UFL Best Bets: 2026 Season Preview and Futures Picks

March 27, 2026

RotoBrady Grove provides a preview for every team and makes some futures picks for the 2026 UFL season.

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Another offseason of turbulent storylines and strong emotions in all directions -- it's sad that it had to come at the expense of the Michigan Panthers and Memphis Showboats. Losing the Brahmas was shocking. It seemed like a good market, and the league tried to prop them up for years (transparently due to "The Rock's" interests). The UFL added additional private equity, and so Mike Repole is the league's director of business operations. There's plenty to be skeptical of, but transparency is maybe slightly better so far, and I love the shifted focus toward smaller, MLS-type venues as opposed to gigantic, expensive, mostly empty ones.

Louisville and Columbus seem like they are putting the full weight of their cities behind their new teams -- community outreach already seems improved. I love how the league did the draft(s) this year -- a portion just for QBs was interesting, and I'm encouraged by the league's emphasis on acquiring talent local to the region of each franchise.

There are also new rule changes (OT format, no punting in opponent territory, one-foot catches, etc.) designed to produce even more offense. So, without much time to lose, let's dive into some preseason futures and my picks for every game of Week 1 of the 2026 UFL campaign. It's good to be back!

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Preseason Futures

2026 UFL Championship

(All Odds Per DraftKings Sportsbook)

Birmingham Stallions (+340)

The Stallions' new regime has again stocked high-ceiling talent. They have Anthony McFarland and Tyrion Davis-Price at RB; John Ross, Marcus Simms, Laviska Shenault Jr., Daewood Davis, Cam Echols-Luper, and Deon Cain at WR. TE Jordan Thomas ties it all together as a bona fide red-zone monster.

This O-line could be a juggernaut. The Stallions have stacked some incredibly consistent, battle-tested bodies together to protect the QB and open lanes in the run game. They've got UFL staples, NFL-ready prospects, and some ridiculously large bodies to choose from. They could be the ultimate key to getting Matt Corral looking comfortable for the long haul.

Corral fell short of expectations in 2025, but I expect a bounce-back this go-round. I'm more worried about Birmingham maintaining the respect that it earned as a Spring Football League dynasty on defense. Even with back-to-back MVP campaigns for Alex McGough and Adrian Martinez, it was the defense that truly made it a championship squad.

Amani Bledsoe, Ryder Anderson, Isaac Ukwu, Kobe Jones, Izayah Green-May, Tae Crowder, Dyontae Johnson, Kyahva Tezino, Steven Gilmore, Lance Boykin, and JoJo Tillery. These are just the pillars. AJ McCarron wanted explosiveness and playmaking, and they got plenty more in an array of prospects who were recent monsters at various college levels.

This defense has all of the pieces to put the Stallions in title contention. One hopes that they don't sacrifice well-rounded stalwart defense for flashy big-play potential in McCarron's vision, but let's put it this way: I might be skeptical of McCarron as HC, but I trust Birmingham's defensive coordinator (Kevin Sherrer) way more than I trust Tyler Siskey as OC.

Finally, the special teams personnel are fantastic. Jonathan Garibay has tested accurately in the UFL and can hit from 50+ yards -- just what they need. LS Ryan Langan has been a Stallion for five years. Sick continuity and likely No. 1 in the league. P Colby Wadman was All-UFL in 2023 and is consistently among league leaders in the relevant stats.

I have my reservations about whether this team can meet the standard of Birmingham Stallions football. The entire coaching staff is super inexperienced -- not usually an awesome sign in this arena. Regardless, the Stallions are on the short list of early title contenders due to their personnel and any parts of the winning culture that carry over to the McCarron era.

St. Louis Battlehawks (+650)

Ricky Proehl is a longtime NFL veteran with NFL and XFL coaching experience, but as an offensive assistant/WR coach. Now, he's the head coach who is replacing Anthony Becht in St. Louis.

It's a very new-look Battlehawks squad, with A.J. Smith as OC. Smith has a lot of offensive coaching experience, but his schemes have found widely varying results across his many stops. This coaching combination could fall anywhere on the spectrum of success.

