UFL MVP power rankings: Stallions QB Matt Corral on top after Week 1
The 2024 UFL season is off to the races, and Week 1 featured a slew of stellar performances from QBs around the league.
The two-time defending USFL champion Birmingham Stallions kicked things off by defeating the reigning XFL champion Arlington Renegades. The Michigan Panthers followed suit, taking down the St. Louis Battlehawks at home. The San Antonio Brahmas came out on top vs. the DC Defenders, while the Houston Roughnecks weren't so lucky against the Memphis Showboats.
There were five signal-callers who stood out in Week 1 and made early cases for UFL MVP.
Let's get to it!
1. Matt Corral, QB, Birmingham Stallions
Week 1 result: Defeated Arlington Renegades, 27-14
Week 1 stats: 12 of 21 (57.1%) for 201 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception
The best player on the best team? That was Corral in Week 1. As the game flowed, so did Corral. His play became better with each passing play, and in a quarterback-friendly offense like the one Skip Holtz employs, it’s not hard to see how the former third-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft could win a second MVP in as many years for the Stallions.
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2. Chase Garbers, QB, San Antonio Brahmas
Week 1 result: Defeated DC Defenders, 27-12
Week 1 stats: 19 of 25 (76%) for 164 passing yards and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing)
Garbers looked poised against what was the best team in the XFL last year. His ability to make plays running and throwing while taking care of the ball means that the Brahmas might be more than just a doormat in the UFL this season.
3. Case Cookus, QB, Memphis Showboats
Week 1 result: Defeated Houston Roughnecks, 18-12
Week 1 stats: 23 of 40 (57.5%) for 201 yards, one touchdown and one interception
Cookus put what might be the UFL’s best wide receiving corps to good use in their opening win against the Roughnecks.
The relationship Cookus has with head coach John DeFilippo will be one to watch, as DeFilippo helped groom Nick Foles into a Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles. Cookus has been one of the best QBs in spring football for the past two years, beginning his USFL career coming off the bench for the now-defunct Philadelphia Stars.
4. Jordan Ta’amu, QB, DC Defenders
Week 1 result: Lost to San Antonio Brahmas, 27-12
Week 1 stats: 25 of 45 (55.6%) for 235 passing yards and one interception
Ta’amu, the reigning XFL Offensive Player of the Year, showed that he’s capable of being the best player in the UFL — and he just might just have to be in order to give his team a chance this season. He was responsible for all but eight of the Defenders' 253 total yards. Head coach Reggie Barlow will have to find a way to help his QB and get his offense into the end zone in Week 2.
5. AJ McCarron, QB, St. Louis Battlehawks
Week 1 result: Lost to Michigan Panthers, 18-16
Week 1 stats: 24 of 37 (64.9%) for 216 passing yards and two touchdowns
The Battlehawks offense was at its best when McCarron had the ball in his hands, and that became increasingly clear as the game unfurled. With St. Louis heading back home to arguably the UFL's best home-field advantage, McCarron is poised to have a memorable game if his play continues to show the progress it made in the second half of Week 1.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The Number One College Football Show." Follow him at @RJ_Young and subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube.
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