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SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 10

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The post-season is clear with the 4 teams making the tournament. The XFL Conference will have the Defenders and BattleHawks while the USFL Conference will have the Panthers and Stallions. Right now St.Louis looks like the best team in the league. The Stallions are rising up just in time to win their 4th title game in a row. The Stallions still own the kittens in Michigan. The Defenders could be that thorn in the BattleHawks side to prevent a Birmingham St.Louis showdown. Still one more week of regular season to play. The Roughnecks and Renegades finally win last week. Too little too late. But they could both end up at 5-5. The Brahmas and Showboats are back to their old tricks. Let’s sort it out as we have some movement in this week’s UFL power rankings.

WEEK 10 POWER RANKINGS WORST TO FIRST

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-8)

XFL CONFERENCE: The Brahmas were dead last in my UFL power rankings most of the year. Nothing changed from last week as they are still there because they can not go any lower except on the field of play.

The lady standing wearing the horns with all the tattoos is a keeper one to bring home to mom. Makes one feel like Sunday morning waking up wondering what you drank. If you are a fan of the Brahmas, you better keep a few bottles of the strong stuff by you. This team is horrible & a skeleton of itself from one season ago. Without Wade Phillips being the grand Poobah of this Texan team, in the future I don’t see things turning around.

The Brahmas on Friday night last week played one quarter out of 4 as they made it a close game at 15-7 with the BattleHawks. St.Louis blew the doors off the Brahmas, 39-13. The BattleHawks offense had 402 total yards compared to the Brahmas 234. The Brahmas average play went for 4.3 yards while St.Louis averaged 6.8 yards per play. The running back Jashaun Corbin is the only thing going well for the Brahmas. He had another 85 yards on the ground with a touchdown. He averaged 6.1 yards per play. The Brahmas went back to Kellen Mond at quarterback who is not very good. No mistakes, but his completion rate is hovering around 50%. He completed 14-26 passes for 103 yards. Not very good. The Brahmas will have to address their QB situation and hope they can bring back their Grand Poobah as head coach next season.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (2-7)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Showboats take a knee in week 9 as they know they are not the worst team in the league after winning week 8 against the Brahmas. The lucky 7th spot is the same spot they have clung to all year.

The Showboats gave veteran spring quarterback EJ Perry another shot behind center in week 9 versus the Renegades defense. Perry fumbled the ball on a strip sack by the Renegades defense. He completed 5-11 passes for 89 passing yards. Dresser Winn saw some action after sitting out the Brahmas game from an injury. He really did not do well as he completed 7-16 passes for 89 passing yards. Winn looked good for a few games, but overall the Showboats QBs were disappointing this season. Even only completing about 50% of their passes, Memphis hung with the Renegades through 3 quarters. After the first half it was 12-9 Arlington. It was 18-12 Arlington after the 3rd quarter until the Renegades sunk the boat in the 4th for good.

Some diver will discover the Memphis Showboats 2025 season wreckage in years to come. Jalen Jackson had another rushing touchdown for the season. The running game was horrific as the Showboats starter, Deneric Prince, averaged 2 yards per carry versus the Renegades defense.

For the season Prince averaged 3.1 yards per carry as he has 97 rushes for the season so far for 298 yards on the ground with only 1 touchdown. Matt Coghlin scored 6 points going 2-2 in field goals. We will see if the Showboats survive next season as a team that could change cities as the Yacht Club seemed to have forgotten where the stadium was this season.

The Showboats need to address their QB situation and find someone that can carry the load running the football next season.

#6.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (4-5)

USFL CONFERENCE: Even with the win last week they are still in the same spot from last week the way everything played out in week 9.

The Roughnecks finally got that signature victory against a winning opponent in week 9 when they took down the DC Defenders in a thriller. Now that blown lead against the Stallions comes back to bite the Roughnecks as they could still be in the mix if they held on and beat Birmingham. Even knowing they were out of the post-season, you have to give Houston kudos for coming out playing hard versus the Defenders and it earned them their 4th victory of the season. They could go 5-5 if the Panthers lay down their arms and rest players this weekend before post-season play in game that does not mean anything to Michigan. The Roughnecks had to hold on versus the Defenders in the 4th quarter where they almost gave this game away. The Defenders scored 12 points in the 4th to cut the Roughnecks lead into 3 points. The Roughnecks dominated the entire game except in the 4th quarter. The Roughnecks got a blocked field goal and a defensive stop to put this one on ice. The Roughnecks defense forced two turnovers as Leon O’Neal Jr. had a big fumble recovery that set up a Houston score and got the interview afterwards.

Jalen McClendon at quarterback is a keeper. If only the Roughnecks started him from game one, maybe they are in the post-season. If Houston does not keep him, he is definitely a starter in the UFL for somebody for years to come. He had 232 yards passing with two touchdown passes & no interceptions. Justin Hall had another monster day. Jalen’s favorite target had 10 catches for 126 receiving yards. The Roughnecks ran the ball well. The most important thing was they avoided second half collapse. Barely.

#5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (4-5)

XFL CONFERENCE: Renegades remain in the number 5 spot overall because they are not in the top 4 teams of the UFL. Instead a team on the bubble for that 4th spot with their roller coaster season.

The Renegades played lights out on defense last week versus the Showboats. They held the Memphis offense to total of 173 yards. The two Showboats quarterbacks completed under 50% of their throws. Memphis lingered in this game and finally in the 4th quarter, Arlington as a whole put a team away. Both the Renegades offense and defense showed you flashes on how this team could be a playoff team, but they have not had enough games or quarters like that this season together. They did not blow a 4th quarter lead either. The Renegades defense was awesome creating turnovers, pressuring the quarterback, and not giving them time to analyze the field.

Willie Taylor III forced two fumbles & recovered one of them for the Renegades defense. He also had two sacks. The Renegades defense held the Showboats running game to 42 yards. Luis Perez always has the stats as he completed 20-30 for 206 passing yards and two touchdown passes and converted drives into points in the 4th quarter. I can see the Renegades finishing the season at 5-5 which is the up and down season they have had and if they closed out some of those games, it would be different world for them.

#4. DC DEFENDERS (6-3)

XFL CONFERENCE: I have the Defenders dropping one spot from last week with the loss to the Roughnecks.

The Defenders to me are the worst team out of the playoff teams. However they seem like they have the BattleHawks’ number so you could see them advancing to the title game. They were down early to the Roughnecks last week and fought back in the 4th quarter to make it a game and fell short. The Defenders quarterbacks threw the ball over 50 times. The Defenders aerial attack is the best in the league. They had two quarterbacks that put up eye popping stats.

We know about Jordan Ta’amu who the Defenders rested because they are locked in playing the BattleHawks in the playoffs and in the final week of the season. The other guy, Mike Diliello, looks like a starter in the UFL in the future. He completed 17-29 passes for 206 passing yards and a touchdown pass. Teams like the Showboats & Brahmas would love a guy like that to be the starting QB for them. As a group the Defenders ran for 87 yards which is better than most weeks. The Defenders missed a field goal that could have tied the game last week late in the 4th. I think this team relies too much on the pass and not enough balance to sustain long drives. They can score quickly. The Defenders defense seem to spend too much time out there on the field. They are a bend, but don’t break defense and rely on sacks and turnovers which sometimes do not materialize for that unit.

#3. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (6-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Panthers drop 1 spot from last week as they lose a close one to the division rival Stallions.

The Panthers got back the man on their defense. Last year’s defensive player of the year Breeland Speaks just in time for their arch rival Stallions in a big game between these two teams. The Panthers and Stallions will meet up in the post-season and no matter who won this game, the USFL conference championship was going to be played in Birmingham. If the Panthers win the conference, they are on the road no matter what. That did not happen, but both teams wanted it. The Panthers did not play their top QB perhaps saving Bryce Perkins for that playoff battle. Danny Etling has played very well filling in for Perkins and he completed 23-39 passes for 236 passing yards and two touchdown passes.

Siaosi Mariner continues to play well with whoever is the QB in Michigan. Now you probably know why Marcus Simms became expendable as he was traded to Houston weeks ago. Mariner caught 5 balls for 115 yards and hauled in a touchdown. Once again not enough to beat the Stallions who have the Panthers’ number. The Panthers defense could not stop the Stallions on 3rd down and remained on the field longer than you like to see. The Stallions then made the key stop on the Panthers offense to seal the deal in a 26-22 victory. The Stallions sweep the season series versus the Panthers. Mike Nolan head coach of the Panthers has not been able to beat Skip Holtz, the Birmingham head coach. The Stallions are the Panther’s kryptonite in this league. Until the Panthers can beat the Stallions, they will not win it all.

