After one week of the UFL, it looks like the name change has helped the Renegades as they look like the top team in the league. The Defenders lay a clunker in week one defending their title from last year. Relocation, relocation, and relocation… only one team prevails from the off-season move. The BattleHawks defense looks legit. The Stallions are still riding in the top of the league. We have contenders & we have pretenders. We will sort it all out with the week two UFL power rankings. We start with the best and work our way down to the mess of the league. Hope you enjoy!!!

#1. DALLAS RENEGADES (1-0) Moved up 4 spots from last week

The Renegades coming into this season on paper have one of the best quarterbacks in the UFL in veteran Luis Perez. Now this franchise may have two of the top 5 quarterbacks in the UFL with Austin Powers, who got the start over the King of the Spring Fling which was Perez.

Austin Reed was SHAGADELIC in his first ever start in the UFL. Reed lit up the Houston Gamblers setting a new single regular season record in the UFL with 376 passing yards while throwing three touchdown passes. The former USFL QB Rick Neuheisel, now the head coach of the Renegades, looks like a quarterback whisperer going with Reed over Perez. The Renegades scored the most points in week 1 with 36. They played well in all 3 phases of the game. The Renegades the last few years always had a defense that can contribute to the score board. As they had a pick six early in the game that set the tempo. They may be the team to beat with solid defense and a well-balanced offense that can do damage with the running game and aerial attack.

#2. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (1-0) Same spot from last week

Do you remember Snoop Dogg was in the ESPN series called the Playmakers which was about a professional football team? The Stallions unveiled their new running back Snoop Connor who racked up 56 yards on the ground for Birmingham in week 1 with a touchdown.

Wide receiver Jaydon Mickens stole the show in his Stallions debut. The former Defender caught 9 balls for 102 yards as he kept the chains moving as Birmingham just got by the Louisville Kings in low scoring game. It was not pretty. Some of the Stallions wins when Skip Holtz was the head coach were not pretty wins. He just racked up a lot of W’s in his time. His teams got better as the season went on. You could see things with the Stallions that have not changed. That bend don’t break defense that thrives on turnovers got two interceptions. Matt Corral was decent behind center. He did not turn over the ball and guided his team to another W on the back of his football card. In sports it is tough to win games on the road. The Stallions can do that in front of sold out crowds in Louisville.

#3. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (1-0) Moved up 1 spot from last week.

The BattleHawks defend their Thunderdome home Mad Max style. St.Louis is now 10-1 in home games going on their 3rd season in the UFL. They were dominated at home when they played in the XFL as well. The BattleHawks certainly got the crowds they normally get as their home opener had plenty of supporters as they knocked off the defending champions, the DC Defenders. The BattleHawks and Defenders is probably the best rivalry in the UFL. In a rivalry that started back in the XFL and certainly carried over to the UFL.

The BattleHawks would have their work cut out for them as they lost their long time head coach Anthony Becht to the sunshine in Orlando. The BattleHawks lost a few defenders from last season. However you would not notice because they looked like the best defense in the league in week 1. It all starts with defensive player of the year from last year in Pita Taumoepenu, who recorded 2.5 sacks in week 1. He led the UFL last season in sacks and is looking for the repeat of that title this season. They held the Defenders to 10 points. They only scored 16 points which was enough to get the first win of the season and knock off your hatred rival at the same time. I think their offense will eventually catch up to their defense. They have a veteran spring QB in Brandon Silvers, who did throw a touchdown pass and made no mistakes. He was okay. Nothing to write home to mom about. St.Louis has some nice weapons for Silvers to put up bigger numbers.

#4. ORLANDO STORM (1-0) Moved up 3 spots from last week

The Storm were the first among the three teams that relocated to a different city to win their first game of the year. Former BattleHawks head coach Anthony Becht keeps his winning ways with his new team, the Storm. The Storm showdown with the Aviators from Columbus was the first battle between teams that relocated from last year. The Storm looks like they found themselves a solid QB who did well in his spring debut.

