St. Louis Battlehawks lead 2026 All-UFL Team as league honors regular-season standouts

The St. Louis Battlehawks, Orlando Storm, and Houston Gamblers headline the 2026 All-UFL Team after the league unveiled its annual postseason honors following the conclusion of the regular season. The Battlehawks paced all clubs with seven selections, tying the league record they established a year ago, while the Storm and Gamblers each placed five players on the squad. With every team represented, the 2026 All-UFL Team showcases the players who delivered the biggest performances throughout one of the most competitive seasons in league history.

Selected by a panel of media members, broadcast partners, coaches, and team football personnel, the All-UFL Team recognizes excellence across offense, defense, and special teams. From record-setting quarterbacks and receivers to dominant pass rushers and game-changing return specialists, the list serves as a snapshot of the players who defined the 2026 regular season.

Battlehawks set the pace

No franchise was better represented than the St. Louis Battlehawks.

The Battlehawks matched their own league record by placing seven players on the All-UFL Team, demonstrating the depth that helped carry them into the postseason. Wide receiver Hakeem Butler led the way after finishing the regular season as the UFL’s leader in receiving yards with 641. Tight end Tyler Neville joined him on offense after emerging as one of the league’s top red-zone threats with four touchdown receptions in eight games.

Center Mike Panasiuk represented the offensive line while defensive tackle Carlos Davis earned first-team honors after recording 5.5 sacks and consistently disrupting opposing offenses from the interior.

The Battlehawks also dominated special teams selections. Punter Ryan Sanborn, punt returner Sean Fresch, and special teamer Gary Jennings Jr. all earned recognition, giving St. Louis representation in every phase of the game.

Orlando and Houston well represented

The Orlando Storm and Houston Gamblers were not far behind.

The Storm’s success started with quarterback Jack Plummer, who guided the team to an 8-2 record and the top seed in the playoffs. Plummer led the UFL in passing yards with 2,188 and threw a league-best 17 touchdown passes. His consistency and leadership made him the clear choice at quarterback.

Wide receiver Chris Rowland was equally important to Orlando’s success. He finished the season with 53 receptions for 529 yards and five touchdowns while leading the league in all-purpose yards with 1,093. Rowland’s ability to impact games as both a receiver and return specialist made him one of the most dangerous players in the UFL.

Guard Michael Gonzalez and defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs rounded out Orlando’s offensive and defensive selections.

For the Houston Gamblers, offensive linemen Gareth Warren and Gottlieb Ayedze helped anchor one of the league’s most productive rushing attacks. Defensive backs Major Burns and Kary Vincent Jr. earned honors after outstanding seasons in the secondary, while long snapper Marco Ortiz completed Houston’s five-player contingent.

Offensive stars earn recognition

The All-UFL offensive team is loaded with talent.

At quarterback, Plummer earned the nod after leading the league’s top passing attack. The running back position belongs to Deon Jackson of the DC Defenders, who finished the season with 449 rushing yards and a league-leading seven rushing touchdowns.

The receiving corps features Butler, Rowland, and Tyler Vaughns of the Dallas Renegades. Vaughns finished the regular season with 527 receiving yards and a league-best seven touchdown catches, making him one of the most productive big-play threats in the league.

Neville completed the skill-position group at tight end, while the offensive line featured tackles Yasir Durant of the DC Defenders and Gottlieb Ayedze of the Houston Gamblers, guards Gareth Warren of the Houston Gamblers and Michael Gonzalez of the Orlando Storm, and center Mike Panasiuk of the St. Louis Battlehawks.

Together, that unit protected quarterbacks, opened running lanes, and helped produce some of the UFL’s most explosive offensive performances throughout the season.

Defense anchored by playmakers

The defensive selections are built around players who consistently changed games.

Up front, Carlos Davis of the St. Louis Battlehawks and Isaiah Buggs of the Orlando Storm earned the defensive tackle spots. On the edge, Cam Gill of the Louisville Kings and Derick Roberson of the DC Defenders were nearly impossible to block throughout the season.

Gill produced one of the most dominant pass-rushing seasons in UFL history, setting a single-season league record with 10 sacks. Roberson added seven sacks while ranking among the league leaders in tackles for loss.

At linebacker, Tae Crowder and Kyahva Tezino gave the Birmingham Stallions two representatives on the team. Crowder led the UFL with 84 tackles while Tezino finished with 77 tackles and a league-leading three forced fumbles. Tony Fields II of the Columbus Aviators completed the linebacker group after matching Tezino’s tackle total.

The secondary featured Burns and Vincent from the Houston Gamblers, D.J. Miller Jr. of the Columbus Aviators, and Corey Mayfield Jr. of the Louisville Kings. Burns and Mayfield tied for the league lead with four interceptions, while Vincent led the UFL with 10 pass breakups.

Rowland earns unique distinction

One player stood apart from the rest of the All–UFL selections.

Chris Rowland became the only player selected at two positions, earning honors both as a wide receiver and as the league’s kickoff return specialist. His versatility and explosiveness made him one of the most valuable players in football and one of the key reasons the Orlando Storm finished atop the standings.

The special teams unit also included kicker Tanner Brown of the Louisville Kings, punter Ryan Sanborn of the St. Louis Battlehawks, long snapper Marco Ortiz of the Houston Gamblers, punt returner Sean Fresch of the St. Louis Battlehawks, and special teamer Gary Jennings Jr. of the St. Louis Battlehawks.

Complete All-UFL Team

The 2026 All-UFL offense consists of quarterback Jack Plummer (Orlando Storm), running back Deon Jackson (DC Defenders), wide receivers Hakeem Butler (St. Louis Battlehawks), Chris Rowland (Orlando Storm), and Tyler Vaughns (Dallas Renegades), tight end Tyler Neville (St. Louis Battlehawks), tackles Yasir Durant (DC Defenders) and Gottlieb Ayedze (Houston Gamblers), guards Gareth Warren (Houston Gamblers) and Michael Gonzalez (Orlando Storm), and center Mike Panasiuk (St. Louis Battlehawks).

The defensive unit features Carlos Davis (St. Louis Battlehawks), Isaiah Buggs (Orlando Storm), Cam Gill (Louisville Kings), Derick Roberson (DC Defenders), Tae Crowder (Birmingham Stallions), Kyahva Tezino (Birmingham Stallions), Tony Fields II (Columbus Aviators), Major Burns (Houston Gamblers), Kary Vincent Jr. (Houston Gamblers), D.J. Miller Jr. (Columbus Aviators), and Corey Mayfield Jr. (Louisville Kings).

The special teams selections are Tanner Brown (Louisville Kings), Ryan Sanborn (St. Louis Battlehawks), Marco Ortiz (Houston Gamblers), Chris Rowland (Orlando Storm) as kickoff return specialist, Sean Fresch (St. Louis Battlehawks) as punt return specialist, and Gary Jennings Jr. (St. Louis Battlehawks) as special teamer.

Playoffs take center stage

With the regular season now complete and the All-UFL Team announced, attention turns to the postseason.

The top-seeded Orlando Storm will host the DC Defenders in Daytona Beach, Florida, while the St. Louis Battlehawks welcome the Louisville Kings to St. Louis, Missouri. Many of the players recognized on the All-UFL Team will now have an opportunity to add another accomplishment to their resumes by leading their clubs toward a league championship.

For now, though, the 2026 All-UFL Team serves as recognition for the players who stood above the rest during the regular season and helped make this one of the most memorable campaigns in UFL history.

Source: UFL