I was excited when it looked like former Tulane star Michael Pratt would be suiting up for St. Louis. Then it wasn't happening. Now, it is -- awesome. Spring veteran Brandon Silvers is likely QB1 at the jump. Silvers has had some fantastic stretches from the XFL to UFL, but I question if he can 1) last the whole season, and 2) reach a high enough level of play to carry his team to the postseason. I think this team will eventually be at its best with Pratt under center.

This offense returns a ton of production. It gets back RBs Jarveon Howard and Kevon Latulas. Howard is finally out of Jacob Saylors' shadow, but that's a hefty responsibility. More importantly, from the WR corps, it returns Hakeem Butler, Frank Darby, Jahcour Pearson, Blake Jackson, and Gary Jennings. Wow. That's top-tier pass-catching and special teams production all coming back to familiar territory.

At RB, it adds breakout candidates Rahjai Harris and Kylin James, and it even added WR Justin Smith, as if it didn't already have enough options in the passing game. At tight end, it went lean and mean -- James Bostic and Tyler Neville seem to be serviceable receiving options, but Neville is the true TE of the two. That's pretty consistent with how the Battlehawks used the position in the past.

The O-line is, by the majority, a lot of question marks -- guys with size, promise, and varying NFL experience, but not much in the way of sustained Spring Football success. Then, there's Mike Panasiuk, one of the best centers in Spring Football over the last few years. If you only got one guy with an acclaimed Spring pedigree, this is probably the guy you'd want for the Proehl/Smith offense.

The DLs are led by Carlos Davis, but Taylor Stallworth isn't too far behind, and LSU alumnus Neil Farrell could be a breakout hit in 2026. At EDGE, Pita Taumoepenu and Travis Feeney are a devastating duo. Their LB core is driven by former Brahmas star Jordan Williams, with Abraham Beauplan being tapped as the likely emergent prospect of the group. The secondary is a little tougher.

Luq Barcoo, Sean Fresch, Michael Ojemudia, and Nevelle Clarke are the main CBs and are probably the weakest defensive unit (maybe not even a defensive unit). However, it gets strong again at safety with 2024 All-UFL selection A.J. Thomas and three-year San Antonio star Jordan Mosley.

Finally, special teams is a puzzle. K Tucker McCann hasn't competed professionally in years, prospect P Ryan Sanborn has a boot and trick-play proclivity, and LS Matthew Hembrough is a legit NFL prospect with a very high skill level.

The Battlehawks have WR galore and so many playmakers on defense. I've got questions -- will the coaches click, is Jarveon Howard an elite RB1, will there be inconsistency at QB, can they guard other teams' receivers, and can they hit big kicks in the clutch? They have the best home-field advantage in the UFL, but we've seen this Battlehawks movie before. +650 isn't bad preseason value, but I want to actually see their on-field product before coming to any conclusions.

D.C. Defenders (+370)

Some things change, but a lot of things about the defending champion D.C. Defenders remain the same, and continuity is worth its weight in gold in Spring Football. Though they did just acquire WR Braylon Sanders (back) via trade with Houston. Other than that, almost everything important stayed the same, so I can be much more brief here.

You've got Jordan Ta'amu, Deon Jackson, Abram Smith, Cornell Powell, Ty Scott, Seth Williams, Keke Coutee, and the entire TE staff -- all back with the Defenders. Whoa. They lost a couple of key O-linemen, but they replenished that group with Jaelyn Duncan and Michael Tarquin. Their line is led by C Mike Maietti.

On defense, they return Joseph Wallace, Devonnsha Maxwell, Dennis Johnson, Derick Roberson, Micah Baskerville, Ferrod Gardner, Deandre Baker, Gareon Conley, Bryce Thompson, Sam Kidd, and Deontay Anderson. UNREAL. Where they needed to add fresh faces, they brought in well-regarded prospects and guys with ample NFL/CFL experience. At this point, you can just blindly trust that this staff and organization know what they're doing when it comes to roster construction.

My God -- they even brought back the entire special teams core of K Matt McCrane, P Paxton Brooks, and LS Trae Barry.

