Seven Former U-M Players on Rosters for Spring UFL League

Submitted by BursleyHall82 on January 20th, 2024 at 9:21 PM

Are you ready for some MORE football? The USFL and XFL have merged operations and will be playing this year as the UFL. Games start in late March and players will make $53,000 each for the season.

The eight-team league held its dispersal draft last week and here are the former Wolverines who were taken:

Brandon Rusnak (formerly Watson), CB, Arlington

De’Veon Smith, RB, Arlington

Carlo Kemp, DE, Birmingham

Channing Stribling, CB, Birmingham

Donovan Jeter, DT, D.C. Defenders

Willie Henry, DT, Memphis

Juwann Bushell-Beatty, T, St. Louis

Other notable players in the league include Adrian Martinez, Deondre Francois, Brian Lewerke, Jack Coan.

The complete rosters are available HERE.

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Rhino77

January 20th, 2024 at 9:26 PM ^

All good players. Shows you how hard it is to make and stay in the NFL. 
 

That’s why all the Michigan players with eligibility who declared for the NFL draft should renounce their declarations and come back. 

Joined: 05/27/2011

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Bo Harbaugh

January 21st, 2024 at 1:12 PM ^

So much of life is about timing.  Just thinking about how many of these players would have had a better shot in the NFL and at least a better starting contract and been draft worthy if they were coached by Harbaugh and developed by Herbert and the current UM staff.

I always think about what Devin Gardner could have been in a Jim Harbaugh, run heavy offense, with a bunch of play action.  His skill set was very similar to JJ, who is probably going anywhere from mid first round to mid second round in this draft.

Joined: 08/03/2019

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BursleyHall82

January 20th, 2024 at 9:35 PM ^

Channing Stribling is the one who impresses me. He was a Brady Hoke player and a 2013 recruit. He's been on rosters in the NFL, CFL, USFL, XFL, AAF and now the UFL. (He didn't actually play in the NFL but was signed by the Browns, Colts, Niners, Chargers and Commanders at various times.) That's one tenacious dude.

Joined: 07/14/2013

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MaizeBlueA2

January 20th, 2024 at 9:50 PM ^

I just did a "Find" on my phone and searched all the QBs. Yeesh, pretty rough.

I guess I'll say Birmingham is the favorite...they seem to have borderline NFL practice squad talent at a number of key positions. 

Joined: 11/06/2018

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charblue.

January 20th, 2024 at 9:50 PM ^

Channing Stribling may be listed on roster sheets as from Birmingham, Ala. because he played for the Birmingham Stallions.

But he is from Matthews, NC where he went to high school. I should know I live here and there is a shrine of records documenting his Michigan career along with Jamar Adams, another graduate from Butler High School in Matthews. 

Joined: 05/25/2010

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b618

January 20th, 2024 at 11:15 PM ^

Thanks for posting that.

Once college football is over, I looked forward to XFL, USFL, and CFL.

And I liked watching teams with Michigan players on them.

Joined: 07/22/2018

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DrAwkward

January 21st, 2024 at 9:17 AM ^

Thanks for posting this.  I'm looking for a UFL team to follow.  Maybe Birmingham?  I kinda remember Channing and Carlo Kemp when they played for Michigan.

IMO,  $53k is not nearly enough to play such a physical sport.

Joined: 03/22/2012

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cheesheadwolverine

January 21st, 2024 at 10:22 AM ^

Yeah on the one hand $53,000 struck me as really low especially for how much media hype this is getting (it has a TV deal!).  On the other hand you're right that minor league football has repeatedly failed, and the only reason the minor leagues in other sports survive is huge subsidies from their parent major league.

Joined: 10/25/2008

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Team 101

January 21st, 2024 at 10:38 AM ^

Agree with michgoblue.  There are really only two ways a league such as this can be successful.  One is to try to compete with the NFL and get absorbed by the NFL.  The other is to run a budget operation with low costs and try to generate enough revenue to make it profitable.

The AFL is the notable example of the first model.  They went after NFL caliber players and placed teams in emerging markets such as Houston, Miami and Denver where the NFL did not have franchises.  The NFL did not want to continue the competition and they absorbed the AFL franchises.

The Arena league is an example of the second.  It is a low budget operation.

The original USFL did not have a coherent approach largely because the owners of the franchises couldn't figure out which way they wanted to go.  It started as an off-season low budget model with an attempt to attract attention by stocking rosters with local fan favorites but some of the owners (most notably a certain New York real estate mogul who owned the New Jersey Generals) wanted to go after the NFL like the AFL did and he failed miserably and took the league down with him.

I don't think it would be possible now to take on the NFL like the AFL did.  The NFL has too much money and the players have much more clout than the did in the 1960's so the interest in signing with a rival league isn't there like it used to be.

Unlike the NFL, the AFL and the original USFL, the UFL does not have individual team owners so a free agency structure does not exist.  If they can get a good enough TV contract and draw enough fans it has a chance but drawing attention from football starved fans in the off season.

$53,000 may not seem like a lot of money but for some of the players it could be meaningful especially if it is a part time gig.  If you went to a football factory and couldn't make it in the show, your skills outside of football may be limited. 

Joined: 04/15/2013

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Cranky Dave

January 21st, 2024 at 9:44 AM ^

I just can’t get interested in XFL/Arena/UFL. I’d rather be out hiking or playing golf than watching 2nd tier professional football. But everyone is different. 
 

i do admire the guys who continue playing into their 30s for $53k

Joined: 09/08/2012

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chalkeater

January 21st, 2024 at 2:49 PM ^

How does a dispersal draft work in a lower league that isn't much of a feeder league at this point? Like, does Channing Stribling move to Birmingham for 3 months for $53,000? Or do I not understand how much they're making?

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