2025 UFL Season: Week 1 Birmingham Stallions at D.C. Defenders Game Preview
The best franchise in spring football history is back in pursuit of a fourth straight league title as it all starts in the nation’s capital on Sunday as the Birmingham Stallions face the D.C. Defenders.
Skip Holtz is back leading the Stallions as head coach after the team completed a 9-1 record and a UFL title win a season ago. Holtz has an impressive 26-4 overall record in three seasons as head coach.
D.C. enters 2025 with numerous questions after a disappointing 4-6 record last year. All the questions surround the coaching staff after Reggie Barlow’s departure to Tennessee State and quarterback coach Shannon Harris taking over as interim head coach.
Game Details
Location: Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
Date and Time: Sunday, March 30 at 2:00 pm CST
Network: ESPN
Betting Odds via DraftKings: Stallions -8.5, O/U 41.5
Stallions Inactives
Offensive guard Keaton Sutherland was the only Stallion inactive that showed up on the injury report this week as he had a left calf injury he has been dealing with. Linebacker DeMarquis Gates just returned to the team this week and could get back in rotation on defense once he is back in football shape, but this week will be inactive.
Defenders Inactives
Wide receiver Braylon Sanders was listed on the injury report this week with a left knee injury. Another surprise on the inactive list is defensive end Davin Bellamy, but similar to Gates, he was a late entry to training camp, so he might also need to get in football shape before playing.
Depth Charts
All training camp, there was a quarterback battle in Birmingham between Alex McGough and Matt Corral, with McGough winning the job after being the USFL MVP in 2023 and leading the Stallions to a league title. Watch at defensive end with Ronnie Perkins and Bradlee Anae starting off the edge.
The Defenders get running back Abram Smith for the first time since 2023 after dealing with a season-ending injury in training camp last year. D.C. will be starting three cornerbacks with Deandre Baker, Bryce Thompson, and Kelvin Joseph.
Keys to Stallions Win
What made Birmingham so great last year was their ability to beat teams through the air and on the ground. This was the number one running team in the league as former starting quarterback Adrian Martinez was the league’s leading rusher. Don’t expect McGough to lead the league in rushing, but he’s athletic and can do a lot with the ball.
The Stallions have to be ready to stop the run at all costs, with Defenders’ quarterback Jordan Ta’amu and Smith being able to put up yards. Birmingham’s front seven will have a busy day of stopping the run and chasing after Ta’amu.
Keys to Defenders WIn
A new interim head coach doesn’t mean things change offensively for D.C. Ta’amu is still the leader of the team, who arguably had his best statistical season of his spring football career last year. The instinct will be to give Smith 15-20 carries in the game, but getting the ball in wide receiver Ty Scott’s hands is just as important.
D.C. is facing the number one rushing attack in 2024, so first, the Defenders need to load up the box with eight guys to stop the run. Placing a quarterback spy on McGough is also essential, as he is a capable runner.
Prediction
The chips are stacked up against the Defenders without their head coach there, but don’t underestimate the talent on this team. D.C. may not win this game against the league’s best team, but the Defenders will show the UFL world that they are still competitive and are ready to take on the a strong XFL Conference.