2025 UFL Coach of the Year Shannon Harris brought almost everyone back from the 2025 championship, and where they didn't, they added in alignment with their team and organizational philosophy. With a home-field advantage that brings the ruckus and the lemons, they are easily the top pick to win the 2026 UFL Championship and go back-to-back.

Louisville Kings (+1200)

The Louisville Kings have put some pieces together that have me intrigued by them as a long-shot championship contender. They've got Jason Bean at QB, plus Benny Snell and James Robinson in the backfield. This franchise stayed true to the state of Kentucky, and that includes former Louisville Cardinals QB Chris Redman as HC.

Redman is very inexperienced as a coach. He is a Louisville Cardinal legend, spent years in the NFL, won a Super Bowl ring as part of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, played Arena Football with the Austin Wranglers, and was president of the IFL's Louisville Xtreme in 2021. A decent foundation, but far from actual coaching experience.

I am intrigued by OC Steve Logan, who has experience coaching in college, the NFL, Europe, and the AAF. The backfield has some change-of-pace guys, and they're well-equipped at WR with Jonathan Adams, Isaiah Winstead, JaVonta Payton, and Lucky Jackson. They also feature potential gems like Kaden Prather, Carter Bell, and Tyler Hudson.

I wish they kept former Vienna Vikings star TE Florian Bierbaumer, but the duo of Zach Davidson and Jalen Wydermyer is a lethal red-zone pairing. The O-line sports several former Showboats and guys with mild/moderate UFL experience who touched the NFL. C Alec Lindstrom is likely the alpha of the group. It's a solid group, but they don't exactly pop.

The pieces on defense don't pop in comparison to the rest of the league, either. There's plenty of athleticism, playmaking, and potential. Strong college careers, stints with NFL rosters, and back-and-forth guys. If some of these prospects end up hitting, this defense could be elevated a tier or two.

Overall, Christopher Hinton, Josiah Bronson, Jaylon Allen, Cam Gill, Steele Chambers, Cam Dantzler, Eric Garror, Kenny Robinson Jr., and Mekhi Garner laid a solid and workable foundation. Finally, there's K Tanner Brown, best known for accuracy, and former Orlando Guardian P Mac Brown, most known for his proclivity for converting passes on faked punts.

For championship long shots, I say Louisville over Houston and Columbus. Redman as HC and the strength on defense are top concerns, but the ceiling is high with the offensive firepower and potential hidden gems on defense. If the city of Louisville rallies behind the Kings like it seems it will, this could be a not-fun team to play sooner rather than later.

Columbus Aviators (+750)

It really looked like Clayton Tune would be the Columbus Aviators QB, but he ended up signing an NFL Futures deal, and now they're rolling with the dependable Jalan McClendon. Between him and 2025 UFL TD leader Toa Taua at RB, this team will at least be dangerous in striking distance from the end zone. I'm also a fan of former Arena Football standout Jalen Morton at backup QB.

The biggest red flag is Ted Ginn Jr. as HC -- how often does a recent player with little to no coaching experience work out, and how many examples can we all give off the top of our heads to prove it? With John Lovett and ZaQuandre White behind Taua in the backfield, I at least like what they have going there. At WR, they have veterans Easop Winston Jr., Keke Chism, and Devin Ross.

I do trust Ginn to have an eye for receiving talent, and guys like Tay Martin, Roc Taylor, and Antwane Wells could end up paying dividends. At tight end, Gunnar Oakes is a well-rounded All-UFL level guy, and reserves Camren McDonald and Alize Mack offer fantastic support. For this offense to work, the established pieces need to perform, and at least one of the WR prospects needs to break through for a big campaign.

Ryan Nelson, Chris Glaser, and Cohl Cabral make up the centerpieces of this O-line. That's a great foundation -- past that, they have some size and decent experience, but it's very reasonable to question if this unit has some holes that might need patching throughout the season.

On defense, Walter Palmore and Caeveon Patton could make or break the line depending on their health. Surprisingly, Olive Sagapolu was cut. Kenny Willekes and Ron Stone Jr. are huge EDGE playmakers, and I love Adam Plant Jr.'s Arena experience. Tony Fields II is the likely leader of the LBs. Noah Dawkins and Storey Jackson are special teams specialists, while Jailin Walker and Xavier Benson are the prospects of the group.

