Now that the United Football League season has concluded with the Birmingham Stallions winning their third consecutive spring football championship, its players will be looking to make their way into NFL camps. With training camps underway, UFL players will continue to matriculate to the NFL.
We'll chronicle the signings here, which really got rolling with the Detroit Lions signing Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates to a two-year contract. We'll also see the return of Gareon Conley, a first-round pick of the Raiders in 2017 who hasn't played in an NFL game since 2019.
Here's a running list of UFL players who have agreed to terms with NFL franchises:
July 26
Hakeem Butler, WR
Signed with: Cincinnati Bengals
UFL team: St. Louis Battlehawks
Butler led the UFL in receiving yards with 652, averaging 14.5 yards per reception on 45 catches and scoring five touchdown en route to all-UFL honors. The Iowa State product was originally a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2018 and has spent time with the Cardinals, Panthers, Eagles and Steelers along with the CFL and XFL.
Sal Cannella, TE
Signed with: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
UFL team: Arlington Renegades
Cannella led the Renegades and was third in the UFL with 53 receptions, which he turned into 497 yards and a league-best six touchdown receptions. Cannella went to Auburn and has spent time with Dolphins, Packers and Seahawks along with spring football stints in the TSL, USFL and XFL.
Kiondre Thomas, CB
Signed with: Carolina Panthers
UFL team: Houston Roughnecks
Thomas joins the Panthers after spending the season with Houston, where he recorded 14 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception. Thomas, who attended Kansas State, has spent time with the Browns, Chargers and Packers, getting time on Green Bay's active roster in 2022.
Nate Brooks, CB
Signed with: Cincinnati Bengals>
UFL team: Michigan Panthers
Brooks had 36 tackles, six pass breakups and an interception in helping the Panthers to the UFL playoffs this past season, earning all-UFL honors in the process. He has bounced around the NFL since leaving North Texas, spending time on the practice squad or training camps for eight franchises, including twice with the Cardinals.
July 25
Ty Scott, WR
Signed with: Seattle Seahawks
UFL team: D.C. Defenders
Scott was D.C.'s leading receiver this past season, hauling in 25 passes for 418 yards (16.7 yards per reception) with three touchdowns. After playing college ball at Missouri State, Scott was signed by the Chiefs in 2023 and spent training camp with Kansas City last year.
July 24
Julien Davenport, OL
Signed with: Atlanta Falcons
UFL team: Birmingham Stallions
Davenport, originally a fourth-round draft pick of the Texans in 2017, returns to the NFL after helping Birmingham to the UFL championship this year. The tackle has five seasons of NFL experience, most notably starting 15 games at tackle for Houston as a rookie in 2017. He's also spent time on the active roster of the Dolphins and Colts.
Chim Okorafor, OL
Signed with: Cleveland Browns
UFL team: Michigan Panthers
Okorafor joins the Browns after helping the Panthers to the UFL playoffs this past season. An undrafted free agent out of Benedictine College, Okorafor spent time with the Eagles and Vikings organizations in 2023 but did not make the active roster.
July 23
Kevin Austin Jr., WR
Signed with: New Orleans Saints
UFL team: Birmingham Stallions
Austin was a big-play threat for the UFL champion Stallions, averaging 16.9 yards per reception on 15 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He played at Notre Dame in college and spent two years with the Jaguars, serving on Jacksonville's practice squad during the 2022 season.
Nehemiah Shelton, CB
Signed with: New York Jets
UFL team: Memphis Showboats
Shelton re-joins the Jets after playing the 2024 UFL season with the Showboats, where he had 10 tackles. The 6-foot-2 cornerback spent last season on the Jets' practice squad after going undrafted out of San Jose State, where he had 195 tackles and eight interceptions in his career.
Marcus Simms, WR
Signed with: Seattle Seahawks
UFL team: Michigan Panthers
Simms joins the Seahawks after a season in which he led Michigan in receiving, averaging 18.5 yards per reception en route to 23 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns. The receiver also played for Michigan in the USFL in 2023 and was on the Jaguars' practice squad in 2019 following a college career at West Virginia.
Javin White, LB
Signed with: Chicago Bears
UFL team: Michigan Panthers
White returns to the NFL, where he spent two seasons with the Raiders (2020-21) and the Jets (2021) after compiling 40 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss for the Panthers this past season. White, who played his college ball at UNLV, was also with the Bears in training camp in 2022.
