On June 16, 2023, the XFL Rookie Draft took place. Here is a breakdown of the players selected by each team and positions.
Arlington Renegades
- QB: Connor Degenhardt (New Haven)
- WR: Sy Barnett (Davenport), Charles Hall (Arizona State)
- OL: James Jackson (South Alabama), Jordan Rhodes (Arkansas State)
- DL: Ami Finau (Maryland)
- LB: Merlin Robertson (Arizona State), Chris Whittaker (Incarnate Word), Jordan Wright (Kentucky)
- DB: Jalen Green (Mississippi State)
D.C. Defenders
- P: Paxton Brooks (Tennessee)
- WR: C.J. Johnson (East Carolina), Ty Scott (Missouri State), Trea Shropshire (UAB)
- OL: Matt Carrick (Michigan State), Alex Jensen (South Dakota), Jack Plumb (Iowa)
- LB: Kaleb Oliver (Western Kentucky), Mohamed Sanogo (Louisville)
- DB: Bentlee Sanders (Nevada)
Houston Roughnecks
- QB: Lindsey Scott Jr. (Incarnate Word)
- OL: Quinton Barrow (Grand Valley State), Ahofitu Maka (UTSA), Marcus Minor (Pittsburgh)
- DL: Jayson Ademilola (Notre Dame), Momar Fall (Colorado State-Pueblo)
- LB: Austin Ajiake (UNLV), Michael Ayers (Ashland), Marvin Pierre (Kent State)
- DB: Alijah McGhee (Minnesota State-Mankato)
Orlando Guardians
- OL: Jeremy Cooper (Cincinnati), Jarrett Horst (Michigan State), LaQuinston Sharp (Mississippi State)
- DL: Terry Hampton (Arkansas), KD Hill (Mississippi)
- LB: Kosi Eldridge (Texas Tech), Jacquez Jones (Kentucky)
- DB: Darius Joiner (Duke), Keyron Kinsler Jr. (Alcorn State)
- DL: Brock Martin (Oklahoma State)
San Antonio Brahmas
- TE: Jahleel Billingsley (Texas)
- WR: Carlos Carriere (Central Michigan), J.C. Santana (Tulsa)
- OL: Brendan Bordner (Florida Atlantic), Dylan O’Quinn (Cincinnati)
- LB: Lorenzo McCaskill (Kansas)
- RB: Chris Smith (Louisiana-Lafayette)
- DB: Darrious Gaines (Western Colorado), R.J. Hubert (Utah), Dillon Thomas (Missouri State)
Seattle Sea Dragons
- WR: Chad Townsend (Texas Tech)
- RB: Titus Swen (Wyoming)
- OL: Des Holmes (Arizona State), Jazston Turnetine (Florida St)
- DL: Sam Burt (Kansas), Malcolm Lee (Kansas), Wes Moeai (Rocky Mountain)
- LB: Colby Reeder (Iowa State), Payton Wilgar (BYU)
- DB: Destin Talbert (North Dakota State)
St. Louis Battlehawks
- WR: James Bostic (Ohio), Darion Chafin (Incarnate Word)
- TE: Kemore Gamble (Central Florida)
- RB: Kevon Latulas (Missouri State)
- OL: Jacob Gall (Baylor)
- DL: Matthew Jester (Princeton), Jadrian Taylor (UTEP)
- LB: Johnny Buchanan (Delaware)
- DB: Nico Bolden (Kent State), Anthony Witherstone (Merrimack)
Vegas Vipers
- WR: Stacy Chukwumezie (Northern Arizona)
- RB: T.J. Green (Liberty)
- OL: Nick Amoah (UC Davis), Desmond Bessent (Buffalo), Robert Mitchell (North Carolina Central), Naasir Watkins (Liberty)
- DL: Jamare Edwards (James Madison), Lorenzo Fauatea (BYU)
- LB: Dwayne Boyles (South Florida)
- DB: Darrius Nash (Utah Tech)
Summary
- Quarterbacks: 2
- Running Backs: 3
- Wide Receivers: 9
- Tight Ends: 2
- Offensive Linemen: 15
- Defensive Linemen: 12
- Linebackers: 15
- Defensive Backs: 12
- Punters: 1
Colleges Represented (alphabetical order)
- Alcorn State
- Arizona State
- Arkansas
- Arkansas State
- Ashland
- Baylor
- Buffalo
- BYU
- Central Florida
- Central Michigan
- Cincinnati
- Colorado State-Pueblo
- Delaware
- Davenport
- Duke
- East Carolina
- Florida Atlantic
- Florida St
- Grand Valley State
- Incarnate Word
- Iowa
- Iowa State
- James Madison
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana-Lafayette
- Liberty
- Maryland
- Merrimack
- Michigan State
- Minnesota State-Mankato
- Mississippi
- Mississippi State
