Six former Ohio State football players are on the initial rosters for the United Football League.
The UFL held its initial player dispersal draft on Friday, allowing each of the eight teams in the new spring league for professional football – resulting from the merger of the XFL and the USFL – to protect 42 players from their 2023 rosters while adding up to 20 players from the rosters of teams within their previous league that will not be a part of the new league.
The initial rosters selected by each team in that draft were announced Monday, and those rosters include six former Ohio State football players:
- CB Cameron Brown, Arlington Renegades
- TE Marcus Baugh, Birmingham Stallions
- WR Binjimen Victor, Birmingham Stallions
- CB Gareon Conley, D.C. Defenders
- DT Taron Vincent, San Antonio Brahmas
- DT Antwuan Jackson, St. Louis Battlehawks
Brown, Victor and Conley were retained by teams they had already signed with while Baugh, Vincent and Jackson were drafted to new teams after their previous teams disbanded.
Conley stands out as a notable name on those rosters as the 2017 first-round NFL draft pick is in line to play on a professional football team for the first time since 2020. The former Ohio State cornerback has not played professionally since he was placed on injured reserve by the Houston Texans before the 2020 season with an ankle injury that required multiple surgeries.
Brown, Jackson and Vincent all spent time on NFL rosters last offseason but did not see any regular-season action after being waived during preseason cuts. Victor did not land with an NFL team for the 2023 season after spending two years with the Baltimore Ravens, while Baugh last played in the NFL in 2021.
Baugh and Jackson are both spring football veterans. Baugh spent the last two years playing for the USFL’s Michigan Panthers and was set to play for the New Orleans Breakers before the USFL/XFL merger. Jackson played for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023 and was set to return to that team before the merger.
More former Buckeyes could end up joining them in the UFL. A second round of player dispersal will take place next Monday, Jan. 15, for players who were selected in the initial dispersal draft. Free agency for players who are not selected or did not play in the USFL or XFL in 2023 will continue on Jan. 16.
The initial season of the new UFL is scheduled to begin March 30. Each team will play 10 regular-season games, which will be televised on ABC, ESPN, FOX or FS1.