#2.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (6-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Stallions move up 2 spots beating their division rival the Panthers.

The Stallions have the Michigan Panthers’ number. This has been going on for years. The Stallions sweep the season series versus the Panthers and have control of the USFL conference. Win or loss the Stallions were hosting a home game in the USFL conference title game. Now you can see that the Stallions are gearing up to try to win their 4th title in a row and second UFL trophy. They are doing it with a guy that was managing a Dunkin Donuts a few weeks back and retired from the game.

Not that guy, but J’mar Smith got the call from his head coach Skip to come back. Injuries had inserted Smith back into the QB 1 role.

Smith never left the Birmingham area after retiring as he is the guy that helped the Stallions win their very first title game in the reboot of the USFL. Smith came up big versus the Panthers throwing for 307 yards with two touchdown passes. The Stallions completed 11/13 3rd down conversions. It has felt like all season the Stallions had many more losses than 3. Here they are now with 6 wins & could be 7 this weekend. They don’t go away.

#1.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (7-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: They gave the worst team a beat down to remain number 1 in the same spot as last week.

Do we have a QB controversy brewing in Arch Town? We know the success Max Duggan has had being the starter when Manny Wilkens’ season ended with an injury weeks ago. Duggan gives the BattleHawks that running QB with that running game which makes them a hard team to beat. In garbage time as Duggan was taken out of the game last week because the BattleHawks were beating up on the Brahmas, they inserted his back up. Not a bad idea to give the back up QB some reps just in case. Brandon Silvers, a journeymen spring QB, sparked the aerial attack for the BattleHawks which has been dormant at times this season even with the success they have still had. He completed 7-10 passes for 100 yards with a touchdown pass. Silvers had played for the Memphis Express back in the AAF in 2019. Last year, he played for the Roughnecks. He has also suited up for the Seattle Sea dragons of the XFL. Not a bad thing to have two sets of skills the BattleHawks can deploy on a opponent in post-season. The back ups were looking like all-stars versus the Brahmas. Back up running back Keon Latulas had 8 carries for 66 yards and a rushing touchdown. That is 8.2 yards a clip. The BattleHawks go into week 10 with the best record in the UFL and play the their archrival the Defenders who gave them one of the losses this season. The BattleHawks have back to back games versus the Defenders including the XFL Conference title game in St.Louis. They have to figure out how to beat the Defenders and the important one will be the post-season. It is nice they have some roster depth as this could be the BattleHawks’ year.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 9

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According to the Godfather, the Stallions are on notice in the UFL. The BattleHawks collected a signature win and are still perched high above the UFL power rankings. We have a winner from the Toilet bowl of the UFL that took OT to decide. Not much movement in the UFL power rankings going into week 9. We have established the 4 best teams as post-season is ironing out in this second season of the UFL. Week 9 we will jump in TO dissect everything except the Stallions head.

WEEK 9 POWER RANKINGS WORST TO FIRST

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-7)

XFL CONFERENCE: I think it is official that we can say the Brahmas have clinched the last spot in the UFL power rankings. We probably could have said that in week two as well.

The Brahmas had a chance to escape being the doormat of the league. They played the Memphis Showboats last weekend who came in to week 8 having one victory. The Brahmas came in having that lone victory that sets up an epic toilet bowl battle. The Showboats were missing their starting quarterback in this one. The Brahmas offense has been on life support most of the year until they inserted Jashaun Corbin at running back. They have also done better with Kevin Hogan as their quarterback. This had all the ingredients to be a close game which it was, as it went to overtime. Being the worst team in the league playing against another bad team, you can not turn over the ball. We may have seen the last of Hogan who had three interceptions in this one, but San Antonio still could have won it in the shoot out. Corbin did his thing – 25 carries for 143 rushing yards and one touchdown. He caught 5 balls for 38 yards. The Brahmas banked on a trick play with tight end Steven Stillianos throwing a touchdown strike.

Stiillianos was a quarterback in high school who took a pass from Hogan. He caught & then threw a 38 yard strike to wide receiver Dee Anderson for six points. Mistakes killed the cattle from San Antonio. The Brahmas missed a field goal that could have prevented overtime. Hogan’s last pass falls incomplete in the OT shootout to give Memphis the win.

#7.MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (2-6)

USFL CONFERENCE: They won the toilet bowl and have not flushed out of the 7th spot from last week.

The Showboats have been playing much better when their starting quarterback became Dresser Winn. Winn would not play versus the Brahmas because he had an injury he suffered against the BattleHawks in week 7. He did finish the game. That means the Showboats had to rely on spring veteran Troy Williams, who has not been very good this season. You have to go back a few seasons when Williams was in the USFL with the Pittsburgh Maulers. He was game manager. Williams against the Brahmas he completed 5-11 passes for 36 yards. How the hell do the Showboats win this game with 36 passing yards? The Showboats floated with their running game and defense. Williams did have 29 yards with his legs. Jalen Jackson had 7 carries for 76 yards.

Jackson also had a rushing touchdown. The Showboats were without veteran running back Will Hills who got hurt after finding his way back into the league from an injury last season. The Showboats defense came up big with three interceptions.

Cameron Dantzler had a pick six off a bad decision by Kevin Hogan. In toilet bowl games, it seems each team wants to gift wrap the victory to the other team. Williams hit wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter II for a 12 yard pass, but he would fumble the ball as the Brahmas stayed in this game. I will say Troy Williams came up big in the shoot out hitting two conversions. The only games Memphis has won this season is in overtime which they can hang their hats on as they are 2-0 in OT.

#6. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-5)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Roughnecks season was deflated from the Stallions’ comeback in week 7, which haunted them in week 8 as this team looked and played like the walking dead. They are still lingering in the same spot from last week.

Beetlejuice looks like the Roughnecks head coach Curtis Johnson after their loss to the Michigan Panthers. The Roughnecks won three straight games and have been playing well. They brought that momentum into the Stallions game and built a 25-6 halftime lead, only to watch it fade away in the second half. Last week, the Panthers second string QB struck oil versus Houston, and the Roughnecks could not contain the spill. In the first half, the Roughnecks did play well as they went to the half down by a field goal. Then the second half once again turned into the walking dead. The Roughnecks ran the ball as a group for 125 yards on the ground. Jalen McClendon had 316 passing yards with two touchdown passes but served up a interception.

Justin Hall had 11 catches in this game for 88 yards and hauled in one of the touchdown passes. Hall now has 48 catches for the season for 363 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. You can’t play one half of solid football against the top teams in any sporting league and expect to win those games. Houston will be home for the post-season.

#5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-5)

XFL CONFERENCE: The short end of the stick is Renegades football this season as they are stuck in glue at the number 5 spot.

The Renegades once again can not close out the game at the end. It was another interception from Luis Perez on the last play of the game that sealed the win for the Defenders. It was another shootout between these two XFL rivals. The Defenders escaped Arlington’s first match up with 37-33 win. Last weekend Defenders won 33-30 and swept the two game season series. With the Renegades loss, they have been eliminated from the post-season play. The offense was there for the Renegades in this one. Tyler Vaughns had two touchdown catches from Luis Perez.

He finished the day with 3 catches for 51 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. Perez once again had the aerial attack humming as he completed 32-46 passes for 350 passing yards, but the interception at the end is costly. It’s another close game the Renegades have lost as they have to lead the league in those bad L’s. The Renegades defense did not do the offense any favors as they allowed the Defenders to march up and down the field on them.

Maybe head coach Bob Stoops should stop reading and forwarding Luis Perez “The Spring King” book and look at what former Yankee Hall of Famer wrote about closing ball games out. The Renegades’ problem this year is they can’t find that right recipe to put the game away.

#4.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (5-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Stallions are the only top 4 team in the UFL to lose last week. I have them dropping one spot in the power rankings.

