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Former Illinois Receiver Has Career Day in UFL Championship Game

Malik Turner set a UFL record with 168 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions in Saturday's UFL Championship game
Jared Shlensky|
Jun 8, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Michigan Panthers wide receiver Malik Turner (17) finishes a 76 yard touchdown reception against the Birmingham Stallions during the second half of the USFL conference championship football game at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Jun 8, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Michigan Panthers wide receiver Malik Turner (17) finishes a 76 yard touchdown reception against the Birmingham Stallions during the second half of the USFL conference championship football game at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Malik Turner saved his best game for last in Saturday's UFL Championship Game. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Turner's Michigan Panthers. Michigan got smoked by the DC Defenders, 58-34, giving up a UFL-record 58 points and 580 yards of total offense.

But enough about the blowout – back to Turner's breakout. The former Illinois receiver set a UFL record with 168 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns and tied a UFL playoff record with 10 receptions. Turner did it all: contested receptions, yards after the catch, working over the middle and down the sideline. You name it, Turner had it in his bag Saturday.

Turner's first touchdown and longest catch-and-run for Michigan came on a 71-yard scamper right before halftime. It wasn't as long as last week's 76-yard touchdown against Birmingham, but it was impressive nonetheless.

Turner scored his second touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard reception – but he wasn't done just yet.

Turner scored Michigan's final touchdown from four yards out with a defender draped all over him.

We mentioned last week that could dramatically improve his NFL stock with a strong performance in Saturday's game, but we didn't expect him to go off like this. If you include the postseason, Turner finished tied for the UFL league lead with eight receiving touchdowns. Not too shabby for a guy in his first year in the league.

Turner has played for seven NFL teams across seven seasons, and it's looking pretty promising that 2025 will provide a pathway back to the big league. And it's not as if the NFL is exactly a lark, either. In his NFL career, the 29-year-old Turner has played in 44 career games and has 29 receptions for 414 yards and four touchdowns. His special teams experience will bolster his value, too.

At this point, it would be a surprise if Turner didn't receive a minicamp invite from an NFL team. And it should happen soon, assuming his medical report comes back clean after Saturday's game. If his previous work wasn't convincing enough, a record-breaking performance in the championship game of the next-best professional football league in the world should have done it. Turner was arguably the best player on the field Saturday and, at times, single-handedly kept Michigan in the game.

Regardless of what happens next for Turner, give the veteran pro credit for continuing to play. We'd be shocked if Turner retires after a breakout performance on Saturday, but in case he does, congratulations to the former Illini wideout for one heck of a career.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster.

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