This is the final installment of my months-long series profiling those known to have attended UFL Showcases throughout 2025. Best of luck to all who have participated in their efforts to continue their professional football careers.
*LS Philip Barbar, Florida Atlantic: After playing at DIII Wheaton (Ill.) College, Barbar leveled up to the FBS and Florida Atlantic for his final season in 2022. There, he saw action in three games, including the team’s Shula Bowl rivalry game against Florida International. Against Middle Tennessee, he even played as a holder. At his 2023 Pro Day, he was listed as 5’9″ and 223 pounds, with 14 reps on the bench press among his notable numbers. Barbar has attended the last three Carney Kicking Showcases in front of UFL scouts and has been a top-charted snapper at each of them.
*RB Caleb Jolivette, Jackson State: Jolivette’s college football career got off to an inauspicious start in 2017 at Sam Houston State when a knee injury at the end of fall camp sidelined him for the season. He got into seven games in 2018, seeing limited action on offense (four carries, three receptions). From there, he focused on being part of the track team, notably as a sprinter and jumper. In moving to Jackson State, Jolivette was first listed as a wide receiver. When he played in 2022, however, he was more of a back and returner. He rushed 11 times and caught one pass in nine games that season, also returning four kickoffs and six punts.
*C Vincent Murphy, Tulane: A Second Team All-AAC selection in 2024, Murphy was at the pivot for an offense that led the conference in a number of categories, paving the way for Tulane to make the AAC Championship game. Murphy started all 14 games for the Green Wave in ’24. His career began at South Carolina, where he saw action in a handful of games as a reserve. At Western Kentucky in 2022 and 2023, he was a full-time starter both seasons. Dane Brugler ranked Murphy as the 49th center in the 2024 NFL Draft class in his draft guide in The Athletic. Post-draft, Murphy was invited to try out at Chicago Bears rookie minicamp.
*DE Jonathan Ross, South Florida: After excelling at Bowie State, Ross took his talents from Division II to Division I for his final two seasons. He made his mark beginning in his freshman season, where he notched 12.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, earning a bunch of rookie honors. Ross ended his Bowie State career with 125 tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. In 2023 with the Bulls, Ross had 40 tackles, 9.5 for loss, and two sacks, getting back on track after an adjustment year in 2022. He came in at edge rusher 132 in Brugler’s rankings and participated in the Tropical Bowl post-season all-star game. The Indoor Football League came calling for Ross’s services and he’s been with the Bay Area Panthers for two years.
*G Lyle Santos, Southern Utah: A five-year starter, spanning 47 games for the Thunderbirds, Santos mostly played right guard but also has starting experience at center. The Southern Utah website has Santos only allowing one sack in his career, covering over 1,700 pass-blocking snaps. Perhaps as attractively, Santos was a three-year captain. Brugler ranked him as the 92nd guard coming out of college in 2025 and he was invited participate in his hometown Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie minicamp in May.
*K Kyle Sentkowski, Sacramento State: The 17th kicker ranked by Brugler in the 2023 NFL Draft class, Sentkowski worked out at a previously unannounced showcase held at John Carney’s kicking camp in early December, one that had UFL personnel on hand to view the tryouts. At Sacramento State, Sentkowski set records for field goals made in a season and was First Team All-Big Sky in 2021 and 2022. He also set single season records for extra points and overall points for a specialist. In 2023, he tried out for the Buffalo Bills at their rookie minicamp.
*DE Makeah Scippio, CSU-Pueblo: At a verified 6’3″ and 236 pounds, Scippio has the size profile of the new-age pass-rusher. In college, he had the production to back up those numbers. Incredibly consistent at CSU-Pueblo, Scippio had between 30 and 37 tackles each of his four seasons of action. Both his tackles for loss and sack numbers increased each year, culminating with 13 and 10 respectively in 2024. Also notable is that he forced five fumbles in his career and had an interception return for a touchdown. The 179th edge rusher in the draft per Brugler, Scippio nevertheless got a tryout with his home state Denver Broncos at rookie minicamp.
*LB Brandon Smith, Penn State: An early UFL Showcase success story, Smith attended the Atlanta Showcase and was subsequently signed by the Renegades. That was before rosters were turned upside-down; he may yet land with a team via next week’s draft. A 4th round NFL Draft pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2022, Smith has been on the roster or practice squad of four teams, most recently in 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders; he was waived in May. A two-year starter with the Nittany Lions, Smith had 81 tackles in his final season but only had four career sacks. His athletic traits have yet to translate to production on the field.
*LB Jalen Waddy, Texas A&M: Playing time was difficult to come by for Waddy at the collegiate level. He began his career at Blinn College, a JUCO in Texas. He then transferred to Texas A&M, where it doesn’t appear he saw any game action in two seasons. At the end of 2023, he entered his name into the transfer portal but didn’t seem to find a home. He was listed as being draft-eligible in 2025 despite not being on a team in 2024. The 6’0″, 230-pound Waddy attended the Atlanta UFL Showcase.
*LB Justin Whiteside, Central Michigan: A prolific career with the Chippewas included 59 games played (35 starts), 214 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. The 5’10”, 227-pound inside linebacker ran a 5.02 at the CMU pro day, leading at least one prominent draft site to suggest a move to fullback is possible. It’s difficult to ignore Whiteside’s production, however, and that production earned him the 164th spot on Brugler’s linebacker rankings and a contract this past spring with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. Now a free agent, Whiteside attended the Phoenix Showcase.
*QB Lafayette Wright, SW Oklahoma State: Listed by recruiting sites as a pro-style quarterback, Wright played three games at Southwestern Oklahoma State, with the bulk of his time coming in two games in 2021. He was 29-of-59 passing for 436 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Listed as 6’4″ and 200 pounds, Wright stayed local in going pro, signing with the Tulsa Oilers of the Indoor Football League in early 2024 after playing both high school and college in the state of Oklahoma.
*OLB Bryson Young, Oregon: A New Jersey Generals draft pick as part of the resurrected USFL in 2022, Young actually announced his retirement in January of 2025 before attending the Los Angeles Showcase last month. A one-year starter at Oregon, Young played a host of special teams roles prior to nailing down the STUD rush end position for the Ducks in 2019. He made 56 tackles, 5.5 for loss, and two sacks that year. Young signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2020 but was released at the end of camp. He was part of the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL, the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, and then the Generals in 2022, even competing in the playoffs that year.