The Stallions gallop into Arch City on a high note after a comeback on their division rival Roughnecks. Stallions vs BattleHawks was every expert’s pick in the first UFL title game, but St.Louis lost to the Brahmas in last year’s XFL conference championship. Birmingham has clinched a playoff spot and will automatically host the USFL conference championship game while St.Louis gets the nod to host the XFL Conference game. This could easily be the title game preview that went to St.Louis in a tight game. The BattleHawks score a touchdown with 3 minutes left in the game to tie things up in the 4th quarter. Then they converted the extra point to take a 29-28 lead which turned out to be the final. J’mar Smith came out of retirement this season to help his old team. In week 7, Smith helped by putting away the Roughnecks. He got the start versus the BattleHawks. Smith was impressive completing 14-27 passes for 262 passing yards with 3 touchdown passes. He did have an interception.

Deon Cain, a spring league veteran, is having a fabulous season. Cain had 2 catches, both touchdowns, for 115 receiving yards. Cain leads the league in receiving yards with 436 total yards. Cain is familiar with Smith. Who will be the starting QB for the Stallions in post-season? Will former USFL MVP Alex McGough make his return? How long is Matt Corral out? What about Case Cookus? Is it Smith’s job down the stretch.

#3. DC DEFENDERS (6-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: The Defenders rise into the 3rd spot of the power rankings. As they move up one spot from last week in their shoot out win over the Renegades.

The Defenders lost their head coach before week one when Reggie Barlow bolted for the college game. Then the Defenders lost their D-Coordinator as Gregg Williams followed Barlow to Tennessee State.

The new guy had some words for Skip Holtz in the very first game of the season when the Defenders beat the Stallions. The new guy went with Gregg Williams’ son to be the next defensive coordinator. After all the fall out, the Defenders have made it to the post-season with their win over the Renegades. It was another shoot out win over Arlington during which the Defenders got the turnover on the final play of the game to send the Renegades home for the post-season. Right now the Defenders are number 1 in the XFL conference even though they have the same record as the BattleHawks from their victory over them earlier in the season. Does it matter being number 1 or even 2 in the seeding for the Defenders? In week 10, the Defenders and BattleHawks have a rematch. Then they will play in the XFL Conference championship and see each other in back-to-back weeks. The XFL conference championship is automatically in St.Louis. The bright side is the Defenders have the best passing game in the league. They have a defense that comes after the QB. Their defense needs turnovers to be successful as they are very good at that. If you don’t believe me, ask the Renegades. I will be interested to watch St.Louis and DC square off because the hate each other. I expect some stupid penalties in a grind it out to the end kind of play in that championship game.

#2.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (6-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Panthers are on top of the USFL conference by themselves as they stay put in the number 2 spot in the power rankings from last week.

The Birmingham Stallions have lived the life of Reilly in spring football. The Panthers would like to finally slay their demon and mount that Stallion head inside the Michigan den. The Panthers extinguished the Roughnecks in the second half last weekend by blowing the doors off their oil rigs and did it with their second string QB.

Danny Etling filling in for the injured Bryce Perkins who is in the running for the UFL MVP award this season, could not go. Etling completed 14-22 passes for 167 yards with 3 touchdown passes. The Panthers defense shut out the Roughnecks in the second half. The Panthers need Perkins back behind center if they want to win the UFL title. They know they have to get by the dreaded Stallions who they play this weekend. The Stallions won the first match-up this season. The Stallions knocked the Panthers out of the playoffs last year. Does it matter even if the Panthers lose this regular season game to the Stallions? They will be playing the Stallions no matter what in the USFL Conference that is going to be played in Birmingham. It does not matter if they are number 1 seed or 2 in the USFL conference. It’s that playoff game & they want to cut the head off the mighty Stallion that has galloped over them for years. Perhaps Panthers could gain extra confidence if they do beat up the Stallions this week. It should be another epic post-season game. Look for the Panthers to rest players like Perkins.

#1.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (6-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Still perched on the top of the power rankings as this has been going on for 3 straight weeks.

The BattleHawks picked away at the Stallions and come away with a big signature win versus last year’s champs. Max Duggan is 4-0 as the starter for the BattleHawks.

Without Jacob Saylors, the BattleHawks would not be perched high in the standings as they are now. The BattleHawks have the best running game in the league as Saylors had 16 carries for 118 rushing yards and the touchdown that tied things up late in the 4th quarter. Saylors also converted the 1 point conversion to break the tie that would eventually be the game winning point for St.Louis. Saylors is by far the best running back in the UFL. You could say that former NFL tight end head coach of the BattleHawks, Anthony Becht, is approaching the same conversation to a guy like Skip Holtz of the Stallions.

Becht is now 20-8 all-time as the BattleHawks head coach. With the XFL Conference championship slated to be played in St.Louis along with the title game, the BattleHawks with that defense and running game could be a very tough out as the clinched a playoff spot already. Talk about having home field advantage with the largest following fan base in the league.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 5

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Welcome to the jungle of the UFL Power Rankings as we have a new beast at the top of the mountain for week 5. The Defenders fall like all the teams I have perched on top of the power rankings this season so far. The Brahmas found a way out of the dungeon of my UFL Power Rankings.

The Brahmas were on life support and now look like world beaters. The UFL is looking very unpredictable this season as I continue to rearrange the furniture in the power rankings. I even rearrange the rusty outdoor furniture as we have a new boat sunk at the bottom of the UFL waters. Let’s see where your team is ranked this week as we unleash week 5’s UFL Power Rankings. Enjoy!!!

#8. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-4)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Showboats sink to the bottom of the UFL waters. They dropped one spot from last week.

The Showboats Interim Head Coach, Jim Turner, will have regrets taking this crap job in Memphis if he quit the following: booze, tobacco, drugs and anything else to help you forget you have two crappy quarterbacks. On Friday night Memphis only scores 9 points. They are now the only team in the UFL without a win. The Showboats were awful last year, but they seem better than this team this season. Many of the same guys have filled out this roster the last two seasons.

They have talent at the wide receiver position with Jonathan Adams and Kwamie Lassiter II. These are two receivers that any team in the league would like to have. The Showboats have been using the same two quarterbacks every game hoping & praying one will have a solid game. EJ Perry completed 8-16 passes for 74 yards with 1 touchdown pass. Give Perry credit, he led the team in rushing yards with 30. Deneric Prince scored the only Showboats touchdown of the week which was a 3 yard run. Then Troy Williams went 4-8 for 13 yards and was sacked twice. The Showboats’ dueling banjos combined to complete 12 passes out of 24 attempts for 87 yards. That’s a 50% completion rate and under 100 passing yards. PATHETIC!! Who’s the 3rd spring QB? There has to be a better option on the waiver wire than trot these two Shemps out there game after game. The BattleHawks just signed spring veteran QB Brandon Silvers. What’s AJ McCarron doing? The Love boat theme has turned the tide with this ship wreck. The local fan base the Yacht club of Memphis has even changed the channel on this team. Screw Elvis they going to Nashville to listen to country and see if the Titans can show them what a solid QB looks like as they will be selecting number 1 in the NFL draft.

#7.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (1-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week.

The Roughnecks have just the one victory so far this season. That is not saying much because they beat the Showboats who have not put on any kind of show on the field in a good way. This Houston team has been battling. They have a solid defense that keeps them in games like last weekend versus the Stallions. On offense they have a slew of talented receivers but no one that can get them the ball on a regular basis. They benched Anthony Brown, the Roughnecks opening day starter. They gave the start to Nolan Henderson who has provided this Roughnecks team with a tiny spark here and there.

Henderson would fall victim to the blue tent with an injury. On comes the 3rd string QB who’s a veteran of spring football, Jalan McClendon.

McClendon, the former Vegas Viper, is back in the XFL league. He played for the LA Wild Cats in the XFL reboot in 2020. Last year he held the clipboard for the Defenders. He comes in and passes for 236 passing yards, which it would take Brown and Henderson weeks combined to get to that total. McClandon had a rushing touchdown as he threw a interception in a late rallying drive. He got the ball to those play makers which was the biggest take in this week in Roughneck football. If you are the coaching staff of Houston, how do you not see who is the better quarterback this entire time? Maybe the Roughnecks found their savior. I doubt it, but they will be better with McClendon.

#6.SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-3)

XFL CONFERENCE: The Brahmas shed their Llama-like play the last three weeks and move up two spots from last week to get out of UFL purgatory.

