The USFL has made a comeback in a big way, giving fans a new football league to follow. While the 2023 season has yet to kick off, USFL teams have already conducted another draft to fill out their rosters. Soon enough, games will be underway, but who’s all involved?
What are the teams in the USFL? Are there any familiar names involved? Who are the biggest USFL football stars among the coaches and players? We’re still waiting to find out the final rosters, but we do know the head coaches involved. Based on the information we already have, we’ll do our best to answer all the above questions and more down below.
List of USFL teams, coaches
North Division
- Michigan Panthers – Coached by Mike Nolan
- New Jersey Generals – Coached by Mike Riley
- Philadelphia Stars – Coached by Bart Andrus
- Pittsburgh Maulers – Coached by Ray Horton
South Division
- Birmingham Stallions – Coached by Skip Holtz
- Houston Gamblers – Coached by Curtis Johnson
- Memphis Showboats – Coached by Todd Haley
- New Orleans Breakers – Coached by John DeFilippo
Breaking down the USFL star players
Now that the 2023 USFL Draft has taken place, we have a much better idea on who will be playing in the USFL this season. Yet, rosters are not finalized, and there are still a couple of months to go before the season kicks off in April. The space below includes as much information as we currently have, which is constantly updated as news trickles in.
Unlike the list of USFL head coaches, there isn’t a name like Todd Haley involved on the player side, but there are still several others football fans will recognize, either from their college days or from other independent football leagues aside from the NFL.
When the United States Football League conducted their player draft in 2022 to fill out the 38-man rosters, the Michigan Panthers selected former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Shea Patterson No. 1 overall. But he’s no longer in the league.
Other players who became stars in the USFL, like KaVontae Turpin, last season’s MVP, have since landed with the Dallas Cowboys. The same goes for 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Chris Odom, who is a member of the Cleveland Browns. But, the USFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, running back Darius Victor, is set to return for the New Jersey Generals in 2023.
Unlike the NFL, player salaries are all equal in the USFL, but there are still some players who enter the league with a higher profile than others. Here’s a list of some of the most notable names expected to participate in the 2023 USFL season:
- Alex McGough, QB, Birmingham Stallions
- Malik Cunningham, QB, Birmingham Stallions
- Kyle Lauletta, QB, New Jersey Generals
- James Morgan, QB, Pittsburgh Maulers
- Adrian Martinez, QB, New Jersey Generals
- Darius Victor, RB, New Jersey Generals (2022 Offensive Player of the Year)
- Bo Scarbrough, RB, Birmingham Stallions
- Alex Collins, RB, Memphis Showboats
- Vinny Papale, WR, Memphis Showboats
- Trey Quinn, WR, Michigan Panthers
- Jace Sternberger, TE, Birmingham Stallions
- Bug Howard, TE, Philadelphia Stars
- Isaiah Battle, OT, New Jersey Generals
- Breeland Speaks, DE, Michigan Panthers
- Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Michigan Panthers
- Daylon Mack, DT, Memphis Showboats
- Scooby Wright, LB, Birmingham Stallions
- Reuben Foster, LB, Pittsburgh Maulers
- Channing Stribling, CB, Philadelphia Stars
- Benny Sapp III, DB, Memphis Showboats
A complete list of USFL draft picks from 2022 can be found here. The USFL has yet to announce when rosters will be revealed, but we’ll update this space as soon as more information is available. Stay tuned to Sportsnaut for more USFL news throughout the season.
Related: USFL games today: 2023 schedule, how to watch, odds, and more