XFL news has been coming out quickly over the last several days. XFL fans got a Halloween surprise with the team names and logos released. Per ESPN, we also learned more about XFL QBs and the 2023 XFL draft.
“What’s next? Assigning 16 quarterbacks to its franchises (two per team) on November 15th, followed by the draft, which will take place Nov. 16-17 at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada.”
It looks like on Tuesday, November 15th, we will learn which QBs are assigned to which team.
A month ago, XFL Insider Mike Mitchell reported the following potential player assignments.
Louisville/PVA&M QB: Jawon Pass (San Antonio)
Miami QB: D’Eriq King (DC)
Troy QB: Brandon Silvers (Houston)
Colorado QB: Steven Montez (Seattle)
Baylor/NC State QB: Jalan McClendon (Las Vegas)
Ball State QB: Drew Plitt (Arlington)
Virginia Tech QB: Ryan Willis (St. Louis)
FSU/Hampton QB: Deondre Francois (Orlando)
QBs could change as the XFL evaluates the position and adds new names to the list. The XFL recently dropped the following names, some new and some no longer on Mike’s list.
The XFL is evaluating the following QBs at the upcoming Jordan Palmer minicamp:
Kaleb Eleby
Jarrett Guarantano
D’Eriq King
Jalan McClendon
Cole McDonald
Steven Montez
Jawon Pass
Anthony Russo
Bryan Scott
Brandon Silvers
Carson Strong
Khalil Tate
Ryan Willis
What’s new about the XFL draft is the location. Something Mike Mitchell had reported as well as something Arlington Renegades head coach Bob Stoops referenced in an interview weeks later. We knew the XFL draft was going to be somewhere in Las Vegas. Now we know the exact location of the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada.
UFC Apex is a live event and production center operated and owned by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The venue has hosted some Fight Night events, but space is limited. With ESPN’s relationship with the UFC, they could host and broadcast the event from the venue. The location is not too far from the Las Vegas airport.
The question for some XFL super fans is, will it be opened to fans? We have had no official word from the league as of yet. But it does not seem likely.
The good news is we could get a live broadcast of the XFL draft on ESPN. Something the XFL 2.0 era did not do. Why hold the event there if you are not going to broadcast something live?
Exciting times are ahead, XFL fans. Buckle up.
