The USFL is scheduled to kick off on April 12 and the rosters aren’t quite set yet. To complete the construction of each of the eight team’s rosters, a supplemental draft will take place. Each team will fill their roster ahead of training camp with a 10-round snake draft that follows suit with their initial draft. Here are the top players that should be available for the USFL Supplemental Draft.
Top players in the USFL Supplemental Draft
The USFL Supplemental Draft will see each of the eight teams select 10 new players. Of those 10, three will be signed to active rosters, while the remaining seven will be placed on practice squads. The pools for each of those scenarios are large.
Narrowing down who is available isn’t quite as easy as it may seem. Some players are still vying for their chance at the NFL during free agency. Others are hoping to have their NFL break or may be preparing for life in the XFL next spring. Regardless, with 80 spots open in the USFL Supplemental Draft, some top players are certainly available.
Brandon Silvers, QB
Former Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers, who spent time in both the AAF and XFL, is certainly one of the biggest names to watch. Silvers played for the Memphis Express in the AAF and the Seattle Dragons of the XFL. He threw 4 touchdowns with Memphis across four games before league operations ceased.
Silvers then threw 6 touchdowns for Seattle across four games in the XFL. This came after he spent four years as the Troy Trojans’ starting quarterback, throwing for 71 touchdowns and over 10,000 passing yards. Silvers kept himself active after each of his previous stints, playing most recently in the Spring League.
Luis Perez, QB
Luis Perez once quit football. After being underrecruited in high school, Perez went the junior college route before walking on at Texas A&M Commerce. That decision to return to football has led him to stints in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions practice squads. He was a highly sought-after commodity in both the AAF and XFL afterward.
Perez threw 4 touchdowns in three games with the New York Guardians of the XFL. This was after he threw 5 touchdowns and nearly 1,500 yards in eight games with the Birmingham Iron in the AAF. Perez joined the Spring League for the 2021 season, finishing with 7 touchdowns for the Jousters. He should be selected in the supplemental draft.
Deondre Francois, QB
A one-time Florida State starting quarterback, Deondre Francois transferred to Hampton after falling from grace in Tallahassee. Francois had an up-and-down collegiate career that culminated with the Pirates in 2019. There has never been any denying his arm talent, and the former ACC Rookie of the Year in 2016 has now gone on to make his professional debut after his collegiate days were behind him.
Francois started in the Fan Controlled Football league while also playing for The Spring League’s Blues. As a part of the FCF’s Glacier Boyz, he’s thrown 7 touchdowns against 0 interceptions in three games. He’ll be an interesting name to watch if he gets drafted and can attempt to revitalize a once-promising career.
Reece Horn, WR
There was a point where Reece Horn had NFL aspirations. After going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft, Horn made stops along a variety of NFL practice squads. He then played for the Tampa Bay Vipers in the XFL and Memphis Express in the AAF. Horn hauled in more than 400 receiving yards in the AAF and over 200 yards in the XFL, making an impact on each team he played.
Though he’s currently signed to the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders, the road map is there for CFL players to head back to the States for a chance in the USFL. Horn is a name of interest if he does in fact make himself available.
De’Mornay Pierson-El, WR
A one-time dynamic collegiate player, De’Mornay Pierson-El went undrafted out of the 2018 NFL Draft. He made stops on the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, and Denver Broncos practice squads before ultimately making a name for himself in the AAF and XFL. Pierson-El accumulated over 2,000 all-purpose yards at Nebraska before playing for the Salt Lake Stallions in the AAF and St. Louis BattleHawks in the XFL.
Finishing with 209 yards and 2 touchdowns in the XFL, Pierson-El also accumulated 427 yards and 1 touchdown in the AAF. He’s a dynamic player with the ball in his hands and should be a name already in the USFL.
Terence Garvin, LB
Formerly an NFL starter, Terence Garvin last played in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 2018. He then made a name for himself with both the Orlando Apollos in the AAF and the BattleHawks in the XFL. Garvin, a multi-year letterer at West Virginia, recorded 77 total NFL tackles after playing 47 career games at WVU.
In the AAF, Garvin leads the Apollos on defense to their de facto AAF Championship. He recorded multiple tackles for loss and opened the season with a 2-interception game against Atlanta in the league’s first game. Garvin was also solid for St. Louis in the XFL, leading the team in tackles with multiple QB pressures.
Cedric Reed, EDGE
After a lengthy career at the University of Texas, Cedric Reed went undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft. After two years on practice squads, Reed resurfaced in the XFL with the Los Angeles Wildcats. Reed was a force for the Wildcats in just a few games, recording multiple sacks and pressures in nearly every game.
KJ Sails, CB
A talented player with a bevy of athleticism, KJ Sails could very well be on an NFL roster next season. In fact, he probably should be on an NFL roster next year. After a workout late in the game with the Los Angeles Chargers during the COVID-affected 2020 season, Sails has been hard at work off the field.
With a potential stepping stone back into the NFL, Sails could flourish in the USFL. The former USF Bull is a stalwart in coverage, and he’s also a dynamic player with the ball in his hands in the return game.
Micah Hannemann, S
The Tampa Bay Vipers had great success on defense in the XFL thanks to Micah Hannemann. The former BYU Cougar — who wasn’t selected in the 2018 NFL Draft — has also played for the Salt Lake Stallions in the AAF. In the XFL, Hannemann recorded multiple plays on the ball for Tampa Bay after logging multiple tackles in each of his four games in the AAF.
Other names to watch in the USFL Supplemental Draft
- Jay Bromley, DT
- Nick Brossette, RB
- Kelly Bryant, QB
- Josh Hawkins, DB
- Khari Lee, OL
- Caushaud Lyons, EDGE
- Harlan Miller, DB
- Jacque Patrick, RB
- Jhurell Pressley, RB
- Elijah Qualls, DT