Select Player Capsules from the 2025 Atlanta UFL Showcase (Part Two)

This is part two of my profiles of known participants in the UFL Showcase in Atlanta. Part one can be found here.

If you are a player or you know a player attending a future Showcase, DM me on social media @gregmparks (Twitter/X), @gregmparks.bsky.social (Bluesky) or @g_man9784 (Instagram) to be profiled in a future article.

WR Dale George Jr., Edward Waters: Out of a small school located in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, George had what appears to be a quiet career at Edward Waters University, a Division II school in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. His profile on the team’s website lists stats from 2022, where he played in three games and caught one pass for seven yards. George is listed as 5’9″ and 170 pounds on the school site.

RB Sam Hicks, Abilene Christian: Initially a wide receiver at Saddleback Junior College and Central Michigan, Hicks switched to running back in his second year at CMU. He was a running back in high school as well. Hicks’s breakout season was his final year, at Abilene Christian, where he ran for over 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns (and a 6.3 yard per carry average). Hicks’s receiver background helped him as a force in the pass game as he also caught 45 passes. His final minute heroics helped ACU win their first United Athletic Conference Championship as a Division I team. That helped springboard him into the Tropical Bowl post-season all-star game. Hicks was the 93rd running back profiled by Dane Brugler in his “The Beast” NFL Draft Guide at The Athletic.

LB Chad Holleran, Georgetown College: The 2024 Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Cliff Harris Award Finalist (given to the top defensive player at the NAIA level), Holleran stuffed the stat sheet at Georgetown College (not to be confused with Georgetown University). He made 369 tackles in four years, including 112 as a senior – almost 10 per game. He added 36.5 tackles for loss during that span as well as 6.5 sacks. Holleran intercepted seven passes, an impressive number in four years for a linebacker. His 4.59 40 topped linebackers at the Showcase (and completely obliterated his 4.90 time listed in Brugler’s draft guide, where was the #200 linebacker in the 2025 draft) as did his 3-cone drill of 7.22, almost a tenth of a second faster than his pro day.

RB Jordan Houston, Marshall: The transfer portal has completely changed college football, and Houston is a shining example of that change. Despite being a starter for N.C. State in 2023, he walked away from the team after three games, opting to redshirt the rest of the season so that he’d retain one year of eligibility at his next stop, which was eventually revealed to be Marshall. He had taken over as starter for the Wolfpack in 2022; previous to that, he was a backup and even blocked a punt on special teams. At Marshall, he started four games out of 13, though he had a breakout game in the Sun Belt Championship against Louisiana, rushing for 117 yards and a TD. He has also shown that he can catch the ball out of the backfield. At the UFL Showcase, Houston topped running backs in the broad jump, landing at 10’4.

RB Bryson Irby, East Tennessee State: The leading rusher at ETSU for his final two seasons, Irby was a part of a running game in 2024 that led the league in rushing for the first time in school history. He improved his rushing numbers from 2023 to 2024 in both yardage, touchdowns, and yards per carry. He’s still a novice at receiving at this level, however. Interestingly, his best game of the season last year came against the FCS champion North Dakota State Bison: Irby ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns against them. He was running back number 150 in the draft class, per Brugler.

EDGE Hector Johnson, Endicott College: Born in Liberia, Johnson came to the United States when he was nine years old. He excelled in the classroom and on the field for Endicott, where his standout season was 2022. That year, he had 14.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss and racked up numerous post-season awards, including conference Defensive Player of the Year and Cliff Harris Award finalist. In 2024, Johnson won the school’s Co-Male Athlete of the Year honor. Johnson ranked as the 134th edge player by Brugler, earning him an invitation to New England Patriots rookie minicamp as a tryout player. Among linebackers at the UFL Showcase, he was tops in the broad jump (10’10).

