Bold Predictions for the UFL in 2025
Alt-Football Digest contributors give their bold predictions or "hot takes" ahead of the 2025 UFL season, leave your predictions in the comments below!
Mike Mitchell
An in-season coaching fire? Two expansion teams announced during the UFL title game? Stallions running the table, and going undefeated, winning a fourth straight league championship?
All potential options for a bold prediction in the UFL this coming season. Any one or all three predictions could happen. So rather than going bold with a coach, team, or league projection. I will shift toward a player. I apologize in advance to this player and his family if I put the whammy on him.
All-SEC Missouri kicker and newest Birmingham Stallion specialist Harrison Mevis will break the all-time record for longest field goal in a pro football game this UFL season with a 67-yarder at Michigan.
The 'Thiccer Kicker' at 243 pounds, who already owns the record for longest kick in SEC history from 61 yards out, boomed 13 kicks over 50 yards as a Tiger. 'Money Mevis' will be the next breakout specialist who follows the Spring Football path blazed by star NFL kickers Brandon Aubrey, and Jake Bates.
John Lewis
The St. Louis Battlehawks finish middle of the pack in the UFL. I’m high on Max Duggan and what the Battlehawks bring to the field, but I’m concerned about what’s happening off the field.
Head coach Anthony Becht flirting with West Virginia in the off-season and the sudden departure of Battlehawks offensive coordinator Bruce Gradkowski makes me wonder if there is too much tumult to overcome before kickoff.
The DC Defenders win the XFL Conference. Maybe not the boldest of predictions but getting a boost on offense with the return of running back Abram Smith and the addition of dynamic all-everything athlete Lynn Bowden, DC can run it all the way to the UFL Championship.
The Memphis Showboats have historic turnaround. OK, so there’s not a lot of UFL history, but nevertheless, the Showboats seem primed to at least double their wins from last season…which was 2.
A new coaching staff, new GM and a new starting quarterback (who can hopefully remain upright. Poor Case Cookus…) seem poised to work through some growing pains and deliver a better product on the field. The question is: will fans show up at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium this time?
The UFL Championship Game ratings will top the 2022, 2023 and 2024 spring football championship games. With the 2025 UFL Championship Game airing on ABC, ESPN has the opportunity to cross-promote the league all season, especially the title game. Last year’s UFL ratings were solid and with the addition of the Friday night game on FOX and nearly every game on the flagship outlets, the league could catch more eyeballs than before. It’s a perfect recipe for ratings success all season and into the postseason.
Greg Parks
Holton Ahlers will replaced Luis Perez as Renegades starting QB during the 2025 season
The reigning passing leader of the UFL and King of Spring, Perez will be 30 years old at the start of the UFL season. His preparation is famous among alternative football fans and he's an easy player to root for. Father Time waits for no man, however, and it's fair to wonder how much magic Perez has left in him. Despite his gaudy stats, Perez couldn't will the Renegades to even a .500 record let alone a playoff berth last season. Never fleet afoot, age and wear and tear will make Perez more of a sitting duck behind the line of scrimmage. If Arlington and Perez get off to another slow start this year, it wouldn't be surprising to see Bob Stoops and company look to the future with Ahlers. Last year's number three quarterback behind Perez and Lindsey Scott, Jr., Ahlers is the assumed primary backup heading into training camp and beyond. Now in his second year in the system, Ahlers could make a big jump in March, showing he's ready to take over the job, whenever that may be. Arlington plugged many of its holes in the off-season so the pressure will be on Perez to duplicate what he's done the last few seasons. If he can't, or encounters some bumps in the road, patience on the Renegade sidelines may be limited in the UFL's truncated 10-game regular season.
Reid Johnson
This season, there is ZERO excuse.
Not to sound like the contrarian here, but I truly and honestly believe this is a "make or break", a "put up or shut up" season for the UFL and spring football, especially for the near future…and ESPECIALLY after the quarterbacks “holdout” ahead of training camp last week.
Every single other season of spring football in recent memory can be attributed to at least a large of their struggles or failures on situations at least partially out of their control. The late merger last year, the lack of venue availability in Las Vegas in 2023, the 2022 USFL having to fight legal battles against the 80s USFL, etc. just to give a few obvious examples. This season, however? There is ZERO excuse.