THE NEW GUY

The San Antonio Brahmas, if you remember, made it all the way to the first UFL title game last year and came out with a loss to the Stallions. This season the Brahmas started off 0-3 and didn’t look good in any of the phases of their game. Wade Phillips did not see eye to eye with the play calling of his offensive coordinator, AJ Smith. Smith then decided to resign. Then Wade Phillips suddenly had to take a leave of absence for personal reasons. Quietly moving up the ranks in all this nonsense is Payton Pardee, who has football coaching blood in his family. He was promoted from receivers’ coach to calling plays on offense. Then he was promoted again as Interim Head Coach of the Brahmas. His first challenge of the season was the undefeated DC Defenders at their place. Did I mention Payton became the youngest head coach in football history at 28 years old? Which results in the Brahmas getting their first win and knocking off the last unbeaten team in the UFL.

Payton Pardee played college football at Houston from 2015-18. He then went into coaching as he took the wide receiver’s job at Texas A&M Commerce. In 2023 he landed his first pro job with the Houston Roughnecks as a receivers’ coach. The Pardee family has Texas and spring football in their blood line. Payton’s grandfather Jack played in the NFL for 16 seasons. Then he went into coaching after his playing days came to an end. In the 1980’s he was head coach of Houston Gamblers of the USFL. He had Jim Kelly as his starting QB back then. He also coached the Houston Cougars. In the NFL he also coached for the Bears, Redskins, and the old Tennessee Titans before they moved to Nashville. The Houston Oilers. Jack Pardee was a pretty good head coach. His grandson Payton is off to a solid start with an upset win and probably just turned the Brahmas season around. Stay tuned.

#5.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: The BattleHawks season may have fallen and may not be able to get back up. St.Louis tumbles down three spots from last week.

The BattleHawks took a major blow early in the game versus the Renegades last weekend when their QB went down on a non-contact injury. Manny Wilkins was carted off the field in the very first offensive series for St.Louis. He will be out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Wilkins wasn’t the best QB in the UFL, but he is better than most of the hot garbage this league has behind center. Wilkins in 4 games this season had tallied up 498 passing yards with one touchdown pass. He did have three interceptions. He was a duel threat QB who tallied up 135 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns for the BattleHawks.

Now the QB for St.Louis belongs to the former Frogman of TCU, Max Duggan. If you remember, Duggan led the TCU Horney toads to the National Championship in 2022 to then get their brains beat in by Georgia. Duggan did not do well coming off the bench for Wilkins. He had two interceptions. He completed 8 passes out 17 attempts for 78 yards. The BattleHawks have a solid defense. They have a solid rushing attack. They have talented receivers. They have the number 1 fan base in the UFL. It’s up to Duggan now as he has the keys to the St.Louis car. Can he save the season? Will the BattleHawks season turn into a complete wreck? Is AJ McCarron’s number on speed dial? That is the million dollar question.

#4. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (3-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: I have the Stallions in the stable still at the number 4 spot. They were in the same stable last week as well.

The Stallions did win their 3rd straight game after opening up the season with a loss to the Defenders. It was a struggle for Birmingham to get by the Houston Roughnecks. The Stallions defense has been top notch all season long which has saved this team all season long. Last week the Roughnecks inserted their 3rd string QB, Jalen McClendon, who is a veteran of spring football. He carved up the Stallions D. Matt Corral had a better game behind center as he had two touchdown passes to only 1 interception. You would like to see Corral complete more passes as he finished the night 14-25 for 195 yards.

Davion Davis hauled in a big receiving touchdown for the Stallions as he had 2 catches for 62 yards and the score for the night. Corral would leave the game with an injury which could be a bad thing or good. The former Philadelphia Stars QB of the USFL, Case Cookus, saw some action as he completed 1-2 passes for 36 yards. Cookus is a gunslinger type QB who could be streaky in good, bad, and ugly ways behind center. In the end it was Jo Jo Tillery who save the day for the Stallions getting the key interception to put this W in the win column. How long will this Stallions defense keep bailing these guys out?

#3. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Renegades moved up two spots from last week.

Yes, Bob Stoops’ team is 3-1 right now as they looked impressive in two weeks of the season so far. Good teams find ways to win games ugly. Last week, the Renegades may have gotten a gift from St.Louis who lost their starting QB in the first series of the game. The Arlington defense took advantage of the BattleHawks back up QB, Max Duggan, who they picked off twice.

Ajene Harris had a monster day on defense for the Renegades which started with a gift fumble by BattleHawks QB Manny Wilkens, who fumbled the ball on a non-contact play. Harris picked it and took it to the house to get the Renegades the early lead. Harris had one of the two interceptions for the Renegade defense. He also had 8 tackles and two passes defended. The Renegades offense looked better than the last two weeks putting up low numbers. Luis Perez, one of the best QB’s in the league, kept the BattleHawks in the game with his pick six to the St.Louis defense. Eventually Arlington put it all together, put up 30 points on St.Louis, and got the win. In the first week of the season, the Renegades put up over 30 points which was the most by any team. The Renegades had three games in those bookends of 30 point performances, where they were held in the teens. Something to keep an eye out for in their Jekyll and Hyde Renegades offense.

#2. DC DEFENDERS (3-1)

XFL Conference: The Defenders beer snake did not have the bite last week as they slither down one spot from last week.

No way the Defenders were going to run the table with a perfect season. I did not see them losing to the Brahmas last weekend, who’s coaching staff has been in turmoil the last few weeks. You can say the Defenders have been through the same thing and won three straight games to start the season with coaches leaving and promoting within. The Defenders offense was not the problem even though they only put 18 points on the board. The DC offense out-gained the Brahmas in total yards 409-219. The Brahmas scored 24 points. Jordan Ta’amu had a great game behind center completing 19-31-299 passing yards. He had one touchdown pass & no interceptions. He also led the Defenders in rushing yards with 74 and used his legs to score two rushing touchdowns.

Jordan Ta’amu leads the UFL in passing yards after 4 games this season with 905. He also leads the league with 6 touchdown passes. The Defenders have problems converting the extra points after the touchdowns. The Defenders also settle for more field goals in the red zone than getting the six points with the touchdowns. The Defenders can move the ball up and down the field without any problems. The Defenders have played solid defense the entire season. If you take away the Brahmas’ punt return touchdown allowed by Defenders special teams last Sunday, is it a different outcome? You like the Defenders to win at home with the beer snake as the 12th man slithering.

#1.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (3-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Panthers have moved up to the deluxe apartments in the sky. They are my new number 1 team in the power rankings moving up 2 spots.

If the Panthers QB, Bryce Perkins, can play like he did last week, Michigan is going places. Perkins completed 15-22 passes for an even 200 yards and threw two touchdown passes. The Panthers scored the most points last week. The Panthers defense is one of the best in the league and playing without their big daddy. Breeland Speaks, who was the UFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, has missed the last few games with an injury.

Speaks’ return is unknown at this time. If the Panthers could get him back this season, they could make a run at the title. Speaks had 9.5 sacks last year in regular season as he is a monster chasing QB’s down. I like Mike Nolan using a ground attack to beat his opponents and wear them out. Obviously Perkins is a duel threat QB. You want him to run only when needed as he’s starting to hit on all of his passes. The Panther running back Nate McCrary should be mentioned more. He had 60 yards on the ground with one touchdown. The Panthers have a two headed monster at the running back position brewing. Toa Taura had 10 carries for 53 rushing yards with a touchdown. Michigan is hitting their stride as Birmingham should be put on notice.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 4

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We have our third change at top of our spring fling power football rankings. St. Louis finds out how hungry the beer snake of the Defenders really is. In week three we have all kinds of resignations filed as coaches can’t handle their duties in the spring fling.

The Brahmas are still holding down the lower dungeon apartments in the rankings. We have plenty of movement after a wacky week three in the UFL. We will “Iron” it all out for you but it will not be “Clad,” however you will be glad you read it all. Let’s unfold all the dirty laundry we have in week 4 of the UFL Power Rankings.

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (0-3)

XFL CONFERENCE: Never moved from last week as they are still holding down the fort.