June 24
Ricky Person Jr., RB
Signed with: Seattle Seahawks
UFL team: Birmingham Stallions
Person joins the Seahawks after serving as the leading rusher for the UFL champions, running for 297 yards and six touchdowns. Prior to Birmingham, Person played for the Stallions in 2023 and the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League. He played his college ball at NC State and was briefly with the Ravens during training camp in 2022.
June 20
Dondrea Tillman, OLB
Signed with: Denver Broncos
UFL team: Birmingham Stallions
The Broncos signed Tillman, who was a key pass-rusher for the UFL champions. Tillman, who played his college ball at Indiana (Pa.), had 27 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in the regular season and added two more sacks in Birmingham's USFL Conference Championship Game win over Michigan.
Prince Emili, DT
Signed with: Atlanta Falcons
UFL team: San Antonio Brahmas
Emili comes to the Falcons after helping anchor San Antonio's UFL-best defense, racking up 21 tackles and three sacks. Emili has previously spent time with the Bills and the Saints, appearing in two games with Buffalo during the 2022 season.
Jaryd Jones-Smith, OT
Signed with: Atlanta Falcons
UFL team: St. Louis Battlehawks
Jones-Smith was a first-team UFL performer in 2024, helping boost the Battlehawks to the XFL regular-season conference title. Before playing in St. Louis, Jones-Smith has shuttled in and out of the NFL and spring football since 2018, most notably being active for three games with the Raiders during the 2020 season.
June 18
Gareon Conley, CB
Signed with: Dallas Cowboys
UFL team: D.C. Defenders
Conley is making his return to the NFL, as the former first-round pick signed with the Cowboys. Conley hasn't played in an NFL game since 2019 and hasn't been on a roster since 2020, as his career was derailed by a 2019 neck injury. Conley had 25 tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in seven games for the Defenders this season.
Liam Fornadel, G
Signed with: New England Patriots
UFL team: D.C. Defenders
Fornadel joins a Patriots team in need of interior linemen after playing in the CFL, XFL and UFL the past two years. Fornadel, who played college ball at James Madison, played for the D.C. Defenders in both the XFL and UFL after spending the 2022 season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.
Daewood Davis, WR
Signed with: Carolina Panthers
UFL team: Memphis Showboats
Davis signed with the Panthers after leading Memphis in receiving this past season, hauling in 41 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns. He originally signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and suffered a neck injury in a preseason game with the Jaguars, which brought about the suspension of the contest.
Willie Harvey Jr., LB
Signed with: Dallas Cowboys
UFL team: St. Louis Battlehawks
Harvey joins the Cowboys after leading the UFL with 78 tackles and tying for second with nine tackles for loss en route to All-UFL honors. Harvey spent three seasons with the Browns from 2019-21 after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa State, briefly making the active roster in 2019 but mostly spending time on the practice squad.
Kohl Levao, G
Signed with: New York Jets
UFL team: San Antonio Brahmas
Levao, who weighs in at nearly 350 pounds, played guard with the Brahmas, helping them win eight games (including playoffs) on their way to the UFL Championship Game. Levao played his college ball at Hawaii and earned all-UFL honors for San Antonio.
June 17
Jacob Saylors, RB
Signed with: New York Giants
UFL team: St. Louis Battlehawks
Saylors signed a contract with the Giants after working out with the team upon the conclusion of the UFL season. Saylors was the UFL's leading running back this past season, rushing for 461 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Battlehawks to the XFL Conference regular-season title.
Jalen Redmond, DL
Signed with: Minnesota Vikings
UFL team: Arlington Renegades
Redmond only played four games for Arlington this season but made quite an impact in them, compiling 4.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and 18 tackles. Redmond was a ESPN 300 recruit coming out of high school and played at Oklahoma. He was briefly with the Panthers during training camp last season.
June 15
Jake Bates, K
Signed with: Detroit Lions
UFL team: Michigan Panthers
Bates signed a two-year contract with the Lions after earning All-UFL honors for the Panthers in 2024. Bates, who didn't play football in college, made headlines with his extremely long kicks, highlighted by a 64-yard, walk-off game-winner in Michigan's season-opening victory over the Battlehawks.
June 4
Ramiz Ahmed, K
Signed with: Washington Commanders
UFL team: Birmingham Stallions
Ahmed signed with the Commanders after a six-week stint with the Stallions, where he filled in for injured starting kicker Chris Blewitt. Ahmed made 10 of 13 field goals for Birmingham. Prior to the UFL, Ahmed kicked at Nevada and was a kickoff specialist for the Packers briefly in 2022.