QB Nick Kargman, Wagner: Heralded out of high school as one of the top 50 dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, Kargman initially landed at Western Michigan. He didn’t play in 2019 and was only in for one game in the shortened 2020 season, completing one pass for four yards. Despite his rep as a dual threat, Kargman’s one season in Wagner was marked by a long run of just five yards. He was a starter at QB most of the season, completing 53% of his passes on 248 attempts, with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

RB T.K. Marshall, North Dakota State: One thing you can say about players from this program: they’re winners. Marshall was a part of that culture since becoming a Bison in 2020. Though never a full-time starter, Marshall nevertheless made an impact in the backfield and on special teams. The positive is that he doesn’t have a lot of tread on his tires as he only accumulated 214 carries while at North Dakota State. He managed to score 13 TDs and average 5.5 yards per carry. Though he only returned kicks as a senior – and even then, just 11 in total – he returned one 100 yards for a touchdown. Marshall was the 188th RB ranked by Brugler for 2025’s draft. At the Atlanta Showcase, he posted the top 3-cone drill for running backs (7.19)

S Josh McCarty, Pittsburgh: A sixth-year player who transferred in from Eastern Michigan, McCarty’s prime contributions at both schools came on special teams coverage units. A running back in high school, McCarty was Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year for EMU in his first season. After moving to DB, McCarty excelled on special teams, leading the MAC in tackles on the unit in 2022 and finishing third nationally. With the kick return rules in the UFL (and NFL) that prioritize returns, coverage players like McCarty are more valued than in the past. McCarty came in at safety 170 on Brugler’s rankings.

RB Keyon Mozee, Miami University: A full-time starter at Miami University (formerly Miami of Ohio) for just one season, Mozee transferred in after one year at Kansas State where he played in nine games as a true freshman. After starting nine games in three seasons at Miami, he broke out in 2023, crossing the 1,000-yard rushing threshold for the first time. In that season, Mozee rushed for over 100 yards in seven games, including a 196-yard effort against Kent State. He caught just five passes during his time at Miami. Mozee was ranked the 153rd running back in the clas by Brugler. At the UFL Showcase, he was atop the running back rankings in 40-yard dash time (4.37) and broad jump (10’4), despite only running a 4.52 at his pro day. His relative athletic score shows above-average speed and agility, but his size, capped off with a height of just 5’6″, is listed as “very poor.”

WR Geordon Porter, Connecticut: Porter was the leading wideout in the broad jump (10’10) in Atlanta. He attended the Dallas Showcase in 2024. Here was the summary I wrote about him then: “While transfers have become commonplace in college football, and players attending two colleges has been normalized, we’re also seeing many players who’ve played for three or more. Porter is one of those, as he played four years at Arizona State, one at New Mexico, then finished up at Connecticut. Porter had 14 catches at ASU before earning a job as a starter in his one season with the Lobos, scoring two touchdowns on 22 receptions. He had another 22 grabs at UConn, showing an ability to contribute on short notice at multiple stops. Porter ran a 4.41 40 at his pro day, which played a part in Brugler ranking him as the 65th receiver prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. It also aided him in getting rookie minicamp invites from the New York Giants and New York Jets.”

LB Eli Purcell, Tennessee: A Knoxville native, Purcell spent three years at the FCS level at Wofford before moving up to Tennessee in 2024. At Wofford, Purcell was a two-year starter, amassing 52 and 67 tackles respectively in 2022 and 2023. Purcell sacrificed playing time to play at home in 2024; while he played in 10 games, he did not start any and made just four tackles, primarily seeing action on special teams. In the 2025 draft class, Purcell was the 92nd-ranked linebacker by Brugler.

DE Rakweon Ramsey, Missouri Baptist: Wreaking havoc in the backfield for five years at Missouri Baptist, Ramsey totaled 172 tackles in 47 games during that span, with 62 tackles for loss and 32.5 sacks. In 10 games in 2024, he was held without a sack in just three games. Somehow, he was only able to land on the all-conference second team for the fall. His performance earned him a chance to work out in front of scouts at the Tropical Bowl post-season all-star game prior to April’s draft. Brugler ranked him the 181st edge rusher in the class.

DE Donte Reed, Mississippi Valley State: Formerly of Wayne State, Reed made MVSU his home for his final year. Reed started at Wayne State the year the team’s season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He played middle linebacker in 2021 before moving to defensive end in 2022. He was a member of the All-GLIAC Academic Team all three seasons at Wayne State. He was only a part-time player though, making 30 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks while there. In 2024 at MVSU, Reed was let loose to the tune of 43 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, good enough to rank as the 179th linebacker by Brugler in the 2025 class.

WR Scooter Risper, Mercer: A West Georgia transfer, Risper stayed in-state to play at Mercer for his last two years. His best season came as a junior where he caught six passes for 29 yards, less than five yards per reception. As a senior, he played in 12 games but didn’t record a catch. He does show special teams ability as a coverage player – his return experience is limited. A coach’s son – dad coached him in high school – you can bet he gets the details right. Risper made Brugler’s “The Beast,” coming in at receiver number 192 in 2025.

