Speedy wide receiver Jahcour Pearson, seen here playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons last season, was among the players selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in Phase 1 of the UFL Dispersal Draft on Friday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Jason Barnes
Staff Writer
The UFL held Phase One of its Dispersal Draft on Friday, with each of the eight teams selecting players from their respective former leagues.
The Arlington Renegades, San Antonio Brahmas, St. Louis Battlehawks and D.C. Defenders picked from the four XFL teams that weren’t in the merger. The Houston Roughnecks, Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, and Memphis Showboats were drafting from the disbanded USFL franchises.
USFL and XFL teams, during Phase One, can select up to 20 players from disbanded teams in their conference.
As of Sunday morning, nearly 80 player names are known to have been selected during phase one of the dispersal process.
The St. Louis Battlehawks selected six players in phase one, among them being standout XFL players Jahcour Pearson, who played for the Seattle Sea Dragons last season, and Keylon Kennedy, who played for the Vegas Vipers.
It’s worth noting, however, that there will be a follow-up dispersal draft with all league teams drafting the remaining undrafted players available from all disbanded USFL and XFL teams on Monday, January 15.
Training camp, which begins for the UFL on Feb. 24 in Arlington, will see all eight league teams bring 75 players to camp before rosters are pared down to 50 before the regular season starts on March 30.
This is a partial and unofficial list of selected players gathered through league sources and will be updated as more info becomes available. The league itself plans on releasing official draft results and team protection lists from Phase One on Monday morning:
Battlehawks: WR Jahcour Pearson (Sea Dragons), WR Blake Jackson (Sea Dragons), C Dohnovan West (Vipers), DL Antwuan Jackson (Dragons), CB Keylon Kennedy (Vipers), CB Chris-Payton Jones (Dragons).
Arlington Renegades: QB Lindsey Scott (Roughnecks), RB Devin Darrington (Guardians), RB Morgan Ellison (Dragons), WR Deontay Burnett (Roughnecks), TE Seth Green (Roughnecks), DL Laron Stokes (Vipers), CB Ajene Harris (Roughnecks), C Chris Owens (Sea Dragons), OT Jean Dalance (Roughnecks LOI, expected to be traded to D.C. in pick swap).
Birmingham Stallions: LB Chris Orr (Generals), OL Calvin Ashley (Generals), DE Anree Saint-Amour (Breakers), K Chris Blewitt (Maulers), DE Hercules Mata’afa (Generals), S Eli Walker (Maulers).
D.C. Defenders: DL Donovan Jeter (Roughnecks), EDGE Trent Harris (Roughnecks), EDGE Tim Ward (Roughnecks), CB Adam Sparks (Vipers), S Deontay Anderson (Vipers), DE Tariqious Tisdale (Sea Dragons), CB Elijah Blades (Roughnecks LOI), LB Jordan Evans (Sea Dragons), OT George Moore (initially Renegades traded to the Dragons for LB Tuzar Skipper before the XFL rookie draft).
Houston Roughnecks: LB Reuben Foster (Maulers), DT Olive Sagapolu (Maulers), DT Keonte Schad (Breakers), OL Marcus Tatum (Breakers), C Jack Kramer (Breakers), WR Isiah Hennie (Maulers), DT Reggie Howard (Breakers), DE Adam Rodriguez (Stars), DL Ethan Westbrooks (Generals), Braedon Bowman (Generals), LB Gabriel Sewell Jr. (Stars), OT Isiah Battle (Generals), OL Shamarious Gilmore (Stars).
Memphis Showboats: LB Vontae Diggs (Breakers), DB D.J. Daniel (Generals), QB Case Cookus (Stars), OL Kirk Kelley (Breakers), TE Sage Surratt (Breakers), OT Sidney Wells (Breakers), WR Jonathan “Jay” Adams (Breakers), WR Vinny Papale (Breakers), RB Darius Victor (Generals), WR Diondre Overton (Stars), DE Kolin Hill (Generals), RB Kennedy Brooks (Stars), DL Tyshun Render (Generals).
Michigan Panthers: LB Jerod Fernandez (Breakers), QB Davis Cheek (Breakers), RB Wes Hills (Breakers), S Bryce Torneden (Maulers), S Shalom Luani (Generals), DB Alex Thomas (Breakers), P Brock Miller (Generals), LS Jordan Ober (Generals), DL Nasir Player (Maulers).
San Antonio Brahmas: TE/WR: Cody Latimer (Guardians), C Alex Mollette (Roughnecks), RB Brycen Alleyne (Roughnecks), LB Tavante Beckett (Roughnecks), OL Rashaad Coward (Roughnecks-offseason Letter Of Intent pickup), DE Austin Edwards (Roughnecks), EDGE Wyatt Ray (Roughnecks LOI), LB Nate Wieland (Roughnecks), WR Dieuly Aristilde Jr. (Roughnecks LOI).