Inside the UFL
by Fran Stuchbury
Published on April 2, 2026 under United Football League (UFL)
Season three of the United Football League kicked off with three new markets as the Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings and Orlando Storm took the field for the first time.
Notably, several quarterbacks also made their United Football League debuts with several making splashes in week one.
Austin Reed of the Dallas Renegades topped that list, completing 26 of 40 passes for a UFL regular-season record 376 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Dallas' 36-17 victory over the Houston Gamblers. Reed won the starting job over long-time spring football quarterback Luis Perez who was the starting quarterback for the Renegades last season. Reed spread the football around in head coach Rick Neuheisel's UFL head coaching debut.
"Everybody was really just aligned with what we were trying to do out there," said Reed. "Offensive line played really well. Obviously those pockets were great and receivers were running really good routes getting open.... It was really a team effort more than anything. Guys were playing well. We had a really good game plan. We felt good about what we had going into this game and and what we were going to do and just came down to whether we were going to execute it or not."
Jack Plummer of the Orlando Storm connected on 17 of 22 for 240 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in the Storm's 23-16 victory over the Columbus Aviators.
Plummer's 12 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Rowland gave the Storm a commanding 23-6 lead in the third quarter.
In the loss to the Renegades, Houston's Hunter Dekkers entered the game after Nolan Henderson threw a pick six. Dekkers provided some stability, connecting on 19 of 29 throws for 227 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He showed some mobility, carrying the ball three times for 28 yards and one score.
Louisville Kings QB Jason Bean struggled at times in Friday night's game, completing 14 of 27 passes for 226 yards, one touchdown and two costly interceptions in the 15-13 loss to the Birmingham Stallions. Bean was the Kings leading rusher with five carries for 27 yards. His touchdown pass was a 12-yard strike to his favorite target Lucky Jackson in the first quarter.
Every touchdown from UFL Week One
Best Catches from UFL Week One
Week 2 games
Friday April 3rd
D.C Defenders at Columbus Aviators - 8 pm est. FOX
Saturday May 4th
Louisville Kings at Orlando Storm - 8 pm est. ESPN
Sunday May 5th
Birmingham Stallions at Houston Gamblers - 6 pm est. NFL Network
Tuesday April 7th
St. Louis Battlehawks at Dallas Renegades - 8 pm est. FOX Sports 1
EXTRA POINTS
1. Attendance at Friday's Birmingham at Louisville game was 14,034. Saturday's D.C at St. Louis contest drew 31,191, while the Houston at Dallas game attracted 8,870. Sunday's Columbus at Orlando weekend finale drew 11,127.
2. Dallas Renegades quarterback Austin Reed, the St. Louis Battlehawks defense, and Birmingham Stallions safety Hudson Clark were named the OurSports Central UFL Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for week one of the United Football League season.
3. DC Defenders kicker Matt McCrane connected on the first-ever, four-point field goal from 60 yards in their 16-10 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks.
4. The Louisville Kings fired offensive line coach Breno Giacomini.
5. My UFL Best Bet Lock of the Week is the DC Defenders -1.5 over the Columbus Aviators. After a disappointing loss to the Battlehawks in which Jordan Ta'amu was sacked seven times, look for the defending champs to bounce back against an Aviators team that came up short last week against the Orlando Storm.
United Football League Stories from April 2, 2026
- Reed, Mosley, McCrane Earn Week One Player of the Week Honors - UFL
- UFL Unveils Corporate Partnership Roster for 2026 Season - UFL
- Inside the UFL - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Inside the UFL - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Inside the UFL - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
