The Michigan Panthers marked their presence in the 2023 season of the United States Football League (USFL) under the ownership of National Spring Football League Enterprises Co, LLC, affiliated with Fox Sports. The team was led by head coach Mike Nolan, with Steve Kazor serving as the general manager. Their home games were played at Ford Field. The Panthers finished their season with a record of 4 wins and 6 losses, earning them second place in the North Division of the USFL. Their season concluded with a narrow defeat in the Division Finals against the Pittsburgh Maulers, in a closely contested game that went into overtime, ending with a score of 27-31.
Panthers News
Jonathan Clink
November 28, 2025
Mike Mitchell
June 23, 2025
Mike Mitchell
June 18, 2025
Mike Mitchell
June 17, 2025
Panthers Roster
General Manager Steve Kozar
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Collin Bauer
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Marcel Bellefeuille
Special Teams/Wide Receivers Jaron Fairman
Offensive Line Tim Holt
Defensive Backs Brock Marion
Running Backs Jordan Pavlisin
Linebackers Christian Runza
Tight Ends Gary Watkins
Quarterback
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Lombardi | Quarterback | Northern Illinois | - |
| Bryce Perkins | Quarterback | Virginia | - |
| Danny Etling | Quarterback | LSU | - |
Tight End
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Wydermyer | Tight End | Texas A&M | - |
| Gunnar Oakes | Tight End | Eastern Michigan | - |
| Cole Hikutini | Tight End | Louisville | - |
Long Snapper
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Bowden | Long Snapper | Wisconsin | - |
| Jordan Ober | Long Snapper | Nebraska | - |
Punter
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seth Vernon#36OUT | Punter | Portland State | - |
| Seth Vernon | Punter | Portland State | - |
| Simon Laryea | Punter | Abilene Christian | - |
Running back
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toa Taua | Running back | Nevada | - |
| Nate McCrary | Running back | Saginaw Valley State | - |
| Matthew Colburn II | Running back | Wake Forest | - |
Wide receiver
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Holmes | Wide receiver | Baylor | - |
| Phazione McClurge | Wide receiver | Indiana State | - |
| Jaylon Moore | Wide receiver | Tennessee-Martin | - |
| Samson Nacua | Wide receiver | BYU | - |
| John Hightower | Wide receiver | Boise State | - |
| Siaosi Mariner | Wide receiver | Utah State | - |
| Devin Ross | Wide receiver | Colorado | - |
| Malik Turner | Wide receiver | Illinois | - |
Offensive tackle
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Russell | Offensive tackle | Missouri Western | - |
| Victor Curne | Offensive tackle | Ole Miss | - |
| Ryan Nelson | Offensive tackle | Virginia | - |
| Brian Dooley | Offensive tackle | Eastern Michigan | - |
| James Walker | Offensive tackle | Southeastern Oklahoma State | - |
| Chim Okorafor | Offensive tackle | Benedictine | - |
| Jacob Burton | Offensive tackle | Baylor | - |
| Cam Carter | Offensive tackle | Murray State | Adamsville, AL |
Defensive tackle
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levi Bell | Defensive tackle | Texas State | - |
| Keonte Schad | Defensive tackle | Oregon State | Madison, WI |
| Walter Palmore | Defensive tackle | Missouri | - |
| Taylor Stallworth | Defensive tackle | South Carolina | - |
| Garrett Marino | Defensive tackle | UAB | - |
Defensive end
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Stone Jr. | Defensive end | Washington State | - |
| T.J. Carter | Defensive end | Kentucky | - |
| Kenny Willekes | Defensive end | Michigan State | - |
| Ron’Dell Carter | Defensive end | James Madison | - |
| Mika Tafua | Defensive end | Utah | - |
| Breeland Speaks | Defensive end | Ole Miss | - |
Middle linebacker
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Neal | Middle linebacker | Texas State | - |
| De’Gabriel Floyd | Middle linebacker | East Los Angeles College | - |
| Donavan Mutin | Middle linebacker | Houston | - |
| Noah Dawkins#10PROBABLE | Middle linebacker | The Citadel | - |
| Noah Dawkins | Middle linebacker | The Citadel | - |
| Bryce Torneden | Middle linebacker | Kansas | - |
| Frank Ginda | Middle linebacker | San Jose State | - |
| Javin White | Middle linebacker | UNLV | - |
Cornerback
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemon Green | Cornerback | Michigan | - |
| D.J. Miller | Cornerback | Kent State | - |
| D.J. Miller Jr. | Cornerback | Kent State | - |
| Keni-H Lovely | Cornerback | Western Michigan | - |
| Levonta Taylor | Cornerback | Florida State | - |
| Kiante Hardin | Cornerback | Pittsburgh State | - |
| Adonis Alexander | Cornerback | Virginia Tech | - |
Safety
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akeem Dent | Safety | Florida State | - |
| Kedrick Whitehead Jr. | Safety | Delaware | - |
| Tyree Gillespie | Safety | Missouri | - |
| Corrion Ballard | Safety | Utah | - |
| Kai Nacua | Safety | BYU | - |
USFL Conference
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  BIRM | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 265 | 180 | W1 |
| 2 | | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 228 | 189 | L1 |
| 3 |  MEM | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 188 | 290 | W1 |
| 4 |  HOU | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 158 | 233 | L6 |