10 players you may know in the UFL: AJ McCarron, Matt Corral, Reuben Foster headline list

10 players you may know in the UFL: AJ McCarron, Matt Corral, Reuben Foster headline list

For a third straight year, football fans will be treated to a spring pro football league. Fans, however, will receive a facelift this year with the arrival of the UFL, a combining of the USFL and XFL. The UFL will kick things off with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 30.

There are a lot of reasons to watch the UFL. The league includes the Birmingham Stallions, who come to the UFL after winning back-to-back USFL titles. If they want to make it three straight titles, Birmingham will likely have to get past the Arlington Renegades, the reigning XFL champs.

The league also has several notable players who have made an impact in several leagues. Here’s a look at 10 UFL players you may already know ahead of the start of the league’s inaugural season.

QB AJ McCarron, Battlehawks 

McCarron is back in St. Louis after dominating the XFL last season. The former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback threw an XFL-record 24 touchdown passes that included six scoring strikes in St. Louis’ regular-season finale. McCarron’s football journey also includes a pair of national championships as Alabama’s starting quarterback.

QB Matt Corral, Stallions 

The former NFL third-round pick signed with the Stallions last month. Corral is looking to get his career back on track after injuries impacted the end of his college career and the start of his pro career. Before those injuries, Corral was a promising player who threw 49 touchdown passes during his final two seasons at Ole Miss.

WR Hakeem Butler, Battlehawks 

Butler and McCarron enjoyed a successful partnership last season. Butler led the XFL with eight touchdowns and finished second in both receptions (51) and receiving yards (599). Butler spent time with the Steelers last summer before re-signing with the Battlehawks in December.

WR Amari Rodgers, Stallions 

A former Packers third-round pick, Rodgers is hoping to revive his career in Birmingham. While his time in the NFL didn’t go as planned, Rodgers enjoyed a solid college career at Clemson that saw him catch 77 passes for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season.

LB Scooby Wright, Stallions 

One of the USFL’s top defensive players in 2022, Wright capped off that season with a pick six in the Stallions’ title game win over the Philadelphia Stars.

Wright is looking to make a similar impact in 2024 after being slowed by injuries last season.

RB Darius Victor, Showboats 

A bowling ball of a running back, Victor rumbled for over 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals. Victor, who scored 41 touchdowns and averaged 5.2 yards per carry during his time at Towson University, will look to add some power to a Showboats offense that struggled to run the ball last season.

LB Reuben Foster, Roughnecks 

A former NFL first-round pick, Foster played two years with the 49ers before his career was hampered by legal issues and injuries. Foster will suit up for the Roughnecks this spring after helping the Pittsburgh Maulers reach last year’s USFL title game.

RB Mark Thompson, Roughnecks 

Thompson was a force for Houston last season, rushing for 14 touchdowns and averaging 4.85 yards per carry. Thompson continued his career in the USFL after playing for five different NFL teams from 2018-20.

LB Vic Beasley, Renegades 

NFL fans are likely familiar with Beasley, who was tabbed as an All-Pro in 2016 after leading the NFL in sacks and forced fumbles while helping the Falcons reach the Super Bowl. He had several more productive seasons in the NFL before spending the 2022 season with the XFL’s Vegas Vipers.

P Marquette King, Renegades 

King is back in pro football after having not played in the NFL since 2018. He enjoyed a solid NFL career that saw him lead the league in punting yards and average yards per punt with the Raiders.