This is the fourth part of an eight-part look at each UFL team’s 2025 season.
Part Three: Houston Roughnecks
What went right
Arlington was in the thick of the playoff race after the halfway point of the season. The team finished with a .500 record, a game better than they ended in 2024. Quarterback Luis Perez showed no signs of slowing down, leading the UFL in completions, passing yardage, and completion percentage. Their passing game was the straw that stirred their offensive drink all season – as the passing game went, so went the Renegades. The defense rebounded after a down year 2024: Arlington led the league in sacks and fumbles recovered. They were second in the UFL in rushing defense, first in total defense, and they allowed the lowest 3rd down conversion percentage. The Renegades employed two of the league’s top specialists, kicker Lucas Havrisik, who connected on the most field goals of any kicker, and punter Marquette King.
What went wrong
For the second year in a row, what held Arlington back the most was their lack of success in close games. Their average margin of victory in their five wins was 10 points. The average margin of defeat was three points and of their five losses, all were one-score games. This comes on the heels of a 2024 season in which three of their six losses came on last-second field goals, and their average margin of loss was six points. While an 0-6 start in 2024 doomed the Renegades, it was a four-game stretch in the middle of the season from weeks five through eight that halted Arlington’s momentum in 2025 – they lost all four, all to playoff-bound teams. For a Bob Stoops-coached squad, Arlington was surprisingly undisciplined and had a lot of unforced penalties. Their kick return average was last in the league, often putting the offense in unfavorable field position to begin drives. A league-high 10 fumbles lost led to Arlington finishing with an even turnover margin.
Stat to note
Too many times, penalties on offense stalled drives and put Arlington behind the sticks. They led the UFL with 48 offensive penalties. They also employed the most-penalized player in the entire UFL in OT Ricky Lee, who was flagged 10 times (accepted penalties counted only).
Offensive MVP
After the Renegades won the XFL Championship in 2023, there was a question as to whether or not QB Luis Perez would come back in 2024. He did, and played well, starting all 10 games and throwing 18 touchdown passes to just four interceptions, which earned him a look in Los Angeles Chargers training camp. Again, fans wondered if he’d return for 2025. He did, and played well again. Though his touchdown passes were cut in half, his yards per attempt went up as did his completion percentage, leading the UFL in passing yardage. Being able to trot your starting quarterback out there for every game for the second year in a row is almost unheard of in spring football given the injury rate at the position. Perez has been an iron man and shows few signs of slowing down.
Defensive MVP
Some players just seem to have magnets in their hands that attract the football. CB Ajene Harris is one of those players. A spring football vet dating back to the XFL in 2020, Harris intercepted five passes with the Houston Roughnecks in 2023, which was tops in the league. This past season, he once again paced his peers in interceptions with three, returning one for a touchdown and totaling 121 return yards. Those weren’t his only takeaways as he also recovered a fumble. Harris finished second on the team in tackles and tied for the UFL lead with 12 passes defensed. Quarterbacks should think twice before throwing Harris’s way.
Special Teams MVP
Having your kicker lead the league in field goals made was a double-edged sword for the Renegades. K Lucas Havrisik was 22-for-25 on field goals, good for 88% accuracy (anything over 80% is considered good). Had even a few of those field goals been converted into touchdowns, however, Arlington could’ve pulled out wins in some of those close losses. In a season in which the Renegades finished just one game behind D.C. for the second playoff spot in the XFL Conference, the lack of red zone effectiveness was the difference in playing in the post-season versus watching at home.
Most likely to succeed (in getting NFL opportunities)
Back in May, CB Jayden Price was someone I targeted as likely to be NFL-bound. He’s one of several Renegades to sign NFL contracts as of early August. Perhaps no player has gotten more opportunities at the NFL level thanks to spring football than TE Sal Cannella, who has signed with teams after the last four spring seasons. Perez deserves a real look from a team, but will he actually get it? WR Tyler Vaughns has yet to work out for a team but is another offensive player who could cycle into a camp before the summer is through. On defense, LB Willie Taylor, who led the team in sacks, as well as DT Amani Bledsoe are a few names that could garner interest. One can’t rule out Havrisik in a kicker emergency, either.
QB concern level for 2025 (1-5)
At 31 years old when the 2026 season begins, QB Luis Perez isn’t exactly in the desired age bracket for spring football quarterbacks. Yet his effectiveness can’t be denied, nor can his story of perseverance. Perez has already begun working out presumably in preparation for next March. That’s good news for Renegades fans. Despite his age, Perez showed no signs of fall-off last year. The potential for a coaching staff makeover if Bob Stoops doesn’t return is the only thing giving me pause about Perez’s future; would he want to start over with a new offense, or would he decide to walk away? The backup position is in flux as Holton Ahlers, the number two for the last two years, announced his retirement after the season. Third-stringer Luke Lehnen may not be ready to ascend to number two yet. Arlington should be in the market for a capable depth piece this offseason. With all signs pointing to a Perez return right now, and with his durability of the last few seasons, we’ll call this a 2.
Head coach hot seat rating (1-5)
Like Wade Phillips, the cache Stoops brings to the UFL won’t ever put him on a hot seat in the same way other head coaches may find themselves. Besides, Stoops is smart enough to walk away before that seat gets too hot anyway; after all, he certainly doesn’t need this gig. Ever since he first took the job to lead the 2020 Dallas Renegades, the question has always been, for how long will he still find this job worth it? Cutting coaches pay and no longer making them year-round employees certainly doesn’t sweeten the pot for someone the level of Stoops to stay on board. But perhaps none of that matters as much as we think it does, and as Stoops has alluded to before, this is a way to get him out of the house for a few months out of the year and to stay involved in football. With two non-playoff seasons in the last two years (if that even matters), we’ll bump this up from last year’s 1 to a 1.5.
Offseason needs for 2026
A new backup quarterback should be a priority, perhaps with an eye to the future. After all, Perez won’t be around forever. RB De’Veon Smith returned at the end of camp, but in a lesser role. Starter Kalen Ballage was on his way to a big season before an injury put him out for the year. If Ballage doesn’t return, they probably need to add a couple more backs. The rest of the needs on offense may be dictated by which signees stick in the NFL. Ahlers wasn’t the only Renegade to retire so far this offseason: Nine-game starter at right guard Garrett McGhin also announced he’ll be hanging up the cleats. That means a starting spot has opened up along the offensive line. A few of the key contributors on defense, like Will Clarke and Donald Payne, are on the wrong side of 30. The team should look to add youth behind them.