Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht was on hand to help coordinate the XFL St. Louis Showcase at Missouri Baptist University on Friday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

Torrance Terrell
Staff Writer

CREVE COEUR, MO — The XFL held its first player showcase event in St. Louis at Missouri Baptist University on Friday. The league is hosting six showcase and player tryout events this summer, with the first being held in St. Louis this weekend.

Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht was on hand to help lead the event and when asked his thoughts, he said, “it’s great to be back in St. Louis. We’re looking for a few good men today. We know we’ve got a bunch of talented guys out here and we’re just looking to see if we can find the right guys to be in XFL uniforms next season.”

There were 66 athletes invited to participate in the event. Thirty offensive players, thirty defensive players, and six others who were given the chance to showcase their skills on both sides of the ball.

No official contracts were offered during the event, but Becht said he thought there were a number of players that looked “XFL worthy” on Friday afternoon.

Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron was also in attendance and gave riveting pep talk to the athletes involved that seemed to inspire all who were in attendance.

The next step for the Battlehawks coaching staff will be to assess player movement and development throughout the NFL and NCAA seasons to determine which players might be of interest coming into the 2024 XFL season.

There is also some talk that the XFL Championship Game might be played in St. Louis next season. The Battlehawks do know that their training camp will begin in January, with next year’s regular season schedule set to begin in February.