Ahead of UFL Training Camp, Birmingham Stallions Remain Gold Standard: Part Four
Part One of this series focused a few of the elements that have the Stallions poised to compete for another championship, while Parts Two and Three discussed the obstacles ahead of Birmingham in replacing some key losses.
Finally, the reigning back-to-back USFL champions will have to contend with the uncertainty of a brand-new league.
A New League Landscape
Because of the merger of two leagues condensed into one, the Stallions are facing a situation where their surviving fellow USFL competitors have gotten stronger, at least in theory.
Through a unique league dispersal selection process, Memphis, Michigan and Houston all restocked their rosters with a talent pool from former USFL competitors Philadelphia, New Jersey, Pittsburgh and New Orleans. Later, all eight teams participated in the Super Draft, where players from departing XFL teams like Las Vegas, Orlando and Seattle were also sifted through.
Memphis in particular, from a talent standpoint, has the appearance of an all-USFL team. The Showboats went full-on Breaker mode under new head coach John Defilippo, adding his New Orleans stars, such as linebacker Vontae Diggs, tight end Sage Surratt, and wide receiver Jonathan Adams. But the addition of Philadelphia Stars quarterback Case Cookus makes Memphis a legitimate threat to Birmingham's throne.
New Memphis quarterback Case Cookus makes the Showboats a serious contender.
Even if the Stallions retain top-shelf quarterback play this season, they now face a Memphis team that can stand toe to toe with them at the most important position in football. Cookus is a player who nearly nabbed a title from Birmingham's grasp two years ago before being injured in the big game.
Beyond the bolstered competition in their conference. Birmingham now competes against four new teams from another league.: the well-established St. Louis Battlehawks, D.C. Defenders and Bob Stoops-led XFL champion Arlington Renegades. On top of that, the fourth team in the XFL Conference, San Antonio, is headed up by Wade Phillips and a staff that helped lead Houston to the playoffs last season.
Another new league aspect that will challenge the Stallions is an even playing field that sees every team in the UFL with genuine home-field advantage.
In year one of the revived USFL's crawl-first model, Birmingham had a distinct advantage as the lone team stationed at home in the league's hub. Year Two saw the league go from crawling to walking, with Memphis, Michigan and neutral site Ohio acting as enemy territory sites. Year Three of the renewed Stallions sees them running toward a fully-fledged away game schedule.
Fortunately for the Stallions, they won't have to gallop as hard, with Birmingham dodging the two most difficult places to play in the UFL in St. Louis and D.C.
Nevertheless, having five games on the schedule as legitimate away contests makes the road back to a title more daunting than it was a year ago.
You can find Mike Mitchell on X @ByMikeMitchell.
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