The 2026 UFL Draft took place at UFL HQ in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 13 and 14, roughly two and a half months before the regular season is set to kick off on Friday, March 27.
Head coaches made selections by position group, not individuals, starting with the UFL Players Draft (returning players) on Tuesday and the Free Agents Draft (players not under contract in another league) on Wednesday.
The draft was broken into six positional groups: offensive linemen, running backs/tight ends, wide receivers, defensive front seven (linebackers, defensive ends, defensive tackles), defensive backs, specialists and an “open” group that allows a team to select any player regardless of position to backfill the roster.
The UFL Players Draft (Day One) included all players who finished the 2025 UFL season on an active roster or on IR. The UFL Free Agents Draft (Day Two) included both 2026 and 2025 NFL draft-eligible players and 2025 NFL training camp players, as well as 2025 UFL Showcase attendees, players who signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) and did not finish the 2025 season on a UFL roster and other free agents.
[MORE: 2026 UFL Regional College Allocation: Every Player Selected by All 8 Teams]
Groups might choose 60 to 62 gamers within the draft. The coaching camp roster restrict is 64 gamers.
Listed here are some notable takeaways from the draft.
A digital lottery randomly decided the order for the draft, and the Stallions had the No. 1 choose. Defensive sort out Amani Bledsoe was taken first general of the 100 forty gamers who have been chosen on the primary day.
First-year Stallions head coach AJ McCarron, a former quarterback for the St. Louis Battlehawks (2023–24), snagged considered one of his former teammates in All-UFL offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez to set the tone. One other notable choice was standout huge receiver Daewood Davis, who caught 5 touchdowns in 2024 with the Memphis Showboats.
[MORE: UFL 2026: Anthony Becht, AJ McCarron, Ted Ginn Jr. Headline New Head Coaches]
Columbus Aviators zero in on offense
First-year Aviators head coach Ted Ginn Jr. additionally received a stud wideout, choosing Keke Chism within the first spherical. Chism shined for the Houston Roughnecks final season, hauling in 4 touchdowns to place him at seven whole in his spring soccer profession. The Aviators notably introduced in one other former Roughnecks star to bolster the backfield, choosing operating again ZaQuandre White, who scored 4 touchdowns final yr.
Dallas Renegades go huge
First-year Renegades head coach Rick Neuheisel got here out swinging together with his opening choose, taking offensive sort out Chukwuma “Chim” Okorafor, previously of the Michigan Panthers. Okorafor shall be a key think about defending the Renegades’ star quarterback, Luis Perez, together with Austin Reed, underneath heart.
[MORE: 2026 UFL Quarterback Draft: Every QB Selected by All 8 Teams]
DC Defenders make strikes to run it again
Returning head coach Shannon Harris and the defending UFL champions — who have been already off to a stellar begin after retaining their complete quarterback room, together with 2025 Championship MVP Jordan Ta’amu — bolstered their protection by including playmakers in security Kai Nacua (All-UFL) and defensive again Leon O’Neal (All-UFL).
Houston Gamblers’ choose hit near residence
Legendary Houston and Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin had a private tie to one of many Gamblers’ picks in standout defensive lineman Kyon Barrs, whom he initially recruited to play school soccer at Arizona in 2019; Sumlin was the pinnacle coach of the Wildcats from 2018-2020.
The Roughnecks have been rebranded again to the Gamblers for the 2026 season, reverting to their unique title.
Louisville Kings load up on weapons
First-year Kings head coach Chris Redman fueled up on the offensive entrance, including veteran wideout Isaiah Winstead to the receiving corps and Kalen Ballage, who has additionally frolicked within the NFL, to the backfield.
Orlando Storm make an announcement
Head coach Anthony Becht, who spent the previous few seasons on the helm in St. Louis, drafted a number of gamers from his 2025 Battlehawks roster (offensive sort out Teton Saltes, defensive finish Isaiah Mack, security Nate Meadors, cornerback Micah Abraham and huge receviers Jerome Kapp and Sam Wiglusz). Groups might embody a most of twelve gamers from their 2025 rosters on a reserve record, and any participant included on that record wasn’t uncovered to the draft.
Essentially the most notable addition, palms down, was star receiver Chris Rowland, who caught three touchdowns in every of the previous two seasons and received a championship with the Defenders final yr.
First-year Battlehawks head coach Ricky Proehl centered closely on the defensive entrance throughout his inaugural draft, choosing lineman Carlos Davis (All-UFL) and linebacker Jordan Williams (All-XFL) to headline his star-studded crew.
Need nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports activities account, comply with leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a personalised publication each day!
