Tag: UFL

Former Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship tries out for UFL

Former Georgia Bulldogs kicker Rodrigo Blankenship tries out for the UFL

Former Georgia and Indianapolis kicker Rodrigo Blankenship recently participated in a UFL tryout event. Approximately 30-35 kickers participated. They divided into three groups of 10 and further split into two heats of five for competition. The tryout began with the kickoff portion, where kickers adjusted to the UFL’s unique rule of kicking off from the 20-yard line instead of the NFL’s 35-yard line.

Blankenship kicked against the wind during his first attempt, reaching the 15-yard line. His second and third kicks landed at the 7-yard and 6-yard lines, respectively.

The field goal portion followed, where he impressed after making all six of his intermediate kicks from 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, and 46 yards. The group then moved to long-distance attempts, where he converted a 53-yarder from the left hash and a 56-yarder from the right hash.

Reflecting on his performance, the kicker said:

“I’m happy with the distance on two of my kickoffs. I’m glad I hit all of my field goals because accuracy is what everyone focuses on.”

As the UFL season doesn’t start until March, he remains hopeful for an opportunity with an NFL team as the regular season enters its final weeks.

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Blankenship will always be a fan favorite for Georgia Bulldog fans.

Broncos Super Bowl 50 champion Cody Latimer retires from football

Cody Latimer, who won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos in 2015, has retired from pro football.

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer is hanging up his cleats.

“Thank you football!!!” Latimer wrote on his Instagram page on Monday. “This game has taken me places i would’ve never imagined… Onto the next chapter!! 💪🏾💪🏾”

Latimer, 32, was picked by the Broncos in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft out of Indiana. He spent the first four years of his career in Denver, hauling in 35 receptions for 445 yards and three touchdowns in 45 games.

Latimer played 24 snaps on special teams and two snaps on offense in the team’s 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

After his contract with the Broncos expired, Latimer spent two years with the New York Giants. He later had a brief stint with the Washington Commanders before three years out of football.

Latimer returned to the gridiron with the XFL’s Orlando Guardians in 2023 and transitioned to tight end. After making the All-XFL team in 2023, Latimer joined the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas in 2024. He totaled 36 receptions for 391 yards and one touchdown this spring before being placed on injured reserve.

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Congrats to Latimer on his nine-year career in professional football.

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From the UFL to NFL, Dondrea Tillman is making the most of his opportunity with Broncos

Dondrea Tillman joined the Broncos after winning three titles with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions. He recorded two sacks in his NFL debut.

Dondrea Tillman has had quite a football journey.

After playing college football at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Tillman spent two years out of football. He then got an opportunity to play in The Spring League in 2021.

The pass rusher’s performance in that league impressed coaches from the Birmingham Stallions, who used a third-round pick to select Tillman in the 2022 USFL draft. Tillman went on to win three straight titles with the Stallions (two in the USFL and one in the UFL this spring).

Tillman dominated spring football and the Denver Broncos signed him following the conclusion of the UFL’s 2024 season. After the Broncos lost Baron Browning to a foot injury, Tillman was promoted to the 53-man roster ahead of the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.

Making his NFL debut on Sunday, Tillman became the first Denver player since at least 1970 to record two sacks in his debut.

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“We weren’t going to just let the other three play 60 snaps or 50 snaps,” coach Sean Payton said of the outside linebacker rotation. “A guy like that was coming up, he’s got to be playing in the kicking game and then getting snaps on defense. I was pleased with his effort.

“He’s strong. I’ve mentioned earlier in the week, we’ve seen a lot from him. I was excited to see him take advantage of the opportunity.”

The Broncos’ defense dominated from start to finish with seven sacks and two takeaways in a 26-7 victory. Tillman finished the day with three total tackles and his two sacks resulted in the loss of 18 yards for Tampa Bay.

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“It feels great,” Tillman said after the game, via the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel. “It’s been a lot of time. I’ve been waiting for this. It’s a dream come true. It’s really a blessing.”

After impressing in his first NFL game, the 26-year-old Tillman figures to remain a part of Denver’s pass rush rotation going forward.

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Washington Commanders waive former Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman

Tough break for him

After using up his college eligibility at Notre Dame, quarterback [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] set his eyes on professional football.

After not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders scooped him up as a free agent. If it didn’t work out, he also could go to the Birmingham Stallions, who drafted him into the UFL a few months later.

While the door isn’t completely closed on Hartman’s NFL aspirations, he’ll need to prove that he belongs in the league. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network is reporting that Hartman will not be on the Commanders’ roster to start the season but could remain part of the organization:

Hartman’s preseason showing left a little to be desired. He completed eight of 13 passes for 83 yards and no touchdowns, only playing in the Commanders’ preseason opener against the New York Jets. The longest pass he completed was for 19 yards.

The NFL can be unforgiving, so let’s hope Hartman eventually can clear the necessary hurdles to make it there.

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Raiders sign former UFL linebacker, waive/injured WR Jeff Foreman

Raiders sign former UFL LB DeShaun White

Less than a week from now, the Raiders roster will be cut from 90 players to 53. But they still have one preseason game to go as they will host the 49ers on Friday. So, the roster work continues.

Wednesday, they added former UFL linebacker DeShaun White, who had originally signed with the Buffalo Bills last offseason.

White played was a four-year starter at Oklahoma, totaling 259 tackles (126 solo), 19.5 for loss. He earned All-Big 12 honorable mention honors in 2022.