The secondary is interesting. D.J. Miller Jr. and Kedrick Whitehead are the stars of the show. They also have a pair of high-profile prospects from South Carolina, a pair of guys with Indoor/Arena Football accolades, and rock-solid Nehemiah Shelton. That's all good, but frankly, the safeties on the Aviators roster are quite underwhelming as a whole. On special teams, LS Payton Bunch and P Jake Camarda have All-UFL potential -- K Ryan Coe is generously a work in progress.

Columbus has pieces, but so does everyone. Unfortunately, every aspect of this team, from the coaching staff to special teams, leaves something big to be desired. It will be interesting to see how one of the world's biggest college football towns rallies/responds to its new UFL franchise -- especially if it stumbles out of the gate. It's Spring Football, so anything can happen, but for the life of me, I can't understand how it is even at +750 to go all the way.

Dallas Renegades (+475)

Rick Neuheisel has extensive coaching experience, holding both college and NFL gigs from 1986-2011, and also has experience in Spring Football as both a player (USFL: San Antonio Gunslingers, 1984-85) and head coach (AAF: Arizona Hotshots, 2019). Even with a seven-year gap between coaching jobs, he can match the success of 2023 XFL champion Bob Stoops.

Luis Perez is the QB. If you don't know "The Spring King," you're new here. Experience/leadership is great. He completes at a high clip but is turnover-prone and quite unathletic. He's been in Spring Football since 2019 -- his story is wild. But I would love to see Austin Reed get reps in 2026. A DII Champ at West Florida, I was a huge fan of him at Western Kentucky, where he netted 8,068 yards, 71 TDs, 22 INTs, and 12 rushing TDs in two seasons with the Hilltoppers.

At RB, Dae Dae Hunter and Lorenzo Lingard will handle most of the workload. Big-play potential? Sure. Consistent means of supporting drives on offense? That I'm not so sure of. At WR, Tyler Vaughns and Denzel Mims should be the top-2 targets. Deontay Burnett and Greg Ward should get plenty of attention, too, and former Oklahoma Sooner/L.A. Ram Drake Stoops is a guy I could see flourishing in this system (even though his dad is gone).

It'll be hard adjusting to life without Spring superstar Sal Cannella. I'm not sure that there's a real replacement between Seth Green, Curtis Hodges, and Baylor Cupp, but their skill sets complement each other, and they should at least have 1-2 more receiving options at different times, a potential red-zone beast in Cupp, and assistance with blocking and special teams duties. I was shocked that they cut Peyton Hendershot just last week.

The O-line returns Alex Akingbulu and Marcus Minor, who performed well for the Renegades in recent samples. Keaton Sutherland, Tremayne Anchrum Jr., and Sam Tecklenburg offer a wide variety of experience. Josiah Ezirim, Raiqwon O'Neal, and Mike Novitsky bring prospect potential and unusual athleticism. This unit needs to be in top form to protect the immobile Perez and lead the way for whatever is going on in the backfield on any particular play.

The DL specializes in run defense, headed by former Gambler Domenique Davis. At EDGE, Willie Taylor III, Taco Charlton, and T.J. Franklin are an imposing group. At LB, Donald Payne is the whole story. In the secondary, Shaun Wade, Bobby Price, Ajene Harris, and Armani Marsh all have All-UFL potential. Former UMass UDFA Te'Rai Powell could emerge from this group of safeties.

Scott Spurrier is a good special teams coach, and he's got a mixed bag here. LS Antonio Ortiz is a Renegade staple of consistency and accuracy. P Brendan Hall is a behemoth at 6-foot-9 and was a recent FCS All-American. K Colton Theaker is the wild card. He can hit from deep and even punted at the JUCO level, but accuracy issues aren't an awesome problem to have here, so he'll need to make a leap to be a positive factor for this team.

