Full Steed ahead, Birmingham Stallions fans! The inaugural UFL season is fast approaching, and as the Stallions are now down to their final 50, I have prepared a breakdown of every position group.
The two time Champs are seeing plenty of returning members from the 2022 and 2023 USFL seasons. In addition, General Manager Zach Potter made some big name acquisitions the typical NFL fan will be familiar with as well.
Quarterbacks
The Stallions were no stranger to the free agency market this season, signing Adrian Martinez and Matt Corral in a complete QB room overhaul. USFL veteran J’Mar Smith has the most experience of the three, having brought the Stallions to the inaugural Championship in 2022 after an Alex McGough injury thrust him into the starting position. During the Stallions championship run, Smith totaled 1,573 passing yards with 10 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, adding 191 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
J’mar was named the Stallions starting QB in 2023 as well in a close camp battle, but suffered a brutal hand injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Now as we head into our first UFL season, J’mar is again battling for the starting position in a three headed monster of a QB room.
Matt Corral
In undoubtedly one of the biggest spring football signings ever, the Birmingham Stallions signed former Carolina Panthers QB Matt Corral ahead of the 2024 season.
Matt started his collegiate career with Ole Miss backing up current D.C Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu, where he saw limited action in four games.
Matt won the starting position in 2019, with a rather lackluster first season as a starter, he threw for 1,362 yards, with 6 touchdowns to 3 interceptions.
Matt shined in 2020 under new HC Lane Kiffin, where his dual threat abilities were used, throwing for 3,337 yards with 29 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, adding 506 yards on the ground and 4 touchdowns, Matt led the team to the Outback Bowl, and won game MVP.
Another stellar season from Matt ended in heartbreak, as he led the Rebels to a 10-2 record, they reached the Sugar Bowl, he declared for the NFL draft and made the decision to not opt out of the game, where he unfortunately suffered a grade 1 high ankle sprain and was carted off the field.
Matt was highly regarded coming into the 2022 NFL draft out of Ole Miss, where many analysts had him projected as a first round pick. Matt was drafted with the 94th pick after he fell to the third round by the Carolina Panthers, where he was poised to serve as the backup, until a Lisfranc injury in the preseason landed him on season ending IR.
Going into the 2023 season, Matt originally made the 53 man roster, but was waived the next day, where he was promptly picked up by the New England Patriots, shortly after, Matt stopped reporting to the Patriots camp, and was then waived, signed to the practice squad, to which the Patriots announced he would no longer be signing with the squad.
On February 13th, the Birmingham Stallions announced they had signed Matt Corral, which created quite the stir on social media, many people thankful for him to be getting the second chance at football after such a rough start to his NFL career. With each UFL team required to carry 3 Quarterbacks, Matt is guaranteed a spot on the roster, and won’t be considered for cuts. He will battle J’mar Smith and Adrian Martinez for the starting position, as the Stallions sit in good position heading into the season.
Adrian Martinez
The Birmingham Stallions signed Adrian ahead of the USFL – XFL merger, Adrian was originally drafted into the USFL by the now defunct New Jersey Generals.
Adrian was the starter at Nebraska from 2018 until 2021, where he transferred to Kansas State, which was running a dual quarterback system during his year there.
Adrian went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, signing with the Detroit Lions, but was released during roster cutdowns.
With the signing of Corral, and Smith’s knowledge of the offense along with his longtime relationship with HC Skip Holtz, Adrian could be the odd man out in this offense, potentially being the teams inactive QB3.
Running Backs
The Birmingham Stallions had stellar offensive play last year, what often went unnoticed was how well running back CJ Marable played game after game, rushing for 524 yards and 3 touchdowns in the regular season, and was crucial in the playoffs as well, adding 120 yards on the ground and a touchdown over two games. CJ was also utilized in the receiving game as well, bringing in 235 yards on 28 receptions over the regular season. Look for CJ to head this backfield again heading into the opener.
Ricky Person Jr. is a Stallion you may be unfamiliar with, as he was signed late in the season last year from the IFL’s Massachusetts Pirates, his tough run style and quick feet makes him quite the interesting playing, landing as my RB2 on the team ahead of newly signed RB Larry Rountree, an NFL vet with NFL regular season experience on the Los Angeles Chargers, staying with the team between active roster and practice squad from 2021 to 2023, and the Houston Texans PS for a few weeks in 2023.
The Birmingham Stallions quietly have one of the best backfields in the UFL, and whatever direction they choose to go will surely be an entertaining and fun experience for all fans of the team.
Wide Receivers
The Birmingham Stallions completely rehauled their WR room this offseason, bringing in NFL veteran Amari Rodgers, a third round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers, along with 2023 Championship MVP Deon Cain returning after a stint with the Eagles. Returning receivers for the Birmingham Stallions include Marlon Williams, an integral part of the 2022 Championship run.
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