The 2025 NFL offseason has been a roller coaster ride. It began back in April with the NFL Draft, where Cam Ward was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans while fellow quarterback Shedeur Sanders shockingly slid to the fifth round, only to end up in an already overloaded Cleveland Browns QB room. Since then, there have been some blockbuster trades, with the Pittsburgh Steelers unloading the war chest on the likes of Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, and Jalen Ramsey in a bid to mount a deep postseason run. And that’s not all.
In recent days, it isn’t just football talk that has generated headlines. As ever, Travis Kelce and superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift have been front and center with the tabloids following the all-time great tight end’s proposal to America’s pop princess. In fact, it has generated so much attention that betting sites are offering markets on the engagement, with brother Jason Kelce and Patrick Mahomes currently locked in a war to be the Big Yeti’s best man.
But while Kelce and Swift steal the show, a number of former UFL stars are quietly going about their work as they attempt to make it big in the NFL. Here are three such players who we think are poised for a blockbuster year in 2025.
Jalen Redmond
The Minnesota Vikings are set for a make-or-break year. After a stellar 2024 with Sam Darnold under center, sophomore JJ McCarthy now takes over the offense, and NFL oddsmakers aren’t too sure what to expect. The latest NFL lines at Bovada have the Vikings listed as a 1.5-point favorite for their trip to the Chicago Bears on the opening day, as well as being priced at -125 on the money line.
But while there is a new look on offense, football games – and indeed championships – are won in the trenches. One such man who will find himself thrust into the defensive line hotbed is former Arlington Renegade Jalen Redmond, who has penned a new contract to remain with the Minnesota Vikings. The 26-year-old shone in Texas last year before being tempted to Minneapolis, and he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him by.
In his debut campaign in the big league, Redmond featured prominently, appearing in 13 games (starting two) and racking up 208 defensive snaps—an impressive workload for a supposed depth player. His box score reads like that of a breakout starter: 18 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, a sack, 2 passes deflected, and a quarterback hit, all while rotating behind Harrison Phillips. Now, though, Phillips has been shipped off to the Jets for a slew of late-round draft picks, and rather than looking externally to plug the gap, the Vikings are promoting one of their own.
Minnesota has handed Redmond a promotion that brings ample opportunity but sky-high expectations. He is expected to pick up the lion’s share of Phillips’ workload, and he can look forward to starting the vast majority of Vikings games this season. The attributes that made him so disruptive in the UFL—explosive hands, uncanny quickness off the snap, and an instinct for backfield chaos—have translated against NFL competition.
Now, Redmond has to demonstrate that he can consistently showcase those skills on a weekly basis. If he does, don’t be surprised to see him start all 17 games this season, just as Phillips did last year.
KaVontae Turpin
There’s a rare breed of player whose every touch feels like a live wire—and KaVontae Turpin plays football at that voltage. From USFL MVP honors in 2022 to transforming the Cowboys’ special teams in Dallas, Turpin’s career has been one long highlight reel that outlets can’t help but broadcast. In 2024, he cemented himself among the elite, taking two returns to the endzone and surging to All-Pro status. But Turpin is so much more than a return ace.
Last year, the 29-year-old delivered the best receiving numbers of his career as the Cowboys endured a turbulent year. 31 receptions, 420 yards, and two touchdowns demonstrated his effectiveness as a potent third weapon, and those numbers could be set to increase further should Jalen Tolbert flop in the early weeks of the new season.
Turpin’s acceleration on bubble screens and slants turned routine plays into gut-wrenching cover assignments for defenders, while opponents who dare to kick his way do so with the understanding that one mistimed step could mean flipping the scoreboard in a heartbeat.
Heading into the new campaign, Turpin’s impact thrives on unpredictability: Will the Cowboys finally unleash him with more offensive snaps, or will his legacy remain one of momentum-shifting specials? This fall, expect more game plans designed to avoid him—often in vain.
Dondrea Tillman
Every great pass rush is built on players who refuse to take no for an answer. Dondrea Tillman embodies that spirit; he lived it with the Birmingham Stallions before crashing into relevance with the Denver Broncos. In the 2024 UFL season, the 27-year-old posted gaudy numbers—27 tackles, six for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two more in the high-stakes USFL Conference Championship. Despite limited NFL snaps (just 20.95%), he converted opportunity into production at an extraordinary rate for the Broncos: 23 tackles and five sacks over only 12 contests.
It’s one thing to tally that sort of disruption as a UFL starter; repeating it as a rotational rusher in the NFL signals a player whose motor simply doesn’t quit. Luckily for Tillman, he couldn’t be in a better place to develop, with his Mile High outfit unquestionably the best defence in the league. Expect the former IUP star to continue his development behind the likes of Nik Bonitto before exploding when called upon.