Drama is brewing in Brahma llama land in Texas. Before the Brahmas’ best offensive production of the season occurred, one of San Antonio’s coaches resigned. The offensive coordinator, A.J. Smith, who is a young mind in the game took his ball and went home in a disagreement with Head Coach Wade Phillips about the scheme the Brahmas were running. Without Smith, the Brahmas then had their best game on offense of the season. Scoring 23 points versus a solid Panthers defense while gaining a total of 258 yards on offense, a season high. The Brahmas QB, Kellen Mond, had his best game hitting 19-31 passes for 153 yards including a touchdown pass. Jordan Williams had a monster day on defense with 9 tackles including an 85 yard pick six. The Brahmas kicker could have had one of his best videos for his U-tube followers, but Donald De La Haye missed a kick that could have sent this game to overtime. Then the news hit this week that now Wade Phillips is taking a leave of absence from the team. Which makes Payton Pardee, the Interim Head Coach, while Phillips attends to his personal reasons.

This has been a common theme this season with head coaches and assistants walking away from the spring fling for variety of reasons. Wade Phillips is the UFL’s biggest name in the league at the coaching position with all his years in the NFL.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: Still haven’t found what they are looking for as they drop 1 spot from last week.

Ken Whisenhunt elected to go for the 2 point conversion instead of tying the game with a 1 point try after the Showboats made a late rally to make things interesting with the Roughnecks. It was a battle of two teams looking for their first win. It was a game that Memphis was dominating most of the way until their starting QB, E.J. Perry, made two stupid throws that changed the momentum in favor of the Roughnecks. Perry was having a pretty good day until his first mistake, a pick six.

Then his second bad throw came in another interception trying to throw it away after being pressured. Both interceptions occurred in the 3rd quarter. Troy Williams finished the game at QB after Whisenhunt made a change at QB. Williams plunged & found the end zone on a rushing touchdown in the late rally. The Showboats out-gained the Roughnecks in the game in total offense with 261 total yards compared to 238 from the Roughnecks. If Troy Williams converts that 2 point conversion for a Showboats win, would Whisenhunt be coaching this team over Easter weekend? Wisenhunt left the Showboats in week one for personal reasons but came back the last two weeks & now has officially resigned. The Showboats offensive line coach, Jim Turner, will get the opportunity to finish off the season for Memphis.

The Showboats season is taking on too much water. It seems like this Memphis franchise is not getting a following as well. It would not surprise me if the UFL relocates this Showboats franchise to another city next year with a different name.

#6.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (1-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Roughnecks strike oil with a victory and move up one spot from last week.

The Roughnecks break an 8 game losing streak that dated back from last season with a win over the Showboats last week. It looked like another loss was on the horizon for this Roughnecks team until they changed the momentum in this game in the 3rd quarter.

It was the Roughnecks defense or a generous gift from the Showboats quarterback, EJ Perry, who threw the ball right into the hands of Leon O’Neal who took it 30 yards to the house for a pick six. The Roughnecks defense had two interceptions off Perry in the 3rd quarter. Before this game, the Roughnecks acquired one of the top notch receivers in the league from the Michigan Panthers in a trade.

Marcus Simms joined the Roughnecks who already have Justin Hall, another solid receiver. Simms was All- UFL last year catching 23 balls for 426 yards and three touchdowns. Now if only the Roughnecks had a solid quarterback. One of them came to life last week wheb Nolan Henderson was slinging the ball down the field and looking good doing that. His touchdown pass was not to Simms or Hall, but instead to Emmanuel Butler.

#5.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (2-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 3 spots from last week

The line from the movie Lethal weapon by Detective Murtaugh sums up the last two weeks for the Renegades. They are all dressed up. They look like a football team. The last two weeks this team has scored 20 points after putting up 33 points in the very first game which was the highest by any team that week. The Renegades in week two squeaked by the Roughnecks, 11-9. Then last week Birmingham’s offense was hot garbage. Matt Corral looked like he should stop playing football for good as he was having a very bad game. The Renegades defense has been tough to score on. Donald Payne and company have put the pain on opposing offenses. Somehow they let Corral and that Stallions dormant offense march down the field in the last minutes of the game to score a touchdown while converting the extra point to take the game 10-9. When your defense only gives up ten points, what the hell is offense doing? Luis Perez is top QB in this league which I thought. The Renegades were running the football well. The Renegades went 0-4 in the red zone versus the Stallions. The Renegades running game versus the Roughnecks in week 2 averaged under 4 yards per carry. Now the Renegades have to figure how to score on the BattleHawks this weekend who looked like the best team in the entire league until they were knocked off by the Defenders. All dressed up and nobody to blow may be Bob Stoop’s press conference speech.

#4. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (2-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week.

Skip Holtz seems like that guy that created Frankenstein. Three championships in a row with three different specimens on his slab in the lab. Somehow Holtz’s creation this season in Matt Corral is not going well despite the Stallions winning 2 games in a row. When is Alex McGough coming back? That is the million dollar question. Corral versus the Renegades completed 19-41 passes for 255 yards. That is a completion percentage of 46.3% which is horrible. Corral threw a touchdown pass which ended up being the game winner in the last minute to beat the Renegades 10-9. He did throw a interception. Could Skip go with Case Cookus, a spring league veteran QB down the stretch who is Corral’s back up? Or will Skip keep working with Matt to eventually get his 4th Frankenstein QB? It is the Stallions defense who should get the victory lap in this 10-9 victory over Arlington. The Stallions defense held the Renegades to only 1 field goal in 4 trips to the red zone.

Its starts down in the trenches for the Stallions which features big ole number 97, Willie Yarbary. Yarbary has been a fixture on the Stallions D-line for the last three seasons. He had a big fumble recovery to help put away this Renegades squad. The Stallions now are 2-0 all-time versus Arlington. The Stallions now have won 10 straight home games dating back from last year.

#3.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (2-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

The Panthers traded away their best wide receiver Marcus Simms to the Houston Roughnecks for offensive lineman, Cam Carter. It’s a crazy trade which makes no sense for the Panthers. Carter is a decent lineman who has played a few seasons in the spring flings. He played well in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals a few seasons ago.

Simms can be a top receiver with most of the teams in the UFL. Maybe Mike Nolan is looking lean on the running game for the rest of the season and wants better pass protection. The Panthers QB is a duel threat as he likes to use his legs more than pass. Bryce Perkins did have 2 rushing touchdowns last weekend versus San Antonio.

Perkins did throw a six pick to the Brahmas defense and did not throw any touchdown passes. Take away that interception & he completed 17-23 for 193 passing yards. Simms who? The Panthers scored all their touchdowns running the ball. The Panthers kicker, B.T. Potter, is no Jake Bates, but he did put the dagger in Wade Phillips’ team with a 28 yard field goal to take the lead for good and put another W in the win column.

#2. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week.

The St.Louis BattleHawks were playing light years ahead of the competition in the UFL after the first two weeks of the season. The BattleHawks offense was lighting up the score board. The BattleHawks defense were suffocating their opponents in the first two weeks. The BattleHawks are unstoppable at home. Until the Defenders invaded which DC is St.Louis’ arch rival that goes back to the XFL days. It was a close game most of the day between these two teams. Manny Wilkins had two turnovers in the 4th quarter that the Defenders capitalized on to win this game. Wilkins has tallied 498 passing yards this season but has only 1 touchdown pass compared to three interceptions. Wilkins can get the job done using his legs as well. The Defenders defense have found ways to get the turnovers which they did and defended Wilkins really well in crunch time. The BattleHawks defense racked up 83 tackles in the game. Along with 7 pass break ups. BattleHawks corner back Chris Payton Jones broke up three passes.

The BattleHawks free safety, Nate Meadors, had a big day racking up 8 tackles which 5 were solo. The BattleHawks defense was on the field way too long and put in a bad field position from the turnovers as they could not overcome losing their first regular season game at home since their days of the XFL.

#1.DC DEFENDERS(3-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Jumped 4 spots from last week to land on the top of the power rankings for the first time this season.

The Defenders have not even been in my top 4 teams in any of my power rankings until this week. The beer snake bit me. The Defenders in the first week took out last year’s champs in week 1. I thought that game was a fluke as just a bad day at the office for the Stallions. I felt like they caught a few lucky breaks versus a bad Showboats team in week two. The Defenders showed me something in week three going to St. Louis in hostile conditions and pulling out a win. Now DC is the only remaining undefeated team in the UFL this season. The BattleHawks and Defenders hate each other. These are the two greatest fan bases in spring football and both teams were facing each other without a loss coming into week 3.

The Defenders score a season high 27 points. In the first two games of the season, the Defenders have settled for more field goals than converting touchdowns. The Defenders did get the 3 pointer in this road game as Matthew McCrane has one of the best legs in the league. It was Ty Scott who was beamed up by a beautiful throw by Jordan Ta’amu that went for a 62 yard explosion for the Defenders.