He had seven tackles last season with the UFL’s Michigan Panthers.

In a corresponding move, the Raiders waived/injured WR Jeff Foreman. Foreman had suffered an apparent serious knee injury in training camp that had his leg put in air cast and carted off the field.

Former USC tight end signs UFL deal in Houston

Malcolm Epps gets a pro football opportunity in the UFL.

The Houston Roughnecks of the UFL have added former USC Trojans tight end Malcolm Epps, signing him to a letter of intent. Epps, from Houston, spent his college career at Texas, USC and Pittsburgh in his five year career.

He started out at Texas, playing there for three years. At Texas, he had 292 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

In 2021, Malcolm Epps transferred to USC. He made five starts in 26 games with the Trojans across two years, totaling three scores and 191 yards receiving.

For his final season of eligibility, Malcolm made the move to Pittsburgh. He made two starts in 11 games played that year, racking up 115 yards.

Epps, who was invited to the Indianapolis Colts rookie minicamp in May, was selected by the Houston Roughnecks in the sixth round of the 2024 UFL draft. He gets a fresh start and a chance to establish an identity as a pro, potentially setting the stage for an upward move in the football industry.

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Ex-Broncos pass rusher returns to NFL after stint in UFL

After playing well in the UFL this spring, former Broncos practice squad pass rusher Wyatt Ray signed with the Dolphins.

Former Denver Broncos pass rusher Wyatt Ray is signing with the Miami Dolphins after a successful stint in the United Football League.

Ray (6-3, 254 pounds) joined the Broncos in 2022 after spending time with seven other NFL teams from 2019-2022. He joined Denver’s practice squad in December of the 2022 campaign and was elevated to the game-day roster three times that season.

In those three games, Ray played 37 snaps on defense and recorded two tackles. He also played 67 snaps on special teams. He was released by the Broncos the following spring.

Ray was then picked up by the Houston Roughnecks, but they folded when the XFL merged with the USFL to form the UFL. Fortunately, the San Antonio Brahmas picked Ray in the UFL’s dispersal draft earlier this year.

Playing for the Brahams, Ray totaled 24 tackles and 5.5 sacks in the UFL this spring. He’ll now get a chance to return to the NFL in Miami.

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Dolphins bring in UFL pass rusher Wyatt Ray for workout

The Dolphins are reportedly in the market for some more edge rushing depth.

The Miami Dolphins brought in pass rusher Wyatt Ray for a workout Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston.

Ray, 27, has some NFL experience after spending time with eight different teams (Browns, Texans, Bills, Jets, Titans, Bengals, Jaguars, and Broncos) since 2019. However, most of that time was spent in camps and on practice squads. Ray appeared in 15 regular season games with Cincinnati in 2021 and eight games across stints with Tennessee and Denver.

More recently, Ray played for the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL and is credited with recording 5.5 sacks during the 2024 season.

The Dolphins have a star duo of pass rushers in Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, and the team added first-round pick Chop Robinson to the mix in the 2024 NFL draft. All three are currently unavailable due to injuries, though.

Miami signed Shaquil Barrett earlier this year, but the veteran abruptly retired just before the start of training camp. The Dolphins brought back Emmanuel Ogbah as a replacement, but the team’s depth on the edge is still lacking with Chubb and Phillips both on the PUP list.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Kevin Austin Jr. is Saints Player of Day 42

Countdown to Kickoff: Kevin Austin Jr. is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 42

The New Orleans Saints are now only 42 days away from kicking off their regular season against the Carolina Panthers. That makes today’s player of the day Kevin Austin Jr. — the Saints didn’t  have anyone wearing No. 42 when he joined the team, so this is a good opportunity to highlight Austin, who chose No. 81. Let’s get to know the newest member of the Saints:

  • Name (Age): Kevin Austin Jr. (24)
  • Position: Wide receiver
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.89
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $795,000
  • College: Notre Dame
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2022 (Jacksonville Jaguars)
  • NFL experience: Year 3

Austin is the Saints’ newest member, having signed just before the start of training camp. This was after Austin Suited up for the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL. He caught 15 passes for 253 receiving yards, scoring two touchdowns. The Stallions won the UFL championship, and Austin was targeted three times in the championship game.

Before all of this, Austin attended Notre Dame, where he caught fire his senior year, catching 48 passes for 888 receiving yards. After going undrafted, he signed with the Jaguars. He was eventually released and that is when he signed with the Birmingham Stallions.

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Roster moves: Seahawks sign WR Ty Scott, release CB Andrew Whitaker

Roster moves: Seahawks sign WR Ty Scott, release CB Andrew Whitaker

The Seattle Seahawks are in a full swing with training camp this week, and they certainly are staying active. On Thursday, it was announced they are adding yet another former UFL wide receiver into the mix. The Seahawks signed Ty Scott, a former DC Defender and Missouri State Bear.

To make room for this addition, Seattle released cornerback Andrew Whitaker.

Ty Scott joins fellow former UFL wide receiver, Marcus Simms, as a pair of spring league players to earn another shot in the NFL. Simms was signed on July 16th.

Scott made the most of his opportunity in our nation’s capital last year, hauling in 25 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Defenders went 4-6 and did not qualify for the playoffs.

As for his college stats, during his two years at Missouri State he recorded 1,784 total receiving yards. However, his final year of 2022 only saw 674 yards, likely leading him to be undrafted going into 2023.

After a short stint with the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason, Scott now has his second opportunity in the league. This time, with the Seattle Seahawks.

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