The USFL Draft is now behind us and football fans all over the country are anxiously awaiting the beginning of the 2022 season. The first game will be at 7:30 pm ET on Saturday April 16 and feature the Generals vs the Stallions. As we get ready for the opening kickoff, let’s take some time to break down the Stallions roster so you know just what Coach Skip Holtz is going to be working with this season. The Stallions are the only team in the USFL that aren’t from a city already containing an NFL team. The city of Birmingham is fully behind this team and as Coach Holtz says, “people love their football here. I once heard a coach say our fan base needs to get a life. Well in the state of Alabama, they have one. And it’s football.”
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2022 Birmingham Stallions Roster: USFL Draft Results, Rosters, and Roster Analysis
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Quarterbacks
Alex McGough
J’Mar Smith
Skip Holtz loves versatile quarterbacks, and these guys should be able to offer him just that. Alex McGough can throw an accurate deep ball and has a strong arm that allows him to squeeze passes into tight spaces. When he is forced out of the pocket, he is able to throw on the run efficiently as well. In addition, he has experience running the read-option. As a four-year starter at FIU, he threw 81 touchdowns. He played against the Stallions Head Coach, Skip Holtz a couple of times in college so they know exactly what they are getting in McGough. Alex was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft which was the Seahawks’ first QB selection in 6 years. Their previous most recent QB drafted was Russell Wilson in 2012. J’Mar Smith will offer some good competition to McGough. J’Mar played QB at LA Tech under Coach Holtz and went 10-1 as a senior in 2019. He is a more mobile option and understands what Holtz wants to do offensively. The starting job is up for grabs.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Running Backs
CJ Marable
Tony Brooks-James is a 5’9” 180-pound back who can receive out of the backfield. He keeps his legs moving after contact and is dangerous in space. He has bounced around the NFL for the last couple years. He has 11 career rushing attempts in the NFL. Prior to his professional career, he had a successful career at the University of Oregon and earned a spot on the All-Pac 12 2nd Team in 2016. CJ Marable is a complete back out of Coastal Carolina. He can catch and block in addition to his running abilities. He is probably better at changing direction than Brooks-James. This is going to be a great one-two punch and I expect these guys to split carries. They were only drafted 3 picks apart. Similar to the QB position, there isn’t a name sharpied into the starting job.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Wide Receivers
Emmanuel Hall
Osirus Mitchell
Peyton Ramzy
Manasseh Bailey
Victor Bolden Jr. was the first overall receiver selected in the draft. He has the potential to be the best player in the USFL. In the last four years he has been playing in the NFL, most recently with the Detroit Lions. Emanuel Hall will be a deep threat for the Stallions. In 2018, Hall was 2nd Team All SEC. Osirus Mitchell has a similar playstyle to Hall but is slightly taller standing at 6’5”. Mitchell is a red zone target and has good hands. Ramzy played D2 ball at Tuskegee University. He has a good release off the line of scrimmage and makes defenders look silly with his route running and quickness. Manasseh Bailey was recruited to Morgan State as a linebacker. He runs a 4.39 40 yard dash and will probably play in the slot for the Stallions although he can play outside as well.
Birmingham Stallions Draft & Roster: Tight End
Cary Angeline
Angeline is a former four-star recruit. He is a receiving tight end and is athletic for being 6’6”. He isn’t known for his blocking ability which may tell us that Coach Holtz wants to have a pass-first offense.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Offensive Line
OT Darius Harper
OT O’Shea Dugas
OG Cameron Hunt
C Jordan McCray
OT Justice Powers
OT Matthew Snow
Darius Harper is 6’7” and played college basketball at Miami (OH) before transferring to Cincinnati to play football. He will most likely start at tackle for the Stallions. O’Shea Dugas played left tackle for Coach Holtz at LA Tech. He was First-Team All-Conference USA in 2018 and has spent some time with the Cincinnati Bengals. Cameron Hunt was the first Guard selected by Birmingham. He played college ball at Oregon and played a couple years in the NFL, most recently with the Raiders in 2019. Jordan McCray was the next Guard taken by the Stallions, he can also play Center. He went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft but played for the Packers, Browns, and Falcons. He started 27 games in the NFL. Justice Powers is a Tackle who played for the University of Alabama Birmingham. He comes back home to Birmingham after spending a brief time in the NFL with the Falcons. Matthew Snow was a Compensatory Pick in the last offensive tackle round. He is an athletic tackle out of Pace University. He hasn’t played against the greatest competition in his career but if he can adjust quickly he has the potential to be a great player at this level.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Defensive Line
DE Aaron Adeoye
DE Chauncy Hany
DE/DT Seth Thomas
DT Willie Yarbary
DT Haston Adams
