Select Player Capsules from 2025 Orlando UFL Showcase (Part One)

The fourth player Showcase of the UFL offseason commenced on October 26 from Celebration High School in Orlando. Like many of the previous Showcases, receiver and defensive back positions sold out early. Birmingham Stallions WR Deon Cain worked out with the group, seemingly for the purpose of social media content, as posted across UFL accounts.

As always, this list is compiled from those who have made their participation in this Showcase public on social media (identified by the link attached to their name and school), or those who reached out to me through any one of a number of channels.

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.

TE Caeleb Bass, West Alabama: Described by the All 22 Global Scouting Network as “dependable in all phases of the game, making him a key asset to the offense,” Bass came to West Alabama after one year at Concord University in West Virginia. Fifty-eight of Bass’s 78 career catches came in two seasons, 2022 and 2024. In all, he scored seven touchdowns and averaged 12 yards per reception. Nearly 6’5″ and 226 pounds, his size was intriguing enough for the Indianapolis Colts to invite him to rookie minicamp in May after he attended the Dream Bowl all-star game. He was ranked the 49th tight end in the draft class by Dane Brugler in The Athletic and at the Orlando Showcase, led his position group in the three-cone drill with a time of 7.16 seconds.

LB Benari Black, Johnson C. Smith: Part of the HBCU family of colleges and based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Johnson C. Smith produced Benari Black, an active linebacker who accumulated 114 tackles in 2024, including 14.5 for loss. That followed a 2023 season in which he made 82 stops and 13 for loss. His 2024 though was his best and for it he earned Division II All-American status and 2024 CIAA Defensive Player of the Year. After the season, he participated in the HBCU Legacy Bowl all-star game. Black ranked as Brugler’s 165th linebacker in the class and tied linebackers for the top 40 time at the Showcase at 4.75 seconds, matching his pro day time.

DT Dennis Briggs Jr., Illinois: After 49 games and 10 starts in five years at Florida State, Briggs spent a sixth year in the Big Ten with the Fighting Illini. Those FSU years included a season-ending injury in 2021 and a captainship in 2022 as a sophomore. In his Seminole career, Briggs made 76 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. In his one year in the Midwest, Briggs played 13 games, making 39 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. At 276 pounds, Briggs is probably best suited to be a tackle in a 4-3 scheme. He tried out with the Tennessee Titans at their post-draft rookie minicamp and was ranked by Brugler as the 66th-best defensive tackle in the class.

LB O.C. Brothers, UAB: Coming to UAB by way of Auburn and then Purdue, Brothers was a 10-game starter for the Boilermakers in 2022 and finished his time there with 73 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. He only spent one year and 12 games at Alabama-Birmingham but made that year count with 47 tackles and three tackles for loss. Real name Octavius, Brothers was Brugler’s 145th linebacker coming out in 2025 and at the Orlando Showcase, tied for the best 40 time among linebackers with a 4.75.

TE Shane Calhoun, Texas A&M: Starting 33 of 39 games played at East Carolina, Calhoun leveled up for his final year as an Aggie. Prior to that, though, he caught 63 passes for 594 yards at ECU. Calhoun played both offense and special teams at Texas A&M, seeing time in all 13 games, starting three. Though he only caught three passes in 2024 and was used primarily as a blocker, Calhoun ran a 4.43 40 at the team’s pro day and showed explosiveness in his vertical jump and broad jump numbers. Calhoun largely backed that up at the Showcase, with the best 40 time (4.53) and broad jump (10’8) of tight ends who participated. He was ranked the 38th tight end by Brugler and earned a tryout with the Indianapolis Colts following the draft.

RB Jack Carey, Rockford University: Finishing his career with three games of more than 150 yards rushing, Carey was a workhorse for Rockford in 2024, toting the rock 242 times, including four games of more than 30 carries and one with 42. He also had a 242-yard rushing game against Concordia Chicago. He scored 13 of his 17 college touchdowns as a senior and though he only averaged 3.8 yards per career on 548 rushes at Rockford, his senior year saw that number climb to 4.5 yards per carry. Numerous awards came Carey’s way in 2204, including Rockford Male Athlete of the Year and First Team All-NACC. He was also a receiving threat, catching 139 passes for over 800 yards and eight touchdowns in his time in college.