- Missouri State
- Nevada
- New Haven
- North Carolina Central
- North Dakota State
- Northern Arizona
- Notre Dame
- Ohio
- Oklahoma State
- Pittsburgh
- Princeton
- Rocky Mountain
- South Alabama
- South Dakota
- South Florida
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Texas Tech
- UAB
- UC Davis
- UTEP
- UNLV
- Utah
- Utah Tech
- Western Colorado
- Western Kentucky
- Wyoming
Prior to the draft the Arlington Renegades and Seattle Sea Dragons announced a trade with Arlington receiving Tuzar Skipper, LB, Toledo and a Seattle draft pick and Seattle receiving George Moore, OL, Oregon and an Arlington draft pick.
Players who were drafted in the XFL Rookie Draft will be placed on XFL rosters with players who finished the 2023 season on active and reserve lists. XFL teams will hold exclusive rights with the players they select in the draft.
For undrafted players, the XFL will host a series of player showcases across the United States in June and July. These showcases will give prospective football players a chance to exhibit their skills in front of XFL coaches and personnel directors. Players will be evaluated based on performance for inclusion in the XFL player pool for the upcoming 2024 season. The top performers will be invited to the XFL Combine, which will be held July 25-27 in Arlington, Texas.
Additional showcases will be held throughout the summer in Atlanta (June 18), St. Louis (July 7), Washington DC (July 9), Houston (July 14) and Arizona (July 16). Additional information on each of the showcases can be found below.
The XFL Combine, which will be held July 25-27 in Arlington, Texas, will be an invite only. Invitations will be sent to the top performers from the showcases earlier in the summer.
Registration is now open for the XFL showcases. If you are interested in attending, please register here.
The XFL has partnered with Nick Novak, founder of Novak Kicking & Consulting and former professional football placekicker, to run a specialist showcase in San Diego, Calif. on October 22, 2023. This event will focus specifically on kickers, punters, and long snappers, providing a dedicated forum for specialists to exhibit their skill set exclusively for the XFL’s player personnel departments.
All specialists must register at www.nicknovak.com to be considered for the event. If accepted, you will receive a formal invitation.
ABOUT THE XFL
The XFL is a fan-first, fast-paced global professional football league with innovative rules and an enhanced 360-degree game experience. Anchored in world-class football, the XFL brings entertainment and innovation to advance the sport, expand player opportunities, and change the way that fans experience the game. The XFL has eight teams in Arlington (TX), Houston (TX), Las Vegas (NV), Orlando (FL), San Antonio (TX), Seattle (WA), St. Louis (MO), and Washington, D.C. The XFL is owned by Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners and launched in February 2023.
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Mark Perry, a devoted sports journalist and founder of XFL News Hub, has been a key figure in XFL coverage since its 2018 revival. Launching XFL News Hub soon after the league's return announcement, Mark has established the platform as a primary source for comprehensive XFL updates. Renowned for his in-depth knowledge and commitment to sports journalism, Mark actively engages the XFL community, welcoming interactions at [email protected].
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