Renegades HC Bob Stoops Talks WR Victor Bolden & RB Brian Herrien Signings, Smallwood Waived, and More

Arlington Renegades Head Coach Bob Stoops spoke to the media Wednesday regarding recent transactions as well as their upcoming game against the San Antonio Brahmas.

It has been a busy Wednesday for the team as they look for a spark on offense. They announced on Twitter the signing of wide receiver Victor Bolden and running back Brian Herrien. The team also announced that running back Kenneth Farrow was placed on injured reserve with an ACL injury. Lastly, Arlington announced wide receiver Jordan Smallwood was waived from the team.

Coach Bob Stoops Media Availability Takeaways

Signing Victor Bolden and Brian Herrien, Waiving Jordan Smallwood

Bolden made a name for himself as one of the best players in the USFL where he played for the Birmingham Stallions in 2022. He led the league in total yards with 1,209 yards and one touchdown in the regular season. During the championship game, Bolden was named the MVP of the game as he caught six passes for 64 yards and one touchdown and had a 43-yard kickoff return as well. He ended the season with an All-USFL selection for his performance in the season.

In the NFL this past season, Bolden started with a stint in Arizona with the Cardinals before being released by the team in September. He most recently was on the Denver Broncos practice squad but was waived by the team last Tuesday. Coach Stoops spoke about what went into the move with Bolden and Smallwood.

“Just a guy that’s got really great speed, different style of player. Jordan (Smallwood) was awesome and a great leader for us. I think getting a little more speed on the field helps.”

Arlington Renegades Head Coach Bob Stoops

Going into the regular season, Smallwood came in as the starting wide receiver for the team and even received praise from coach Stoops for his performance during training camp. In five games with the Renegades, Smallwood caught three passes for 33 yards. Coach Stoops spoke highly of Smallwood and the impact he had on the team.

Herrien comes in to replace Farrow after he was placed on the injured reserve list. During four seasons at Georgia from 2016 through 2019, Harrien rushed for 1,413 yards and 13 touchdowns along with 28 catches for 167 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His most recent stop was with the DC Defenders in training camp before being waived by the team.

The Emergence of Linebacker Willie Taylor & Continued Success With the Defense

One story that fans have been watching is about linebacker Willie Taylor. What makes Taylor’s story so interesting is he is one of two players in the XFL that are NFL Draft eligible this year. He has found himself to be a key role player on the defense and starting games in part due to injuries at the position. So far this season, Taylor has recorded 11 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks. Coach Stoops had high praise for Taylor and the impact he has made on the defense for Arlington.

“Yeah, Willie is definitely a guy that the more, I think, confidence and comfortable he becomes in what we’re doing. He’s a really explosive guy that can create some havoc and get to the quarterback and really believe he’s just scratching the surface right now and I think starting to really get comfortable in what the coaches want him to do. And I’m hopeful that he will keep showing up each week.”

Arlington Renegades Head Coach Bob Stoops

The defense has been the name of the game for the Renegades halfway through the season and last week’s game. Taylor played a factor in helping the defense hold San Antonio to under 200 yards and forced three turnovers. Coach Stoops knows how big his defense has come up in games all season and last week.

“Yeah, they played incredibly well. Just all the continuity. We were really strong against the run game, which we always want to be, got to the quarterback, some created turnovers, didn’t give up any big explosive plays. So they’ve been hitting on all cylinders, really. And to have three interceptions in the second half really, definitely helped seal the win for us. Especially then. You look at the last two drives of theirs, we picked them off both times to seal the win.

Arlington Renegades Head Coach Bob Stoops

Comments on San Antonio, Upcoming Game, and Quarterback Update

For the second straight week, the Renegades are preparing to face off against the San Antonio Brahmas. Arlington won 12-10 on Sunday to secure their third win of the season. The win put the team with a comfortable two-game lead in the south division over the 1-4 Brahmas.

“Well, I think everyone analyzes what worked for us, what didn’t. Just try and make those adjustments of things that work for you, find ways to dress them up and use them again. Things that didn’t try and create a few more different ways to attack them either side of the ball with something different. So you just adjust to some degree. You don’t just all of a sudden in the 6th week, all of a sudden start a new offensive defense. So, you make a few wrinkles here and there, but basically it still gets down to making executing plays.”

Arlington Renegades Head Coach Bob Stoops

Another keynote about this week is the question of which quarterback will start. Kyle Sloter improved his performance by throwing just one interception in the win against San Antonio. Coach Stoops last week said Sloter and Drew Plitt could both play in the game depending on how things go. Sloter played the whole game without Plitt stepping on the field. It’ll be another week when coach Stoops will still have the quarterbacks competing for the job.

“Yeah, they’re still the same. They’ll both compete for it all week and how they practice and share reps and see who we feel does the best job.”

Arlington Renegades Head Coach Bob Stoops

The Renegades are back home Sunday against the Brahmas at Choctaw Stadium with kickoff at 2:00 pm CST on ABC.