March 30 is a big day for football. Gone are the days of the XFL and USFL. Instead, football fans will be able to follow the new UFL. Unlike the NFL, we don't have the advantage of a long preseason covered by beat writers. As a result, fans are not always certain how depth charts will shake out. In addition, knowledge of playing time can be problematic.
When looking at the top players, I typically look for one of two things. First, if a player has NFL experience, I am biased toward predicting more success than players who only played in lesser leagues. Secondly, if a player had success in either the XFL or USFL, I am more comfortable predicting those players to have continued success.
All disclaimers aside, the following players are my picks to click during the 2024 UFL inaugural season.
Quarterback
A.J. McCarron, St. Louis Battlehawks
McCarron is still young for a quarterback. He'll be 33 years old this season. Remember, the Bengals drafted him in the fifth round back in 2014. The veteran has been on an NFL roster in each of the last seven seasons. However, McCarron only attempted 179 career passes. Last year, the QB had nine starts for the Battlehawks. In that season, McCarron posted the most TDs (24) in XFL history. In addition, he had an impressive 68.8 percent completion rate. Look for McCarron to carry the Battlehawks offense. Among his receivers, McCarron has two strong options in Hakeem Butler and Marcell Ateman.
Luis Perez, Arlington Renegades
The biggest claim to fame for Perez is that he led the Renegades to the XFL title last year. The QB won the MVP in the championship game with 288 yards and three touchdown passes. In five full regular season games, Perez recorded at least 269 yards three times. In addition, he had a pair of games with three TD passes. In an odd 2023 season, Perez started the year with the Vegas Vipers before being traded to the Renegades. Perez won't likely produce much on the ground, as he is a pocket passer. However, he's shown that he has a solid floor with a strong ceiling in leading an offense.
Running Back
Anthony McFarland, San Antonio Brahmas
McFarland was drafted by the Steelers in 2020. However, he had little work in four seasons. The running back handled 42 carries for 146 yards and caught 11 passes for 87 yards. In addition, he returned kicks for Pittsburgh. During his four NFL seasons, McFarland was often on the practice squad. He should start the season as the Brahmas' lead running back. If McFarland has immediate success, he could see a large role in the offense all year.
Abram Smith, D.C. Defenders
Smith was last year's leading XFL rusher. The runner posted 788 yards and seven touchdowns on 157 carries. Smith also tacked on 91 receiving yards. Smith had over 400 more yards than the next top XFL running back. The running back was incredible at forcing missed tackles. Smith also tied for the XFL league lead with 31 red zone opportunities. If there is an issue that could cost him playing time, Smith fumbled four times and lost two. Regardless, Smith proved to be an excellent player who should have a lead role for the Defenders. It's quite possible that Smith repeats his success in 2024.
Wayne Gallman, St. Louis Battlehawks
Gallman played with the Giants for the first four years of his career. He was often a backup to Saquon Barkley. When called upon, Gallman was impressive. The running back produced 4.27 yards per carry over 338 carries. During the last two seasons, Gallman spent time as a reserve for both the Falcons and Vikings. Although he'll be 29 years old this season, he has very light NFL usage. As a result, Gallman may still be good enough to have an edge over other UFL running backs. He may not be a big name, but it wouldn't be stunning if Gallman ended up being a top back in this league.
Mark Thompson, Houston Roughnecks
Thompson is in his third year with the Roughnecks. When healthy in 2023, Thompson had over 65 percent of the carries and red-zone opportunities for Houston. As a result, Thompson was second in the USFL with 653 rushing yards. He also led the league with 14 rushing touchdowns. Although Thompson posted 90 receiving yards, it's likely he functions more as an early-down runner and goal-line option than as a receiver. Coming off a very successful season, Thompson could be one of the league's top producers.