I'm not worried about coaching or this ridiculously stacked defense. I am worried about the lack of offensive firepower. I think they'll really miss Cannella and Kalen Ballage. The Renegades have gone 8-12 since 2024 with zero playoff appearances, and they won't have the benefit of just having to be top-2 in the XFL Conference (top-4 teams in the league overall make the playoffs now). At +475, I think they're overvalued for the UFL championship.

Orlando Storm (+550)

You need high confidence in HC Anthony Becht to feel good about the Orlando Storm -- the last Spring Football stint in Orlando didn't end well. Having said that, it just might be there with this offense. Getting Dorian Thompson-Robinson at QB is phenomenal -- he could easily turn into Bryce Perkins 2.0 in the UFL.

The Storm also have Jack Plummer and Hank Bachmeier at QB -- Plummer could be successful as a starter in his own right. They landed Jashaun Corbin, the All-UFL rushing yards leader with the Brahmas in 2025. A massive, tide-turning acquisition. He's ahead of Tre Stewart, a particularly exciting prospect from the FCS ranks.

I love the continuity of the coaching staff for Becht, too -- with the interesting addition of Colin Thompson, a recent staff member for Navy Football and multi-Spring League player, as co-offensive coordinator.

The Storm are more prospect-centric than most teams in the league, and their WR room is a very colorful mixture of experience types. K.J. Hamler, Dee Anderson, Jerome Kapp, Chris Rowland, and Marquez Stevenson make up the more familiar names. But they have prospects ranging from huge-framed to Swiss army knife-types.

One is Aron Cruickshank, the top offensive player in the ELF last season, netting absurd receiving stats for the Madrid Bravos. They've got someone for everything, and I expect the Storm to be especially dangerous on returns. They've got someone for everything at TE, too, between Steven Stilianos, Shawn Bowman, and Konner Fox.

The top dog of the O-line is Cole Schneider, then it's a range of guys who are anywhere from moderately experienced to decorated prospects fresh off college. Maybe Becht prefers to coach prospects? The success of this unit could vary greatly -- it could be one of the UFL's worst or make the Storm's running game unstoppable.

This mixture is mirrored on defense. The top playmakers/assets are: Isaiah Buggs (DL), Chris Garrett (EDGE), Tavante Beckett (LB), Lamar Jackson, Mark Gilbert (CB), Jaylen Mahoney, and Jason Taylor II (S), but they have several breakout candidates at each position. I'm not wowed by K Michael Lantz, but P Jack Browning and LS Alex Matheson are All-UFL candidates.

Their QB and RB situations are fantastic. They've assembled every type of weapon that DTR could want, and the best players from their O-line and defense could very well be guys entering the season under the radar. Becht has been here before, and sometimes that's half the battle. The Storm have all the makings of a 2026 championship contender.

Houston Gamblers (+1500)

Kevin Sumlin has been a coach at high levels of football for like 36 years and is way better than C.J. Johnson -- that's a big positive. Houston switched back to the "Gamblers" from the "Roughnecks" -- another positive. Past that, it's tricky. Marcus Yarns, Marcus Major, and Kirk Merritt make up the RB committee. That could work great; it could also leave them scrambling from the start to find their rhythm on the ground.

They recently signed Taulia Tagovailoa. That's a higher ceiling than Donovan Smith. With Hunter Dekkers in the mix and Nolan Henderson as the safety net, the situation could be way worse. The WR corps is dangerous. Of note, they sport Jontre Kirklin, Justin Hall, and Kai Locksley, with several prospect deep threats. At TE, Armani Rogers might just be the most interesting prospect in the league.

The O-line flexes positional flexibility and solid professional experience at several levels. Jack Kramer is the anchor of the unit, and Jalen McKenzie is likely the man with the highest upside. Given the weapons they have in the passing game and the scheme they're trying to work on the ground, the offensive line will need to provide great pass protection and be able to roll with the punches.

On defense, Kyon Barrs (DL), Malik Fisher (EDGE), Marvin Moody, and Anthony Hines III (LB) are the immediate names that come to mind as huge difference-makers. They have several returning pieces and high-athleticism prospects who produced well in college across the board. The secondary is the weak link. They will need someone to step up alongside players like Markel Roby and Eli Walker.

