. WR / Isaiah McKoy / Kent St.
22. DE / Breeland Speaks / Ole Miss
23. OL / Denzel Okafor / Texas
24. RB / Stevie Scott III / Indiana (Re-Sign)
25. RB / Joshua Adams / Notre Dame
26. WR / Talolo Limu-Jones / Eastern Washington (Trade)
27. WR / Trey Quinn / LSU
28. CB / Levonta Taylor / Florida State
29. RB / Reggie Corbin / Illinois (Re-Sign)
30. DL / Robert Nkemdiche / Ole Miss
31. WR / Ishmael Hyman / James Madison (Re-Sign)
Warren Saba is an interesting signing because this is not his first USFL contract. In the inaugural USFL season Saba was set to be a key defensive player for the Panther's, but his season was cut very short by a season ending injury on the opening drive week 1. After a prolific career at ECU, he immediately earned a starting position with the Panthers. There should be even more excitement around him in season 2.
AJ Richardson fills a key role that Lance Lenoir's questionable return opens. He is a sure handed WR that can get open, but also win contested catches. One of his last performances was with the Arizona Cardinals against the Broncos in NFL preseason, where he had 5 receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown. This momentum might carry into a strong performance during the USFL season.
No one will argue that a missing piece in the Panther's defense was the pass rush. The Panthers had plenty of talent on defense, but struggled to wrangle down QBs like J'Mar Smith and Case Cookus. With the former first rounder Robert Nkemdiche, they have a force to reckon with on the D Line that will draw double teams and specific scheming to slow down.
The USFL will be full of new faces in season two. 224
new players that are taking action towards reaching their NFL goals. While it is uncertain what lays ahead for these new players, they will play a large role in making season two of the USFL as exciting as possible.
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