Jack Plummer had a mutt of a college career suiting up for Louisville, Purdue, and California. He had a cup of coffee with the Carolina Panthers camp in the NFL. He may have found a nice home with the Storm to showcase his talents. Plummer completed 77% of his passes in week 1 win over the Aviators. Plummer went 17-22 for 240 passing yards and a touchdown pass. A solid debut indeed. You know Becht likes to run the ball. His star running back Jashaun Corbin had two rushing touchdowns for 66 yards on the ground. The Storm also have a spring veteran return man and wide Receiver Chris Rowland, who caught Plummer’s only touchdown pass. The Storm is brewing after week 1.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (0-1) Dropped 4 spots from last week

The Defending champs could be experiencing a little hang over from winning it all last week. The Defenders offensively put up a clunker versus their arch rival the BattleHawks on the road, only scoring 10 points. The Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu was horrible with two interceptions. Ta’amu, one of the better QB’s in the UFL for years, was out of sync in his first start of the year. You could blame the Defenders O-line as Ta’amu was sacked 7 times in the game. It is hard winning in Arch Town. The Defenders defense only gave up 16 points so overall this could be just a hiccup for DC getting off to a slow start.

One of the UFL’s rule changes this season is if a kicker hits on a 60 yard or more field goal, the team is awarded 4 points instead of the normal 3 point play. The Defenders kicker Matt McCrane becomes the first kicker to get the 4 point play in the UFL. McCrane nailed a 60 yard field goal in the dome of St.Louis. The UFL kickers have been scooped up by the NFL like Jake Bates when he was playing for the Michigan Panthers a few seasons ago. He was hitting 60 yard field goals for the Panther and the Detroit Lions signed him, as he’s still kicking in motor city today. McCrane could be next.

#6.LOUISVILLE KINGS (0-1) Moved up 2 spots from last week

We know most of America do not like Kings running the country. We have to think the Stallions don’t like kings either as Birmingham has been the King of spring football for years.

Louisville looks like a keeper for the UFL as fans packed their stadium in the season opener under Friday Night Lights. The Kings played well versus the Stallions. Birmingham won the game in the last minutes of regulation. The Kings quarterback Jason Bean looked pretty good despite throwing two interceptions. One was not his fault bouncing off his receiver’s hands. He threw for over 200 yards. He had one touchdown pass. The Kings defense only gave up 15 points. I think Kings head coach Chris Redman will have a solid squad as the season moves on after they get over their growing pains.

#7.COLUMBUS AVIATORS (0-1) Dropped 4 spots from last week.

The Aviators I thought would be better than they were in their first game. The Aviators settled for field goals in the first quarter. They stayed in the game with the Storm the entire way. The Aviators did not score in the second or third quarter. They made things interesting when they scored their first touchdown of the season in the 4th quarter. It was running back Zaquandre White who found the end zone for the Aviators with his first rushing touchdown of the season.

I think the Aviators running game was not very good in week 1. When veteran quarterback Jalen McClendon has to throw the ball 32 times, it’s not a good recipe to win many games in spring. McClendon tallied up over 200 yards in passing. He had no touchdown passes. He did not throw any interceptions. If you give McClendon a well balanced offense, I think the Aviators would convert more touchdowns rather than relying on field goals.

#8.HOUSTON GAMBLERS (0-1) Dropped two spots from week 1

The Gamblers or last years Roughnecks are teams that do not start well in this league. The Gamblers were blown out by the Renegades in the battle of Texas. They gave up not the most points with 36 points. The Gamblers did out score a few teams with 17 points.

One of the Gamblers’ touchdowns was an impressive kickoff return by Jalen Moreno Cooper which is only the 2nd one in league history. You take that away & the Gamblers offense only racked up 10 points. The Gamblers starting quarterback Nolan Henderson had two interceptions which one was a pick six that got the Renegades off to a fast start. The Gamblers may have hope as Hunter Dekkers came in and completed 19-29 passes for 227 passing yards. He had no interceptions and no touchdown passes. He did way better than Henderson. Which is a positive. The Gamblers defense was dissected like a frog in an 8th grade science class which could be a big concern for the entire season that is left on the schedule.