On special teams, LS Marco Ortiz was on NFL radars last year, and K John Hoyland/P Mike Rivers boast big legs that could be clutch if tuned with consistency. Sumlin is a huge improvement at HC, and the defense sports some of the UFL's most intimidating tacklers.

If the pieces on offense come together, they could be a playoff team, but I'm skeptical of this backfield and QB room, so they start 2026 on the outside looking in.

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Top Pick for the UFL Championship: D.C. Defenders (+370)

They are the UFL defending champions and remain pretty much the same in virtually every key area. The value of continuity/consistency can't be overstated. It's why Birmingham and St. Louis aren't great values at the current odds, but the Renegades might actually be one of the better ones.

Top Sleeper Pick for the UFL Championship: Orlando Storm (+550).

Long Shot for the UFL Championship: Louisville Kings (+1200)

Maybe wait a few weeks on this, too -- this coaching staff could have some early season struggles, so you could end up getting a better number here before some things get figured out and Louisville and it start to hit a stride midseason.

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MVP: Dorian Thompson-Robinson (ORL)

Maybe Anthony Becht prefers what Jack Plummer offers at QB as the season progresses, but DTR has all the makings of an MVP along the Martinez/Perkins blueprint.

Honorable Mentions and All-UFL Candidates:

Quarterbacks: Matt Corral (BHA), Jalan McClendon (COL), Jason Bean (LOU), Luis Perez/Austin Reed (DAL), Jordan Ta'amu (DC), Michael Pratt (STL), Taulia Tagovailoa (HOU)

Running Backs: Tyrion Davis-Price (BHA), Deon Jackson/Abram Smith (DC), Anthony McFarland Jr. (BHA), Benny Snell Jr./James Robinson (LOU), Toa Taua (COL), Jashaun Corbin (ORL), Jarveon Howard (STL)

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: John Ross, Marcus Simms, Deon Cain, Jordan Thomas (BHA), Jonathan Adams, Zach Davidson/Jalen Wydermyer (LOU), K.J. Hamler (ORL), Jontre Kirklin, Justin Hall, Armani Rogers (HOU), Tyler Vaughns, Denzel Mims (DAL), Tay Martin/Roc Taylor/Antwane Wells, Gunnar Oakes (COL), Hakeem Butler, Jahcour Pearson, Blake Jackson, Justin Smith, Frank Darby/Gary Jennings (STL), Cornell Powell, Ty Scott, Braylon Sanders (DC)

Defense and Special Teams: Izayah Green-May, Kyahva Tezino, Ryan Langan, Colby Wadman (BHA), Christopher Hinton, Jaylon Allen, Cam Gill, Cam Dantzler, Eric Garror, Mac Brown (LOU), Isaiah Buggs, Chris Garrett, Tavante Beckett, Lamar Jackson, Mark Gilbert, Jack Browning, Alex Matheson (ORL), Kyon Barrs, Malik Fisher, Marvin Moody, Anthony Hines III, John Hoyland (HOU).

Domenique Davis, Willie Taylor III, Taco Charlton, T.J. Franklin, Donald Payne, Shaun Wade, Bobby Price, Ajene Harris, Brendan Hall (DAL), Kenny Willekes, Ron Stone Jr., Walter Palmore, D.J. Miller Jr., Kedrick Whitehead, Payton Bunch, Jake Camarda (COL), Carlos Davis, Pita Taumoepenu, Travis Feeney, Jordan Williams, A.J. Thomas, Jordan Mosley, Matthew Hembrough (STL), Joseph Wallace, Devonnsha Maxwell, Derick Roberson, Boogie Basham, Kai Gray, Deandre Baker, Sam Kidd, Matt McCrane (DC).

Coach of the Year: Anthony Becht (ORL)

The pieces are there in Orlando, and just imagine if Becht was able to get over the hump in his first year apart from the Battlehawks ... an effort like that would definitely be deserving of this award. I'm just assuming that Shannon Harris doesn't repeat as COTY.

Honorable Mentions: A.J. McCarron (BHA), Rick Neuheisel (DAL), Ricky Proehl (STL), and Chris Redman (LOU)

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