Aaron Adeoye played four years of college basketball before switching over to football for his fifth year of eligibility. He has spent three seasons on the Ravens practice squad. Aaron is a 6’6” athlete on the edge. He played for Birmingham in the AAF so the fans are familiar with his abilities. Chauncy Haney is a former D2 player. He is 6’5” and is explosive off the edge. He is a raw talent and still has room to improve his game. Seth Thomas started all 13 games his senior year at Northern Iowa. He is a 6’6” 265-pound lineman that has a lot of versatility in his game. He can play defensive tackle, defensive end or outside linebacker. Although he was drafted as a defensive end, look for Thomas to compete for the starting role at the tackle position because of the depth and athleticism they already have on the edge. Jonathan Newsome was selected with a Compensatory Pick at the end of round 4. He is a 31-year-old veteran that has experience playing in the NFL with 47 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his career. Willie Yarbary is a nose tackle out of Wake Forest. He was the first defensive tackle selected by the Stallions. Joining him at the position is Haston Adams. Adams is a 6’5” 295-pound defensive tackle out of a school called the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He is a former D3 All-American.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Outside Linebackers
DeMarquis Gates
Terrill Hanks
Brody Buck
Although he was drafted as an outside linebacker, DeMarquis Gates started at middle linebacker for Ole Miss and led the Rebels in tackles for three straight seasons. His senior season in 2017, he had 114 tackles and ranked 3rd in the SEC in tackles per game with 9.5. He also led the SEC in solo tackles with 70. He has played on a few practice rosters around the NFL and was a star on the Houston Roughnecks in the XFL. Terrill Hanks is a hard-hitting linebacker from New Mexico State. At one point in his career, he was projected to be a midround pick in the NFL draft but went undrafted in 2019. He had a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins and is looking for another opportunity to prove himself. Brody Buck only started two games his senior year at Northwest Missouri State but the Stallions coaching staff must see something in his game that warranted a selection. He was drafted before some talented players went off the board in his position so they must have a plan for him.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Inside Linebackers
Jason Ferris
Scooby Wright was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a Unanimous All-American in 2014 at the University of Arizona. He also won the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award which are both given to the best defensive player in college football. He played for the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals before playing most recently for the DC Defenders of the XFL. The Stallions used a Compensatory Pick on Jason Ferris after he slipped out of the first 8 picks of the Inside Linebacker Round (Round 21). Ferris was a team captain at Montana Western where he was a two-time AP All-American at the NAIA level. He majored in horsemanship in college so maybe he was born to be a Stallion!
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Cornerbacks
Lorenzo Burns
Brian Allen was a 5th round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Utah. He has been playing in the league ever since. When Allen first got to Utah he was a receiver but was converted into a starting cornerback. He is 6’3” and runs a 4.48 40-yard dash. Tae Hayes is a 5’9” corner out of App State. He has been bouncing around NFL rosters since 2019. Bryan Mills played one year at NC Central after transferring from College of Canyons. He was first-team All-MEAC and led the conference in interceptions with 5 in 2019 and then didn’t play in 2020 because of COVID. In 2021 he spent time with the Seahawks, Saints, Browns, and Vikings. Standing at 5’11”, Lorenzo Burns joins LB Scooby Wright on the list of Arizona Wildcats turned Birmingham Stallions. In 2019 Lorenzo won Team Defensive MVP at Arizona and he was a two-time Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention. In High School, Lorenzo was a three-star recruit who played quarterback, running back, receiver, and kick returner.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Safeties
Christian McFarland
Tyree Robinson
McFarland and Robinson were selected with back-to-back picks in the draft. McFarland is a good run stopper that has a strong lower body and will be a leader on the defense. Robinson is a playmaker and a ball hawk. He is great in coverage and has a big frame standing at 6’3”.
Birmingham Stallions Draft Picks & Roster: Special Teams
Kicker: Brandon Aubrey
Punter: Colby Wadman
The Stallions are one of two teams in the USFL to draft a kicker AND a punter. Brandon Aubrey is the most exciting kicking prospect in the USFL. He was a 3rd Team All-American soccer player at Notre Dame. He was picked in the first round of the 2017 MLS Draft by Toronto FC. He has never played football. The Stallions selected him with the last pick in the kicker round (round 32). They then had the first pick in the punter round (round 33) where they selected Colby Wadman. Wadman started for the Denver Broncos in 2018 and 2019. He is still only 26 years old and there is a reason he was the first punter off the board. In the NFL he averaged 44.5 yards per punt. In Denver, he completed a fake punt pass for a 1st down on a 4th and 5.