WR Andison Coby, Indiana: A part of Indiana’s football renaissance under head coach Curt Cignetti, Coby spent three years as a Hoosier after one year each at Northeast Mississippi Junior College and the University of Tennessee. Known as much for his special teams play as for his contributions at receiver, Coby started only one year at Indiana, in 2022. That year, he caught 19 passes for 272 yards. In the ensuing two years, he caught a total of just eight passes, working primarily on the punt coverage and punt return team.

CB Russell Dandy, Eastern Illinois: Most players redshirt during their freshman season; however, Dandy took a different route, starting and playing in four games as a senior in 2022, retaining his redshirt. It worked out as Dandy was a Walter Camp All-American at the FCS level for the 2023 season. That year, he started all 11 games and had 34 tackles with an interception. His most impressive stat was his 19 pass break-ups that year. After the season, he attended pro days at Northwestern and Georgia Southern to work out in front of NFL scouts. Off of that as well as his college tape and performance in the Tropical Bowl all-star game, he earned 2024 tryouts with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. Dandy was the 76th-ranked corner in the class by Brugler and registered the top three-cone drill (6.77) among DBs at the Showcase.

TE Corey Dyches, California: This is the second Showcase attended by Dyches, as he was also at the D.C. version of the event. A tight end in college, Dyches doubles as a “big” receiver and may also project to fullback. He played 39 games at Maryland before transferring to Cal for 2024. He put up big numbers as a Terrapin, with over 100 catches for more than 1,000 yards and appearances on the third-team All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-Big Ten lists. His California tenure was held back by a three-game injury absence, which played a part in snapping his streak of 31 games in a row with a catch. Despite being ranked as the 47th tight end by Brugler, Dyches was not listed as a tryout participant for any NFL team this spring.

S Stafford Everett III, Hampton: An honorable mention All-CAA selection in his final year of 2024, Everett led Hampton in tackles that season with 69, adding two interceptions, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Initially, his college career began at ASA Marin Miami Junior College before he moved up the ranks to Hampton in 2022. Nicknamed “Tre,” Everett intercepted a pass in all three years he played as a Pirate. He measured in a hair over 5’8″ at his pro day (much different than the 5’11” stature he’s listed as on the school’s website) and came in at safety number 66 in Brugler’s pre-draft rankings.

DE Obi Ezeigbo, Oklahoma State: What’s the connection that leads a player to spend five years at Division II Gannon University before transferring to Oklahoma State? In the case of Ezeigbo, it was Bryan Nardo. Nardo was the defensive coordinator at Gannon in 2022 with Ezeigbo, who was third on the team that year in sacks and tackles for loss. Nardo became DC at Oklahoma State in 2023 and a year later, Ezeigbo joined his former coach in Stillwater. Despite the jump in competition, Ezeigbo started 10 games for the Cowboys in 2024, where he notched nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Brugler ranked him the 77th edge player in the 2025 draft class and he topped all Orlando Showcase defensive linemen in three-cone drill time with a 7.19.

C Weston Franklin, Georgia Tech: A three-year starter at the pivot for the Yellowjackets, Franklin didn’t miss a game in those three seasons. Franklin worked in Tech’s balanced offense that in 2023 was the best rushing offense in the ACC, then in 2024 allowed just nine sacks in pass protection all season. After his final game at GT, Franklin played in the Tropical Bowl post-season all-star game. He was ranked as the 40th center in the class by Brugler and earned a rookie minicamp tryout with the Las Vegas Raiders.

LB Shi Gaskin, Fayetteville State: A rush end in college but working out with the linebackers at the Orlando Showcase, Gaskin has good size at a shade under 6’3″ and 230 pounds. A Georgia Military College transfer, Gaskin ended up at Fayetteville State for his final three seasons. He made a big impact in opponents’ backfields, tallying 11 tackles for loss in back-to-back seasons, along with six sacks in 2023 and 5.5 sacks in 2024. Gaskin forced six fumbles in 25 games at Fayetteville State, while also recovering two and knocking down five passes. At the Showcase, Gaskin translated his explosive traits from the field to the workouts, with a top broad jump among LBs at 10’4.