With free agency officially underway in the NFL, all the football headlines have been dominated by players headed to new homes in 2026. In all of this craziness, it’s easy to forget about the United Football League (UFL) starting its season at the end of the month. The 2026 UFL season will kick off Friday, March 27, with the Birmingham Stallions playing the Louisville Kings.
The UFL features a ton of former NFL players, giving fans a great product to tide them over until the NFL returns for preseason action around August. It also gives fans an early chance to see players who might return to the NFL if they play well enough to catch the eye of talent evaluators again. In fact, the Minnesota Vikings have a UFL success story on their roster. Jalen Redmond played a major role for them last year after playing with the Arlington Renegades, who are now the Dallas Renegades.
Taking all of that into account, there are plenty of former Vikings on UFL training camp rosters. Let’s dive into some notable names you might recognize in the league.
Offense
We will start with the most important position in sports, the quarterback. The Vikings have connections to two QBs, Matt Corral (2024) and Jordan Ta’amu (2023), who spent time with the squad in the preseason. Both have had success in the UFL. They’ve won championships with their squads and are becoming familiar faces of the league in their own right.
Sticking to the offensive side of the ball, Abram Smith (2023) has been a staple in the UFL, leading the league in rushing in 2023 and earning All-XFL in the same year for the DC Defenders. Unfortunately, Smith had to sit out in 2024 due to an ACL injury. Still, look for him to bounce back in a big way and form one of the deadliest QB/RB combinations in spring football with Ta’amu.
Finishing up the offensive side of the ball, Minnesota’s preseason standouts Lucky Jackson (2023-25) and Justin Hall (2024) will look to continue their accolade-filled alternative-league careers. Jackson, if you remember, was pushing for a significant role in the offense last season. Before landing in Minnesota, he was an All-XFL performer in 2023. Hall has also seen great success outside of his preseason TD catch with the Vikings, leading the UFL in receptions twice in 2024 and 2025.
Defense
Defensively, the UFL features some once-promising Vikings pass-rushers in Kenny Willekes (2020-22), Tashawn Bower (2017-19, 2021), and local product Chris Garrett (2022). Willekes was a mainstay on the Michigan Panthers’ defense (now Columbus Aviators), and Garrett was awarded the UFL Special Teams Player of the Year in 2024 with the Battlehawks.
To wrap up the featured players to watch, the defensive secondaries feature three notable names who made an impression during their Vikings tenure: Cameron Dantzler (2020-22), Nate Meadors (2019-20), and Myles Dorn (2020-22).
Dantzler flashed early in his career, earning PFWA All-Rookie Team for the Purple People Eaters in 2020, but eventually fell out of favor.
As you can see, there are plenty of former Vikings in the UFL trying to prove themselves again to NFL talent scouts. These guys can still play.
Minnesota will be looking to get savvy this offseason in talent acquisition and has already signed two former Canadian Football League (CFL) players, Jacob Roberts and Jaylon Hutchings, for the upcoming season. Alternative leagues like the UFL and CFL allow these players to keep in shape and continue to put together live game film for scouts.
Given Minnesota’s current cap situation, look for the team to continue scouting these leagues for talent and to try to find the next Redmond. On the flip side, also look for these one-time Vikings to try and make it back to the big show.
FULL LIST
St. Louis Battlehawks
Spencer Rolland (OT) - 2024
Abraham Beauplan (ILB) - 2023
Nevelle Clarke (CB) - 2020
Columbus Aviators
Chuck Filiaga (IOL) - 2024
Cohl Cabral (IOL) - 2021
Kenny Willekes (EDGE) - 2020-22
Tre'Von Jones (CB) - 2024
Birmingham Stallions
Matt Corral (QB) - 2024
Tyrese Robinson (IOL) - 2024
Dallas Renegades
Silas Bolden (WR) - 2025
Chim Okorafor (OT) - 2023
Tashawn Bower (EDGE) - 2017-19, 2021
Myles Dorn (FS) - 2020-22
Houston Gamblers
Justin Hall (WR) - 2024
Matt Harmon (EDGE) - 2025
DC Defenders
Jordan Ta'amu (QB) - 2023
Abram Smith (RB) - 2023
Xazavian Valladay (RB) - 2025
Louisville Kings
Lucky Jackson (WR) - 2023-25
Zach Davidson (TE) - 2021
Leroy Watson (OT) - 2024
Travis Bell (DT) - 2024
Cam Gill (ILB) - 2025
Cameron Dantzler (CB) - 2020-22
Orlando Storm
Tre Stewart (RB) - 2025
Michael Gonzalez (IOL) - 2025
Jarrid Williams (OT) - 2023
T.J. Smith (DT) - 2021-23
Chris Garrett (EDGE) - 2022
Mishael Powell (SS) - 2025
Nate Meadors (FS) - 2019-20
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