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Inside the XFL

by Fran Stuchbury
February 16, 2023 - XFL (XFL)


The 2023 XFL season begins this weekend as all eight teams have pared their rosters to the required 51 players. The Vegas Vipers open at the Arlington Renegades followed by the Orlando Guardians traveling to Houston to take on the Roughnecks later Saturday. Sunday's games will see the St. Louis Battlehawks in Texas to take on the San Antonio Brahmas, while the Seattle Sea Dragons will close the opening weekend at the D.C. Defenders.

Last week we took a look at the quarterbacks likely to helm each franchise. This week we'll examine players on both offense and defense likely to make a difference in week one.

North Division

D.C. Defenders

  • RB Abram Smith - Smith was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2023 XFL Draft's first phase for skill players. He played college football at Baylor where he rushed for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final season. Look for Smith to spearhead the Defenders rushing attack.

  • LB Reggie Northrup - The Defenders selected Northrup in the second of the the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft. He played with the Alliance of American Football's Orlando Apollos in 2019, XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020 and USFL's Houston Gamblers in 2022. With the Gamblers, Northrup finished with 82 total tackles and was named OurSports Central Defensive Player of the Week in the first week of the USFL season.

Seattle Sea Dragons

  • WR Josh Gordon - Gordon was originally a 2012 Supplemental Draft second round selection by the Cleveland Browns in 2012. His best season in the NFL come in 2013 when he caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine scores. His career ran aground when the NFL suspended him a couple of times for violating the league's substance abuse policy. With June Jones using a run and shoot offense, Gordon should get plenty of opportunities to catch passes with the Sea Dragons offense.

  • DT P.J. Hall - The Oakland Raiders selected Hall out of Sam Houston State in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was First Team All-Southland during all four years at Sam Houston as well as Southland Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. At the age of 27, Hall hopes to make the most of the opportunity he has playing in the XFL.

St. Louis Battlehawks

  • WR Austin Proehl - Proehl competed in the XFL in 2020 with the Seattle Dragons and caught 16 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns. His dad is former NFL receiver Ricky Proehl.

    Proehl grabbed the first XFL touchdown in 2020:

  • LB Travis Feeney - The well-Traveled Feeney played with the AAF's San Diego Fleet in 2019, CFL's Toronto Argonauts in 2020-2021 and the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022. He led the Bandits with 4.5 sacks.

Vegas Vipers

  • WR Martavis Bryant - A fourth round draft pick with the Pittsburgh Steeler in 2014, Bryant is looking to resurrect his career. Like Gordon, he was suspended by the NFL a pair of times for violating the substance abuse policy. He also played with the Oakland Raiders and Fan Controlled Football League before becoming the fifth overall pick in the 2023 XFL Skill Players Draft.

  • LB Vic Beasley - The Atlanta Falcons Beasley selected in the first round, 8th overall, in the 2015 NFL Draft. In 2016 Beasley led the NFL with 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, earning First Team All-Pro honor. In 2020 he spent time with the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders. The Vipers grabbed Beasley first overall in the 2023 XFL Defensive Front Seven Draft.

South Division

Arlington Renegades

  • RB De'Veon Smith - Smith played with the AAF's Orlando Apollos in 2019 before landing with the XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers the following year. He led the XFL in rushing with 365 yards over five games. The USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers drafted him last season, where his release created a minor stir. The USFL decided to create a behind-the-scenes look at life in the league, titled "United By Football," a type of "Hard Knocks" show for the USFL. In the series' first episode Pittsburgh Maulers Head Coach Kirby Wilson cut Smith, citing a lack of respect shown to staff. Smith had apparently asked for pizza instead of chicken salad during a team meal.

  • LB Donald Payne - Payne spent time on a couple of NFL rosters before a breakout campaign with the USFL's Houston Gamblers last year. He led the league with 117 total tackles and was named to the All-USFL team.

    Honorable mention for special teams:

  • P Marquette King - King played with the Oakland Raiders from 2012 until 2017 and with the Denver Broncos in 2018. In 2020 King punted for the XFL's St. Louis Battlehawks where he led the league with a 45.7-yard punting average.

    Here is one of King's booming punts that season:

Houston Roughnecks

  • RB Nick Holley - Holley returns to the Roughnecks after playing for them in 2020, when he caught 21 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. He will be another weapon the team will use to spread the football around in their run and shoot offense.

  • CB Will Likely - Likely suited up with the USFL's Houston Gamblers in 2022 and was named to the All-USFL team. He ranked third in the USFL with four interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. He added 57 total tackles.

Orlando Guardians

  • WR Cody Latimer - A 2014 second round pick by the Denver Broncos, Latimer was a member of their Super Bowl L winning team. He also played with the New York Giants in 2018 and 2019.

  • S Matt Elam - The Baltimore Ravens tabbed Elam in the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2013 NFL Draft. He later played in the CFL with Saskatchewan and Edmonton and in the XFL with the DC Defenders in 2020. Elam will provide veteran leadership on the Guardians' defense.

San Antonio Brahmas

  • RB Jacques Patrick - Patrick rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns with the XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020. He was named one of the team captains for the Brahmas.

  • P Brad Wing - Wing punted for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014 and New York Giants from 2015 until 2017. He averaged 44.7 yards per punt. Wing later played with the AAF's Memphis Express in 2019. He is also one of the team captains for the Brahmas.

Extra Points

  • With all eight XFL teams practicing in Arlington, Texas, the league chose Texas to host three of its four opening weekend games, a move which should cut down on any logistical issues. The opening weekend schedule:

    Saturday

    Vegas Vipers at Arlington Renegades - 3:00 pm ET ABC

    Orlando Guardians at Houston Roughnecks - 8:30 pm ET ESPN/FX

    Sunday

    St. Louis Battlehawks at San Antonio Brahmas - 3:00 pm ET ABC

    Seattle Sea Dragons at D.C. Defenders - 8:00 pm ET ESPN

  • The XFL announced the debut of its original, nine-part docuseries, Player 54: Chasing the XFL Dream, in partnership with its exclusive broadcast partner, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN. Player 54 will have its linear debut on Thursday, February 16 at 5:00 pm ET on ESPN2. It will also air on ABC on Saturday, February 18 at 2:00 pm ET leading into the XFL's opening game between the Vegas Vipers and Arlington Renegades. Episodes will be available to stream exclusively on ESPN+ immediately after each debuts on ESPN2.

  • The St. Louis Battlehawks announced the addition of quarterback Manny Wilkins to the team. The move completes the Battlehawks 51-player roster. The fifth all-time leading passer in Arizona State history, Wilkins threw for over 8,600 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards with 62 total touchdowns for the Sun Devils. Signed as a rookie free agent in 2019, Wilkins spent the entire season on the Green Bay Packers practice squad.

  • My XFL best bet lock of the week is the Arlington Renegades -2 over the Vegas Vipers. Thanks to playing in 2022 with the USFL's New Orleans Breakers, Kyle Sloter has plenty of game-playing experience. His counterpart, Vipers starter Brett Hundley, saw his last professional start in 2017 with the Green Bay Packers. Look for Sloter's former Breakers teammate Sal Cannella to have immediate chemistry with his quarterback. Even if Drew Pitts starts for the Renegades and Luis Perez starts for the Vipers, that will still favor Arlington. Also give the coaching edge to Bob Stoops who helmed the Renegades in 2020, while Vipers Coach Rod Woodson will be make his professional coaching debut. The Renegades could be one of the top teams in the XFL this season.
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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.


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