Wide Receivers
Hakeem Butler, St. Louis Battlehawks
Butler was the 103rd player selected in the 2019 NFL draft. He's a physically dominating player at 6'5", 225 pounds. When he entered the NFL, Butler posted an impressive (especially for his size) 4.48 40-yard dash along with 76th-percentile explosiveness. He was the top St. Louis receiver last year, posting 51 catches, 599 yards, eight touchdowns and 69 targets. Despite his size, Butler played over 70 percent of his snaps in the slot. It appears that his coaches figured out that even though the receiver has an advantage on the outside, Butler is very difficult to stop in the middle of the field. It also helps that Butler will have A.J. McCarron, who may be the best QB in the UFL, throwing him the football.
Keke Coutee, D.C. Defenders
Coutee was on NFL rosters from 2018 through 2022. In 2023, the Dolphins cut him loose during training camp. At his best, Coutee was a solid slot receiver, capable of exploiting zone defenses. Although Coutee was productive with the Texans from 2018-2020, his best season was 2020. During that campaign, the receiver caught 33 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. After his time in Houston, he spent two years with the Colts, though Coutee rarely saw the field. Still, just 27 years old, Coutee profiles to be one of the best possession receivers in the UFL.
Marcell Ateman, St. Louis Battlehawks
Yes, we're listing another receiver from St. Louis. It certainly helps Ateman that A.J. McCarron is a quarterback who can carry a UFL passing attack. As opposed to Hakeem Butler, who ran many of his routes from the slot last year, Ateman is a perimeter receiver, who should secure a full-time role. In 2023, Ateman was often used as a downfield threat. The receiver played six games, catching 19 passes for 259 yards. An advantage Ateman has is his size. He is listed at 6'4" and 216 pounds. Ateman will be bigger and faster than most of the cornerbacks assigned to cover him. Even though Ateman didn't have sustained success in the NFL, he had 41 targets with the Raiders in 2018-2019. Those targets resulted in a stat line of 20/270/1 with no drops. Look for Ateman to retain his role as a downfield threat.
Dezmon Patmon, Michigan Panthers
Patmon has played four seasons in the NFL. He played with the Colts and Bills. During his career, he only caught four passes for 45 yards and a TD. Usually, preseason NFL action means little. However, Patton was productive in NFL preseason games, averaging three catches, 47 yards and 0.25 touchdowns over eight games. Those are excellent preseason numbers. Also, Patmon faced better defenders in those preseason games than he'll likely see in the UFL. One thing that will give Patmon an advantage in this league is his size. The receiver is 6'4" and weighs 225 pounds. Patmon should bring a level of physicality that should help him be very productive.
Tight End
Jace Sternberger, Birmingham Stallions
Sternberger was a third-round pick of the Packers in 2019. Even though he didn't see many receiving opportunities, Sternberger caught 12 passes for 114 yards and a TD on 15 targets in 2020. After two years in Green Bay, Sternberger was on the Steelers' and Bills' practice squads in 2022 and 2023. Sternberger led the Stallions in target share last year despite being a tight end. Sternberger was often used as a slot receiver. That led to him finishing second among TEs with 517 yards. In addition, Sternberger led all TEs with seven TDs. Expect Sternberger to continue seeing heavy targets in the middle of the field, which should turn into another successful season for the TE.
Sage Surratt, Memphis Showboats
Surratt was a sixth-round NFL draft pick in 2022. Although he didn't last with an NFL team, he made a big impact in the USFL last year. Surratt caught 50 passes for 552 yards. The tight end was third in yardage at his position. The Showboats would be wise to continue using Surratt as a high-volume option in the middle of the field. That should lead to him having another successful season.
Cody Latimer, San Antonio Brahmas
Latimer was a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft as a wide receiver. Latimer played four years with the Broncos and two with the Giants. The receiver had his best NFL season in 2019 when he caught 24 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns on 42 targets. At 6'3", 216 pounds, Latimer can be used as a wide receiver or a tight end. He played all over the formation last year for the Orlando Guardians, but Latimer ran over 80 percent of his snaps from the slot. His usage resulted in a 43/523/4 stat line in eight games. Since Latimer is a weapon in the UFL that creates problems for opposing defenses, expect him to be one of the top receiving tight ends in the league.
