A UCF Fan's Guide To The 2026 UFL Season
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On Sunday night, Orlando welcomes back professional football with the arrival of the UFL's Orlando Storm.
However, UCF Knights alumni have been playing in the spring football scene long before the Storm arrived, and as the 2026 UFL season kicks off, that remains the case.
So, here are the four former UCF players to keep an eye on as the 2026 UFL season kicks off.
- Marlon Williams, Birmingham Stallions
- Nevelle Clarke, St. Louis Battlehawks
- Cole Schneider, Orlando Storm
- Samuel Jackson, Orlando Storm
1. Marlon Williams, Birmingham Stallions
Marlon Williams has been a fixture on the Birmingham Stallions ever since its inaugural season in the USFL back in 2022.
As a Knight, Williams, who was a freshman on the undefeated 2017 team, is currently ranked tied for 10th in career receptions (157) and tied for ninth in touchdown receptions (19) in program history. He broke out during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, in which he earned a third-team All-American nod from Pro Football Focus and an All-AAC First Team honor. He was also a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which honors the top wide receiver in college football.
After a brief stint as an offseason addition for the Houston Texans, Williams signed with the Stallions and proceeded to lead the team with 474 yards, the third-most in the league, and four touchdowns in their inaugural season in 2022. He even caught seven passes for 105 yards and scored a touchdown in the USFL Championship Game, helping the Stallions take home the title.
An injury cut Williams’ 2023 season short, but he was back with the Stallions in 2024 for the inaugural season of the UFL. While he did not lead the team, he still caught 26 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season and added seven more catches for 86 yards during the postseason as the Stallions earned their third consecutive championship game appearance.
While the Stallions did not take home a title for the first time in the 2025 season, Williams was still involved, catching 17 passes for 229 yards and one touchdown, plus one 24-yard reception in the postseason.
2. Nevelle Clarke, St. Louis Battlehawks
Moving onto the defensive side of the ball, defensive back Nevelle Clarke has also been a mainstay in the professional spring football scene since 2022.
Playing as a Knight from 2015 to 2019, Clarke is still tied for ninth with Shaquil Griffin for the most career passes broken up in program history, with 29. While he played in seven games and started five during the undefeated 2017 season, he stepped up more in the following two, earning First-Team All-AAC honors in 2018 and being an All-AAC Honorable Mention in 2019.
After spending some time in the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp, Clarke signed his first spring football contract with the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers in 2022. He made 15 tackles and grabbed one interception for 37 yards that season and made six tackles in the postseason. The next season, he recorded 26 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defended, plus forcing a fumble. He added two more tackles and defended another pass in the postseason.
Following a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Clarke joined Williams on the Birmingham Stallions with the formation of the UFL. During the Stallions' 2024 title-winning season, he recorded 26 tackles, an interception and broke up seven passes between both the regular season and postseason. He also forced a postseason fumble.
Clarke did not see much action in 2025, playing in just three games between the regular season and postseason and recording seven tackles.
This season, Clarke is now playing for his third spring football team, the St. Louis Battlehawks, after they selected him in the open phase of the UFL's Free Agents Draft in January.
3. Cole Schneider, Orlando Storm
Offensive lineman Cole Schneider's pro football journey brings him back to Orlando as a member of the inaugural squad of the Storm.
After serving on the scout team during the undefeated 2017 season, Schneider proceeded to be a mainstay in the offensive line’s starting lineup for the next four years, garnering All-AAC honors in all of them. He earned first-team honors in 2018 and 2020 and second-team honors in 2019 and 2021.
After spending the 2022 offseason with the Green Bay Packers, Schneider joined Williams on the 2023 Birmingham Stallions, playing mostly off the bench in 11 combined games between the regular season and postseason en route to the Stallions' second USFL title.
Following another, though briefer, stint with the Packers in August 2023, Schneider once again returned to the Stallions for the 2024 season, joining both Williams and Clarke. This time around, he was a regular starter on the offensive line, starting 10 of the 11 games he played in, including in the postseason as the Stallions went on to claim the inaugural UFL title. He returned to the team again in 2025, once again a regular starter, though this time he played in only eight games between the regular season and postseason due to a month-long absence with an injury.
Schneider ended up getting left unprotected by the Stallions for the 2026 UFL Draft and ended up getting selected by the Storm during its regional college allocation process. He is listed as the Storm's starting center in its inaugural game against the Columbus Aviators.
4. Samuel Jackson, Orlando Storm
Joining Schneider on the Storm's offensive line is Samuel Jackson.
Jackson, who was a true freshman during the undefeated 2017 season, in which he played 13 games, spent six seasons as a Knight. He became a mainstay in the offensive line's starting lineup in 2019, earning an All-AAC second team honor in 2022.
After spending the 2023 offseason with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jackson was out of football during the 2023 and 2024 seasons before signing his first spring football deal with the UFL's Houston Roughnecks. He started nine of the 10 games he played in that season as the Roughnecks went on to post a 5-5 record.
Just like Schneider, Jackson was left unprotected by the Roughnecks, now called the Gamblers, for the 2026 UFL Draft, which left him available to get selected by the Storm during its regional college allocation process, bringing him back to Orlando. Jackson is set to be the Storm’s starting right tackle for its inaugural game against the Columbus Aviators, which kicks off on Sunday at 8 p.m.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
A UCF Fan's Guide To MLB Opening Day
UCF Hires New Defensive Backs Coach
Three UCF Knights Players Who Improved NFL Draft Stock at Pro Day
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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