It was another battle between these teams that was close all the way into the 4th quarter. The Defenders defense then forced two turnovers from the BattleHawks QB. Manny Wilkins fumbled the ball away, threw a interception, and the Defenders capitalized on both turnovers. The Defenders held the BattleHawks offense to a season low of only 15 points. The Defenders lead the series now 3 games to 1 over the BattleHawks. The Defenders remain undefeated despite making a head coach change and defensive coordinator change. Every week so far now in the power rankings, I have had a different number one. Let’s see how long the Defenders hold their position at the top of the power rankings.

SEASON 2: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 3

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We have a new team perched high above our weekly power rankings edition of the UFL. This will be the third week we have a new team sitting on top of the power rankings mountain. In week three we have all kinds of movement in our power rankings. Houston finds a way to dig themselves out of the bottom of the heap without winning a game. Who’s worse than Houston? Stallions are back in the saddle again.

Has Luis Perez’s book hit the best sellers list yet? Does this league even have a solid quarterback? Let’s see if we can answer these questions when we roll out the 3rd week of the 2025 UFL power rankings. Go!

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (0-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 2 spots from last week

The Brahmas are the only team that has not won a game after two weeks into the season. This is not the same Wade Phillips team that made post-season last year and went on the road to St. Louis to upset the Battle Hawks to get to the first UFL title game. The Brahmas are playing like Lamas as they are the only team in the XFL conference without a win. All three of their division rivals have not lost a game yet. The Brahmas have settled for 9 points per game in two contests. They have given up the most points so far on defense after two weeks. Both weeks, the Brahmas defense let their opponents have the high score of the week. The Brahmas defense was the staple of this Wade Phillips team. Last year they did better with Chase Garbers as their quarterback, a guy who quit on this team in the title game, than Kellen Mond. Mond has been sacked six times in two games and has thrown one interception. He has completed 30 passes out of 58 throws for 288 passing yards. The Brahmas have two solid backs, but teams are zeroing on their strength, taking their running game away, and forcing Mond to beat them with his arm or legs. Former Pittsburgh Steeler running back Antony Macfarland does lead the UFL with the most all-purpose yards after two weeks. He is the only sign of a heartbeat with this Brahmas cattle on offense.

You know what they do to cattle that can’t play anymore. Right between the eyes.

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (0-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 1 spot from last week.

In week one, Houston was blown out by the Battle Hawks. In week 2 the Roughnecks held the top scoring team from week 1, the Arlington Renegades, to 11 points. When the Roughnecks offense only mustered up 9 points, you’re going to lose most football games. It was an ugly game in week 2 with Houston and Arlington but a very close game. Anthony Brown was tackled short of a two point conversion trying to stretch the ball over the goal line.

His knee touched the ground before he stretched the ball over the goal line as the score remained 11-9. The Renegades stop the Roughnecks’ attempt of the 4th and 12 on side play and iced the game. The Roughnecks scored 3 points more in week 2 than they did in week one as they have tallied up 15 points in two games so far. Bright side, Brown threw his first UFL touchdown of his career. The Roughnecks defense is solid. They have guys like Leon O’neal Jr., Markel Roby, and Xavier Benson that can make plays on the defensive side of the ball. They have one of the best front seven on defense in the entire league. Only if they can score more than single digits in a game, they may put a W in the standings.

#6. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 1 spot from last week

The Memphis Showboats definitely were up for some motor-boating in week two as they gave the Defenders a battle to the end which ended up in their second loss of the season. The return of Ken Whisenhunt had to give this team a lift mentally as he missed week one due to personal reasons. The Showboats had the lead over the Defenders 12-9 with 11:47 left in the game. The Showboats took the lead with an EJ Perry run, a 16 yard score from the Memphis quarterback. He threw for 205 passing yards but had one interception in the game. The Showboats matched their total from week one with another 12 point game. The Showboats were driving at the end of the game after the Defenders took the lead on them in the 4th. The drive stopped, but they went for the field goal try in hopes of converting the onside play after the kick. The kick was blocked and Memphis came away with another loss but a game they showed some nice things on both offense and defense.

On defense the Showboats have Steele Chambers, former Ohio State Buckeye, who leads the UFL in tackles after two weeks with 20. He actually led each week so far with ten tackles in both week 1 and 2.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (2-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Same spot from last week

The head coach of the DC Defenders, Reggie Barlow, bolted the UFL for a college head coaching job at Tennessee State University. No worries the new guy promoted to being the new head coach of the Defenders is Shannon Harris who has DC at 2-0 to start the season. Now the Defenders lost their defensive coordinator this week to Tennessee State University. Mr. Bounty Gate, Gregg Williams, follows Barlow out of town to become his new defensive coordinator for Tennessee State.

We are all confused as Barlow has his hand up Williams’ rear end is my educated guess. Williams leaves the DC defensive coordinator job to his son Blake, who has coached college football and has coached in the NFL. Meanwhile the Defenders must have a lucky horseshoe as a team up their rear. They managed to barely beat the Showboats to collect their 2nd victory of the year. Devonnsha Maxwell blocked a key field goal towards the end of the game to keep the Showboats from attempting a comeback. Jordan Ta’amu was intercepted during the game by the Showboats defender who did not get both feet in bounds. The Defenders were able to cash in on that break with a field goal. Then Isiah Hennie muffed a punt for the Showboats at the end of the first half. The Defenders drove down the field as the drive stalled. They still cash in with a field goal. Three plays that are worth 9 points total and could have easily changed the tide of the outcome. The Defenders offense is averaging under 20 points per game so far this season. Their average 17.5 points exactly per contest. They looked good in week one getting by the Stallions. It has been the Defenders defense that has carried this team and they hosted both games. I’m not buying what this Defenders team is selling right now. The losses will start to pile up.

#4. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week

When it comes to the Michigan Panthers playing the Birmingham Stallions, it reminds me of the Buffalo Bills trying to hurdle their problem with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Panthers were knocked out of post-season play by the Panthers last year. The Panthers start off the season with victory. The Stallions get knocked off in week 1 on the road by the Defenders. The Panthers hosting the Stallions. Another road game for Birmingham. It looks good for Michigan. The Panthers even knocked out the Stallions’ former MVP quarterback right in the beginning of the game. He left the game with a shoulder injury and did not return. The Panthers played the Stallions tough, but Skip Holtz inserts the back up Matt Corral and gets the same results. The Panthers even picked off Corral twice in this game with one of them coming from DJ Miller. Bryce Perkins is the better option for the Panthers than Danny Etling. Who head coach Mike Nolan is wasting time putting him in a few times every game. Perkins is not the best QB in the league as he completed 12-23 passes for only 132 passing yards. He did hit Marcus Simms for a touchdown. He threw one interception and only completed 50% of his throws as he has to get better if they want to hurdle the Stallions. The Panthers even hit on a 3 point conversion. It was a game where both teams settled for field goals.

The Nacua brothers who are both on the Panthers are making an impact this season for Michigan. Kai Nacua plays on the Panthers defense as a safety and he had 8 tackles vs the Stallions. Then Samson Nacua plays on the Panthers offense & he had a catch for 23 yards. Both Nacua brothers are related to LA Rams stud wide receiver Puka. The Nacua brothers with that special Panthers defense, and they need Perkins to play better if they want to slay their demons in Stallions. They will have another regular season game with the Stallions. With the Showboats and Roughnecks in the same division, the Panthers will meet the Stallions once again in the post-season.

#3. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (1-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week

The Stallions quickly rebounded from their opening week loss to the DC Defenders. Can Stallions head coach Skip Holtz strike gold again at the quarterback position? Matt Corral filled in for the injured Alex McGough who left the game with a shoulder injury. Not sure how long McGough will be out as he seems kind of rusty not playing QB last year as the Packers tried to turn him into a wide receiver. Corral looked great, a strike to Deon Cain to seal the deal for the Stallions’ first victory. Corral had two interceptions and at times looks clueless on the field. The Stallions’ first championship it was J’Mar Smith who got it done behind center. The second was Alex McGough. Last year Adrian Martinez was awesome. In two games, the Stallions have made multiple mistakes with turnovers and penalties. The Stallions defense is one of the top units in the league with multiple guys you have to talk about. Last week we talked about Tae Crowder, so this week we will talk about the heart and soul of that Stallions defense.