League management promised us even before LAST season that this year was the one where fans would see all their off-season work come to fruition. With an entire calendar year to build to UFL 2025, sales teams would be in place, marketing efforts would be coordinated, and tickets would be selling at a faster pace than last season with more lead time to reveal the schedule. I struggle to imagine a single fan of either legacy XFL or USFL feeling overly optimistic going into this season, save for the fact that the league is playing for a second season, and I think we will see that MAGNIFIED this year in attendance, TV ratings, and unfortunately overall fan apathy.
Earlier this week the league's Twitter account posted that their "favorite thing about spring football is that it is football played in the spring", that tweet tells me everything I need to know about the league heading into 2025. Until league management and ownership evolve beyond the (honestly lazy) sales pitch of "it's more of what you like" and give this league, teams, coaches, players, or ANYone or anything more of an identity for fans to stick their teeth into, I just don't see this lasting too much longer in this iteration.
Like I said...sorry to be contrarian.
Pat Rifino
Kevin Hogan will Lead the Brahmas in Passing Yards in 2025
I want to be clear, I want Kellen Mond to succeed, and for the betterment of the league the UFL needs Kellen Mond to succeed, but history shows us that may not be the case. Since 2019 spring football leagues have had “known” figures whether it be from their college days or pro pedigree join spring football teams only to fizzle out to “unknown stars”
The AAF had Aaron Murray, Johnny Manziel, and Zach Mettenberger.
XFL 2020 had Matt McGloin, Cardale Jones, and Connor Cook.
USFL 2022 had Paxton Lynch, Kyle Lauletta, and Shea Patterson.
USFL and XFL 2023 had Brett Hundley, James Morgan, and Carson Stong.
While in my opinion the UFL did a good job in 2024 did a good job of bringing in quality QB talent who can also draw positive attention to the league, history shows us there are way more Brett Hundley’s than A.J. McCarron’s in spring football leagues.
While Kellen Mond does support an impressive resume collegiately, the facts are that he could not manage to unseat Sean Mannion as the Vikings back up (and spot-starter) during his time in Minnesota. While we know what Jarrett Guarantano can do, I personally believe he still has a lot of development to undergo under A.J. Smith’s system. With Hogan having almost 200 passes (between the Regular Season, Preseason, and UFL) the former Stanford QB may surprise some people in 2025.
Sam Shady Sports
Memphis Showboats are set to be the most improved team in the UFL in 2025.
The Memphis Showboats have a collective 7-13 record in two seasons since they were relocated and rebranded. After a 5-5 record during the 2023 season, the USFL and XFL merger reduced the league to just eight teams meaning the level of talent on each individual team saw a dramatic rise. Due to this and other factors, we saw the Showboats go from 5-5 in 2023 to 2-8 in 2024. Heading into season three as a franchise they will have their third head coach.
The newest Head Coach is longtime NFL Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt has previous experience as an NFL head coach and even led a team to the Super Bowl in this role. Now he takes on the Showboats looking to improve upon their recent history and try to lead them into the playoffs. Along the way they have made significant changes, and none are more significant than the turnover on the staff where not only will they have a new offensive play caller with “Whiz” taking over the play calling, but they will have a new defensive play caller as well.
Hired for the 2025 season, former USFL Assistant Coach of the Year, Jarren Horton joins the Showboats as the defensive coordinator. Leading one of the most stifling units in the league during the 2023 season, Horton could be an X factor to a drastic improvement for the Showboats. With new coordinators across the board, and a new-look quarterback room, the Showboats could be in line for a substantial turnaround in 2025.
Anthony Miller
The Birmingham Stallions’ three-year run of winning league titles ends in 2025.
Kansas City Chiefs fans know all too well how hard a three-peat is and hopefully have an appreciation for what the Stallions have done in 2022, 2023 and 2024 winning league titles. Trying to take home a fourth straight title feels almost impossible to do.
All signs indicate that the Stallions will once again be competitive and be in the running to win it all. One team in the USFL Conference could stand in their way: the Michigan Panthers. Some may forget that Michigan had an 18-3 lead against the Stallions in the USFL Conference championship game in the second quarter before four turnovers cost them a shot at the UFL championship appearances.
The Panthers have pretty much all their top talent back from last season which means they will be in the running once again. In the XFL Conference, all four teams have the talent to be competitive as well. There are too many other good teams for the Stallions to believe they can steamroll through the league once again. We will have a new champion in the UFL, and the Stallions will be dethroned.