WR Brandon Ruffin, St. Francis (IL): One of the few players to attend this workout not part of the 2025 draft class, Ruffin’s final college season came in 2019 for the oxymoronic Fighting Saints. He dominated his level of competition, catching 170 passes for over 3,000 yards and 37 TDs in four seasons. That worked out to an average of 17.7 yards per reception, showing his big-play ability. Ruffin was part of the “lost” 2020 draft class given the ability to work out for NFL teams was severely restricted by COVID protocols. Recently, Ruffin has coached wide receivers at the high school level and worked as a trainer at Xtreme Speed in Chicago.

RB Gabe Sloat, Rhode Island: An iron man of sorts, Sloat played in all possible games his last three seasons for Rhode Island. Never the primary back, he ran the ball 119 times in 47 total games played. He was just as prolific in the pass game, often acting as the team’s third-down option, catching 48 passes for a 9.9 yard per catch average, impressive for a back. While never handling a full RB workload, Sloat was the team’s full-time punt returner for two years, providing special teams value. Sloat was also voted team captain in 2024, showing his leadership abilities to be selected for that role despite not starting. Brugler placed Sloat at #194 in his 2025 NFL Draft running back rankings.

DB Najei Snyder, Saint Anselm College: Saint Anselm is a liberal arts college based in New Hampshire, with a student body of about 2,000 students. That’s where Najei Snyder played his ball. Acknowledged on the conference’s Academic Honor Roll for two years, Snyder played in 39 games and tallied 60 tackles during his career from the defensive backfield. He defensed 26 passes, capping off his career with 12 as a senior. Despite those numbers, he only had one interception in four seasons. Snyder became a top kick returner on the team in 2023 and 2024, averaging over 30 yards a return on 17 opportunities as a senior.

CB Josh Stokes, Slippery Rock: The 5’8″ Stokes started for two seasons at Slippery Rock, earning Division II All-America honors both seasons. His best year came in 2023 when he picked off five passes and made 83 tackles. Over those final two seasons, Stokes broke up 31 passes and as a senior, had an amazing four fumble recoveries. In 2022, before becoming a starter, he finished second on the team in special teams tackles and also blocked a kick in 2023. Ranked by Brugler as the 85th cornerback in 2025, Stokes registered the best 3-cone time (7.12) among defensive backs at the UFL Showcase.

LB Kevin Swint, Georgia State: First a linebacker, then a defensive end, then finally a linebacker again, Swint’s position changes have been as much of a whirlwind as his transition from Clemson to Georgia State. After playing linebacker in 2020, Swint switched to defensive end for the next two seasons, doing most of his damage as a reserve in non-conference games while also participating in special teams. He moved back to linebacker at Georgia State for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He made an immediate impact there, tying for first on the team in tackles for loss and finishing second in sacks in ’23. Swint did a little bit of everything in his final year, making 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, forcing three fumbles and defensing four passes. Listed as an edge rusher in Brugler’s draft guide, Swint came in at number 109. He played in the Tropical Bowl post-season all-star game and tried out with the Tennessee Titans in minicamp.

WR Vincent Taylor, Austin Peay: While most of these players are pretty easily Google-able, information about Taylor’s college career is lacking. He started out at Mississippi State, where he was a part of the team in 2018 and 2019 but did see game action. He then transferred to Austin Peay and was a part of the 2023 NFL draft class.

TE Taylor Thompson, James Madison: Three seasons at Charlotte led into two years at James Madison for Thompson. At Charlotte, he played in 25 games with 13 starts, hauling in 44 passes for 580 yards. In 2023 at JMU, Thompson played seven games but didn’t accumulate any stats as he appeared to get acclimated to his new school. He broke out in ’24, with career-highs in receptions (33), receiving yards (448) and touchdowns (six). The top 3-cone time for tight ends at the UFL Showcase was registered by Thompson, at 7.56.

S Zedane Williams, New Hampshire: Williams was a consistent contributor for New Hampshire for four seasons. In 47 career games, he made 163 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions and seven passes defensed. In his redshirt freshman year, despite making just nine tackles, 2.5 were for a loss. Adept at special teams, Williams also blocked two kicks while at New Hampshire. Ranked as safety number 165 by Brugler, perhaps the most impressive pre-draft workout stat for Williams was his 19 reps on the bench press, a solid number for a defensive back – it would’ve ranked him tied for third among DBs at the NFL Combine.