Kyahva Tezino is a former Pittsburgh Mauler, which was my favorite spring team of all-time. Tezino had 9 tackles versus the Panthers which 5 were solo jobs. The Stallions will need this defense to carry this team maybe for the first half of the season, so Skip could figure out the QB situation. The Stallions also have Case Cookus who played for the Showboats last year. He had some solid seasons at quarterback for the Philadelphia Stars back in the USFL as well.

#2.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (2-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 1 spot from last week

I have the Arlington Renegades dropping one spot after the Houston Roughnecks took them to the distance in week two. In week 1 the Renegades scored the most points with 33. In week 2 the Renegades win the game and only score 11 to do that. The Roughnecks were close to tying this game late. If the Roughnecks would have pulled this off, it would have been Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson.

Luis Perez’s book sales may drop if the Renegades offense suddenly goes dormant for multiple weeks. Perez after two weeks leads the UFL in passing yards with 375. The running game that came alive in week one for the Renegades was contained by the Roughnecks defense and ground to a halt. Bob Stoops has that Renegades defense playing solid ball. They go after the quarterback and create turnovers. Perez will have plenty of big games. Having that defense playing lights out only giving 18 points after two games, will help this Renegades team make it to post-season.

I like the Renegades bringing back their bandit style cowboy logo and putting it back on their helmets. It beats just the letter R.

#1. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot to the number 1 position in the power rankings

Yes, the team with the biggest fan base, the St. Louis Battle Hawks, are now perched on top of the UFL power rankings. The Battle Hawks got their revenge on the Brahmas who found a way to win in St.Louis in the post-season.

The Battlehawks during regular season last year at home with the most fans in the league went undefeated in regular season. Last week they destroyed the Brahmas in front of a very nice turn out in their home opener. The Battlehawks have scored the most points in the first two weeks of play with 57. The Battlehawks defense has only allowed 15 points so far. No opponent has scored in double digits on this Battlehawks defense.

The Battlehawks defense racked up 4 sacks and linebacker Pita Taumoepenu had one of them. Pita is like a bread truck coming at the opposing QB’s this season as he has 3 sacks already on the books. On offense Manny Wilkins is looking like one of the top QB’s in the entire UFL. With the help of Jacob Saylors, the job becomes a tad easier as his running back had three rushing touchdowns last Sunday night. The Battlehawks are Beyond the Thunderdome as the Battledome since the XFL days are now 11-2 at home in Arch Town. Right now the Battlehawks are playing by far the best in the league as they stand by themselves. The worst team is San Antonio. Then the rest of the league is clumped together.

SEASON 2: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK # 2

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THE POWER OF THE BEER SNAKE

In week two of the young 2025 spring football season, we already have a new number one perch high and above the season power rankings. Is it time to take the Stallions to the glue factory as they were snake bitten in DC? Some musical chairs in the top 5 spots of the power rankings going into week two. I think the teams that live under the stairs will be there for most of the season. Okay, let’s unveil week two power rankings in the UFL starting with the bad all the way to the top of the food chain. It could be the Battlehawks or Bob freaking Stoops. Enjoy!!!

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Last week pointed out one of the major problems head coach Curtis Johnson and this Roughnecks team have – the quarterback and their offense. In the first Friday game in the UFL history, Houston was blown out of the waters at home by St. Louis. The Roughnecks were down 31-0 by the time they were moseying on in the end zone. Houston you have a problem at the QB position. The new guy, Anthony Brown, did not give this non-existent fan base any hope by completing 5-11 passing for a whopping 21 yards. It was the back up QB, Nolan Henderson, who connected with Houston’s only threat, Justin Hall, for the only score of the day. Nolan Henderson did okay and may not be the answer for the Roughnecks as they had this scoring drive in garbage time.

The Battlehawks defense did knock Nolan around, but he showed he may be the better option than Brown. Justin Hall seems the only threat on the Roughnecks these days. Hall scored the only touchdown for Houston. Hall has been in Houston when this team was called the Gamblers in the USFL reboot.

Maybe this Houston franchise should go back to their original name, the Gamblers. In 2022 & ’23, the Gamblers on the jersey went 8-12 in 2 seasons in the USFL. Since adopting the Roughnecks, this Houston squad is now 1-10.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Same spot from last week

The Memphis Showboats are sort of in the same boat as the Roughnecks. They too have a solid play maker, named Jonathan Adams, who tallied up 93 receiving yards with one touchdown. The Showboats have two quarterbacks right now dueling it out to be the man behind center for the season. Both quarterbacks have spring football experience. Troy Williams, who is a former Pittsburgh Mauler, played for Memphis last year. He completed 8-11 passes for 104 passing yards but threw an interception. Then EJ Perry who completed 10-17 passes with an interception. Perry has experience playing for the Michigan Panthers. Adams has to take on extra credit to give these guys a bigger window so they can get him the ball. The Showboats scored 12 points & that doubled the total of what Houston scored. The Showboats’ new interim head coach Jim Wilson was thrown into action when Ken Whisenhunt had to leave the team for personal reasons only a week away from the first game. The Showboats were okay under Wilson as they opened up at home and lost to a solid team in the Michigan Panthers. The Showboats fan base have their own personal club like the Bills Mafia as they name themselves the Yacht club.

I love it, but where was the Yacht club in the home opener for Memphis? Was the entire fan base out on the water on a three hour tour and then became shipwrecked on some island. That leads up to the million dollar question: Ginger or Mary Ann?

#6. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (0-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 2 spots from last week

I was not impressed with Wade Phillips’ team in week 1. The Brahmas defense gave up the most points in the first week to the Renegades. The Brahmas defense was a big part of what brought this team to the championship game last year. It seems like their defense lost some of its juice they had in their attack style. On offense, same ole story about having a quarterback that is developed. Kellen Mond made his first spring start and he completed 17-31 passes for 159 passing yards. He did not throw any interceptions but was sacked twice and completed the majority of his passes which were short not down field. It was the Brahmas rushing attack that is still solid as John Lovett and Anthony McFarland combined for 105 yards on the ground. It took the Brahmas until the 4th quarter to find the end zone. The best thing for the Brahmas was their kicker made his first field goal since high school ball.

Donald De La Haye aka Deestroying it, got the Brahmas on the board with a 39 yard field goal. De La Haye was on the Brahmas last year but did not attempt a field goal as he was injured in week 2 and done for the season. De La Hoye leads the league in followers on YouTube . In college the NCAA came down on him about his videos at Central Florida University where he quit playing college football to keep doing his thing on social media. De La Haye’s second field goal attempt did not look very promising as it was a longer attempt but sailed far away from the goal post.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

Can a beer snake swallow a Stallion? It was the Defenders defense that swallowed Stallions QB Alex McGough 8 times in eight sacks on the former USFL MVP. It was an impressive victory for the Stallions and the new head coach Shannon Harris who just got the job a week before the season started when Reggie Barlow bolted to Tennessee State for the head coaching job there.

It was Anthony Hines III who put on a clinic on defense for the Defenders. He had 6 tackles with 2 sacks and fumble recovery. The Defenders have a QB that has plenty of experience in the spring football league as Jordan Ta’amu had another solid game behind center. He completed 17-37 passes for 211 passing yards & one TD pass, along with 1 interception. The Defenders only put up 18 points which was enough to give the champs their first loss of the season. The Defenders crowd looks like something out of the Big Bang Theory or some Dungeons and Dragons club that meets there to drink plenty of beer to feed the snake. I only moved the Defenders up one spot because I need to see more. Was this victory just a lucky win by them or will they be contenders? Last year this team were pretenders.

#4.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 3 spots from last week.

The Stallions have fallen off their perch on the spring football mountain as they tumble in DC in week 1. The Stallions are the only winnless team I have in the top 4 of the power rankings because they are Birmingham and let’s not forget they have won three straight titles. The Stallions did suffer a loss last year. This Stallions team is still stacked with talent. Having Alex McGough back behind center everyone thought Birmingham would be unstoppable. The Defenders exploited something on the Stallions offensive line and sacked the former MVP 8 times. The Stallions defense only gave up 18 points which is a good thing to take from this loss. Tae Crowder had a big game for the Stallions on the defensive side of the ball.

He had 11 tackles and defended one pass. Do you think Tae is related to the Crowders in Kentucky?

