The inaugural postseason of the United Football League is nearly underway, and several former Mountaineers will be on the field competing for a title.
Formed this year from the remains of the XFL and the United States Football League, the UFL has had a widely successful first season in 2023-2024. Games from the UFL have been regularly streamed on FOX, ESPN, and ABC, allowing roughly 816,000 viewers to tune in per contest.
Helping drive that success have been a slew of former Mountaineers, including eight players and one head coach, that being former WVU and NFL tight end Anthony Becht of the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Now, as the four-team playoffs draw nearer, seven Mountaineers still remain scattered between the Battlehawks, the Michigan Panthers, the Birmingham Stallions, and the San Antonio Brahmas. Both UFL Conference Championships, therefore, feature former WVU players facing off and preview a UFL Championship with the same.
USFL Conference Championship: Michigan Panthers vs. Birmingham Stallions
When and Where to Watch: Saturday, June 8 at 3 p.m. on ABC
WVU Representation:
Panthers – Sean Mahome (S), Marcus Simms (WR)
Stallions – Kenny Robinson Jr. (S), Gary Jennings (WR)
With former Mountaineers of the same positions on either side, both Michigan and Birmingham see regular contributions from its respective WVU representation.
Defensively, the teams’ respective safeties provide a consistent presence, having played the majority of the season and recorded good stats. Michigan’s Sean Mahome recorded 16 tackles, including 10 solo tackles, in seven games this year, while Birmingham’s Kenny Robinson Jr. played all 10 games to finish with 34 tackles, including 15 solo.
On the offensive side of the ball, a wide receiver mismatch definitely favors the Panthers, as Marcus Simms played eight games in the WR1 spot and earned All-UFL First Team honors. He finished the year with 23 receptions for 426 yards and three touchdowns.
Birmingham, meanwhile, has receiver Gary Jennings Jr. in the wings. Jennings has played five games this season and caught two receptions for 20 yards. His last appearance on the field was May 18.
XFL Conference Championship: San Antonio Brahmas vs. St. Louis Battlehawks
When and Where to Watch: Sunday, June 9 at 7 p.m. on FOX
WVU Representation:
Brahmas – Rex Sunahara (LS)
Battlehawks – Anthony Becht (HC), Dravon Askew-Henry (S)
Head coach Anthony Becht, who was hired on as Battlehawks head coach last season before the merger, enters the playoffs with the top seed in the XFL. Along with fellow WVU alum Dravon Askew-Henry at safety, who saw 32 tackles, including 17 solo, in nine games of action this season, Becht is looking to get done with the Brahmas fast despite the teams’ shared 7-3 record.
In San Antonio, many plays will start with a Mountaineer, just in a different way than how St. Louis’ will under Becht. Rex Sunahara, who played four seasons at WVU, including 24 games as the starting long snapper, now snaps for the Brahmas. He played all 10 games of the regular season and got himself one special teams tackle.
Photo from WVU Football
