Inside the XFL
by Fran Stuchbury
February 8, 2023 - XFL (XFL)
With the XFL kicking off its return to the field on Saturday, February 18th, rosters are being cut this week to 51 players. Coaches are evaluating quarterbacks as training camps rapidly draw to a close.
North Division
DC Defenders
Jordan Ta'Amu - Ta'Amu played in the 2020 XFL with the St. Louis BattleHawks where he threw for 1,050 yards, five touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also ran for 217 yards and one touchdown in the five-game season cut short due to COVID-19.
He cycled through several NFL practice squad rosters in 2020 and 2021. In 20222 he started for the United States Football League's Tampa Bay Bandits, passing for 2,015 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He added 365 rushing yards and one touchdown as well.
His highlights with the Bandits:
With the most playing experience, Ta'Amu is the projected starter.
D'Eriq King - King competed at the University of Houston from 2016 until 2019. In 2018 he was named Second Team All-American Athletic Conference. He finished his college career with Miami in 2019 and 2020 and briefly spent time on the Carolina Panthers practice squad in 2022.
Eric Dungey - Dungey took snaps at Syracuse where he made third team Atlantic Coast Conference in 2018. He went on to play with the XFL's Dallas Renegades in 2020.
All three quarterbacks are mobile, giving the Defenders offense a similar run-pass threat no matter who starts.
Seattle Sea Dragons
Ben DiNucci - DiNucci suited up at Pittsburgh from 2015 until 2017 then transferred to James Madison for the 2018 and 2019 campaigns. In 2019 he was named Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year. The Dallas Cowboys chose DiNucci in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Steven Montez - Montez played collegiately at Colorado before appearing on the Washington Football Team roster briefly in 2020. He landed on the Detroit Lions practice squad in 2022 then rejoined the Sea Dragons roster after his Lions practice squad contract expired.
Harrison Frost - Frost competed at Division II West Georgia. Over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he compiled career stats of 6,730 passing yards, 50 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
St. Louis BattleHawks
A.J. McCarron - McCarron starred for Alabama where he won three BCS Championships in 2010, 2012 and 2013. The Cincinnati Bengals drafted him in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he remained with Cincinnati from 2014 until 2017. In 2018 he spent time with the Oakland Raiders, before catching on with the Houston Texans. If experience is a factor, McCarron may be the starter.
Nick Tiano - Tiano took the field at Mississippi State from 2015 until 2016, then at Chattanooga from 2017 until 2019. He was in training camp with the Houston Texans in 2020 and appeared in training camp with the CFL Toronto Argonauts before a brief stint on the Montreal Alouettes practice squad in 2021.
With the BattleHawks releasing quarterback Ryan Willis, the team may add another passer to its roster.
Vegas Vipers
Brett Hundley - The Vipers signed Hundley on February 1st. He played college football at UCLA and was named second team Pac-12 in 2014. The Green Bay Packers selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and he later spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and most recently with the Baltimore Ravens. He reportedly will make $200,000 this season, so it's a distinct possibility he could be the Vipers starting quarterback if he learns the offense quickly.
Luis Perez - Perez has competed for numerous professional, spring teams including the Alliance of American Football's Birmingham Iron in 2019, the XFL's New York Guardians in 2020 and the USFL's New Jersey Generals in 2022. With the Generals, Perez passed for 1,200 yards, nine touchdowns and only one interception. He will compete with Hundley for playing time with the Vipers.
Here are Perez's season highlights with the Generals:
Jalan McClendon - McClendon played with the XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats in 2020.
South Division
Arlington Renegades
Kyle Slolter - After appearing on a bevy of NFL practice rosters, Sloter led the 2022 USFL's New Orleans Breakers where he passed for 1,798 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions, landing a spot on the All-USFL team.
Here are his season highlights:
Sloter will be reunited with fellow USFL All-Star, tight end Sal Cannella who put up big numbers in the Breakers' playoff game: 12 receptions for 154 yards on 16 targets in New Orleans' 31-17 loss to the Birmingham Stallions.
Kevin Anderson - Anderson led the charge at Fordham before landing with the Alliance of American Football's Orlando Apollos in 2019.
Drew Pitt - Pitt played at Ball State from 2017 until 2021.
Houston Roughnecks -
Brandon Silvers - Silvers saw action with the AAF's Memphis Express in 2019 and XFL's Seattle Dragons in 2020.
His highlights with Seattle:
He has the most playing experience among the quarterbacks on the roster, possibly giving him the edge to be the starter.
Cole McDonald - McDonald took snaps at Hawaii, making second team Mountain West Conference in 2019 as well as earning Hawaii Bowl MVP honors. The Tennessee Titans chose him in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he also appeared with the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts in 2021.
Kaleb Eleby - Eleby played college football at Western Michigan, taking Second Team All-Mid American Conference honors in 2021.
Orlando Guardians
Deondre Francois - Francois spent time behind center at Florida State and was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2016. He went on to play two seasons in Fan Controlled Football.
Paxton Lynch - Lynch signed with the Guardians on January 30th. After playing college football at Memphis, he was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2016 NFL Draft. He also spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2021. Lynch took the field last year with the USFL's Michigan Panthers. In the last week of the regular season he earned OurSports Central USFL Player of the Week honors by hitting 22 of 30 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Quentin Dormady - Dormady competed collegiately at Tennessee, Houston and Central Michigan.
Either Lynch or Francois will likely be the starter for the Guardians.
San Antonio Brahamas
Jack Coan - Coan played at Wisconsin from 2017 to 2020 and Notre Dame in 2021. In his final college season he led the Fighting Irish to an 11-2 record, passing for 3,150 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Jawon Pass - After a stint at Louisville from 2016 until 2020, Pass transferred to FCS Prairie View A&M in 2021 where he passed for 2,626 yards, 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Reid Sinnett - Sinnett took snaps at San Diego where he earned First Team All-Pioneer Football League in 2019. He spent time with the NFL's Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.
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