I know Skip Holtz will have the Stallions back on track by week two. I think the Defenders will show their true colors next week as the team we thought they were.

#3. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-0)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week

Even though the Panthers did win last week, to me they dropped one spot because of their dueling banjos at the QB position that do not impress me. The Panthers defense is tops in the league. They can run the ball with the best of them in the league. They have a top playmaker at the wide receiver position in Marcus Simms.

The final piece to this Panthers team puzzle is the quarterback position which does not fit. The Panthers banjos have no strings and I’m not sure if you combined Bryce Perkins and Danny Etling into one Quarterback that you would have a top passer in the UFL. The Panthers should just stick with Perkins because he can run with the ball and can escape the pocket. One of these guys just needs to be the game manager and not screw up on game day. That defense will keep them in every game. Imagine if the Panthers had a top passer, they would be a championship team.

#2. ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

I guess if you are a Battlehawks fan you can say AJ who? Referring to AJ McCarron one of the top QB’s in the UFL last year as St. Louis moved on in a different direction. Maybe the Panthers should give McCarron a call. Just saying.

The Battlehawks wanted a mobile quarterback and that is where Manny Wilkens comes in. He razzled and dazzled the Roughnecks defense with his legs and arm. Wilkens threw for 189 passing yards with no interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns on 43 rushing yards. The Battlehawks rushing attack is something to keep an eye out for. They set a new UFL record with 273 rushing yards of which 74 of them came from a Jarveon Howard who had 115 for the night. Then St. Louis star running back had 98 rushing yards. The Battlehawks defense only gave up 6 points.

#1.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 4 spots from last week

The Renegades made the biggest jump in the power rankings moving up 4 spots and taking the number one spot.

Did you buy the King of the Spring fling’s new book? Luis Perez learned the QB position from watching YouTube videos. He has bowled more than one perfect game. He has helped the Renegades win an XFL title & now he is a published author. Perez was not the star of the Renegades in week one as he quietly completed 20-25 passes for 164 passing yards. The Renegades put the most points on the board in week 1. They did their damage with the running game and the Renegades defense was awesome.

Kalen Ballage galloped for a 77 yard run for a score. He led the Renegades rushing attack with 9 carries for 110 yards. The Renegades’ other running back De’Veon Smith who has been playing for Arlington for years, had 3 carries for 3 yards and 3 touchdowns. I think the Renegades had all 3 phases of their game playing at top level. They can run the ball. They have a solid defense. Most importantly they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The weakness in the UFL is the play at the quarterback position.

UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLANNING ON EXPANDING THE LEAGUE IN 2026 & ’27

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It looks like spring football is here to stay a while longer. The successful merger of the USFL & the XFL to form the UFL United Football League which kicked off this past spring already said they will be back this March of 2025 with the same 8 teams. On Sunday Fox is already advertising the return of the spring fling year two of the UFL. The league wants to expand in 2026 with two new teams. Then another two teams in the year 2027.

Right now the UFL consists of two conferences. In 2023 the XFL had 8 teams while the USFL had 8 teams. The teams that made the cut and played last year from the XFL are the St.Louis BattleHawks, San Antonio Brahmas, Arlington Renegades, and DC Defenders. They are in the XFL Conference.

The 4 teams that made the cut that survived the merger from the USFL start with the Memphis Showboats, Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, and the Houston franchise. The Houston franchise from the USFL was the Gamblers. The Houston franchise from the XFL were called the Roughnecks. This is America where we need oil and love our big engines so Houston adopted the XFL Roughnecks name and Gamblers are with the rest of the old teams from the past. Maybe on hold. Maybe gone but not forgotten.

So where will the UFL go West or East? Could the league add to the Midwest as the league has most of their teams south in the midwest region of the country. Will the UFL resurrect old names from the XFL and the USFL? They could pick cities that they never had a team in. They could use a different name for that new city or an old city that once fielded a team. Do you pick cities where they already have an NFL team playing there? Michigan, Houston, & DC share the same city with the Lions, Texans and Commanders from the NFL. Those three teams the beer snake in DC the Defenders have the best attendance out the three last year. You know the UFL will pick the cities they think will make them the most money. I will throw my two cents into the ring and help the league choose the right teams. I will pick two teams from the old XFL list and two from the old USFL archives. I will throw two cities that have never been in either the USFL or the XFL that may be a good choice.

THE XFL

My first choice is the Seattle Sea Dragons for the XFL conference. In 2020 Seattle debut in the 2020 XFL that did not finish its season due to the pandemic. That was a good year for Seattle as they averaged 25,616 fans. In 2023 that number was pretty much cut in half with only 12,328 fans. They would play their home games in an NFL stadium with the Seahawks. Seattle will give the league an established team on the west coast.

My second choice for the XFL conference would be going back into the hot tub time machine and putting a team in the bay on the west coast. Bringing back the Demons of San Francisco back in the original Vince McMahon hooligan football league that was wrestling inserted into the gridiron. Imagine the Demons playing home games at Oracle Park, home of the baseball team the San Francisco Giants. The water views from up above during the telecast would be awesome. The back up stadium certainly could be where the 49ers play their home games, Levis stadium.

THE USFL

The Oakland Invaders coming back would be awesome as they can play their home games where they last played them in the 1980’s. The Oakland Coliseum. The city of Oakland had the Raiders and their baseball team the Athletics ripped away from them. This could re-spark the San Francisco Oakland rivalry in the sports landscape if the league also brings back an oldy but a goody from the original XFL, the Demons. Demons vs Invaders sounds like a monster mash on the football field. Remember the Black hole? Those Raiders fans were scary SOB’s. The Vegas version looks rated G. Look at St.Louis with the BattleHawks. Oakland fans may embrace a team with that kind of love and support.

I showed the love for the west coast. I have to go east and we need to bring back the Pittsburgh Maulers. The Maulers have the best logo in spring football history. The logo even looks sharper when they changed the color scheme to black and gold to match every other team in the Pittsburgh landscape. The league has the love for the hard workers. The Roughnecks in Houston. The Maulers in Steel Town. The Maulers have been around the last few seasons in the reboot of the USFL and they played back in the original one of the 1980’s league. The Maulers could probably play their home games where the Steelers play at Heinz Field. The Maulers made it all the way to the 2023 USFL championship only to lose to the Stallions. In the reboot of the USFL the Maulers did not get a chance to play in the city of Pittsburgh. They shared other hub cities. They were close when they played their home games in Canton, Ohio. Pittsburgh is a great sports town and they love football. My first choice would be Maulers.

THE UNKNOWN CITIES

For the two cities I will pick if the UFL wanted to start a team in a different city. My first choice is San Diego. First of all San Diego has the best climate perhaps in the entire country. Secondly, their hearts were wrenched when the Chargers left town to be the second fiddle to the Rams in LA. The city of San Diego did have the Fleet that played in the AAF American Alliance Football league that almost finished regular season. They came up short as the league ran out of money. I would expect the city of San Diego would be classy enough to embrace a new spring football team.

Do you remember the Hartford Whalers of the NHL? The owner ripped the hearts out of all the Hartford fans when he moved the Whalers to Carolina and renamed them the Hurricanes. Why not Connecticut? The state of Connecticut shows huge love and support for the Huskies. The University of Connecticut is a power house in basketball as they are fans of football. In the past they have supported the Whalers hockey team. It would give the UFL a city that does not have much of a professional sports landscape. I’m sure they have a football field that they can play some home games on during the spring. The Huskies field would be a great choice. The UFL is looking for 20,000 fans each contest which is reasonable for their league. You know all those fans in Connecticut are either rooting for the Patriots or the Giants. Most of the state may be people from New York City or Boston. Maybe for once these two cities could agree and find common ground on a new team that does not represent where they came from but where they are currently.

I would love to see my home town bring back their team, the Chicago Blitz from the 1980’s USFL. It seems like it’s a Bears and Bears only kind of town when it comes to football. Another great choice would be Tulsa, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City Thunder do well in the NBA in that state. You could bring back the Oklahoma Outlaws which have a very kick ass logo.

The UFL has to take things slowly because expansion can kill this league. The product on the field suffers if you water down the league with too many expansion teams. Some cities don’t embrace their new team especially if they are bad. I do like how they are playing year two with the same 8 teams from last year. This will help develop those cities and grow their fan base. Maybe they need to expand in 2026 & then try it again in 2028 to let the league slowly develop into something special.