There has been a lot of change for the Gamblers as the once defunct franchise has been resurrected in the Repole era of the United Football League. The Gamblers are back after a two-year hiatus/experiment as the Houston Roughnecks, and are looking to improve on their late season surge that saw them finish with a 5-5 record.
UFL to NFL:
| CB | Damon Arnette | HOU | HOU | 6/18/2025 | Still Rostered |
| G | Samuel Jackson | HOU | NYJ | 7/23/2025 | 8/23/2025 |
| CB | Keenan Isaac | HOU | CLE | 8/1/2025 | 8/24/2025 |
| LB | Marvin Moody | HOU | CLE | 8/21/2025 | 8/24/2025 |
| TE | Geor’Quarius Spivey | HOU | KC | 6/19/2025 | 8/26/2025 |
Houston saw four players earn NFL contracts with former NFL 1st round pick Damon Arnette earn a roster spot with the Houston Texans. Arnette has been on and off the Texans active roster, currently on their practice squad. Samuel Jackson, Geor’Quarius Spivey and Marvin Moody were utilized as “camp bodies”, while Keenan Isaac has consistently been apart of the NFL workout cycle.
Current Free Agents
| QB | Nolan Henderson | HOU |
| WR | Kirk Merritt | HOU |
| WR | Keke Chism | HOU |
| WR | Cyril Grayson | HOU |
| TE | Geor’Quarius Spivey | HOU |
| OL | Isaiah Battle | HOU |
| OL | Avery Gennesy | HOU |
| OL | Jack Kramer | HOU |
| DL | Olive Sagapolu | HOU |
| DL | Glen Logan | HOU |
| LB | Marvin Moody | HOU |
| CB | Colby Richardson | HOU |
| SAF | Corn Elder | HOU |
With UFL free agency in full swing, the “Gamblers” currently have 13 players from the 2025 squad free to sign with the other seven UFL teams. Houston has went through several massive turnovers on their roster over the past three seasons that have seen several new general managers and coaches. With the massive amount of change inbound from the “Repole regime” look for several of the above players to find “work” elsewhere if they continue their careers.
Who is coming back on Offense:
Quarterback:
Houston has resigned Jalan McClendon and newcomer Jalen Morton fresh off his record setting season in the AF1. Unsigned is Anthony Brown who failed to provide a spark when pressed into action in 2025, and may have his football career in jeopardy moving forward. Look for McClendon to be “the guy” in 2026, with a new face in the QB room.
Running Back:
Houston so far has gone with fresh faces with the well-traveled Kylin Hill, and alt-football newcomer Ellis Merriweather. 2025 running backs Zaquandre White, and Lorenzo Lingard remain unsigned most likely signaling a regime change at the position that hopes to come close to the production of Mark Thompson from 2022 to 2023.
Wide Receiver:
Justin Hall and Emmanuel Butler return for their fourth season in spring football as they have signed their LOIs for the 2026. Hall has been one of the USFL/UFL’s most consistent players and could pass 2000 career receiving yards this season for his career. Unsigned are contributors like Marcus Simms, T.J. Vasher, and Lawerence Keys all of which have had their moments of success. Simms out of the three has the most upside moving forward.
Tight End:
Despite losing Spivey Houston has signed high upside prospect Camren McDonald and is set to return Cameron Sutton. Josh Pederson who returned to Houston has yet to be resigned and could be waiting to see the future of his father Super Bowl winning coach Doug Pederson, as he has been tied to the league.
Offensive Line:
Houston has only signed two offensive lineman so far this off-season as the team heads into the new year. The 6’7 Chaz Neal who is set to be one of the more “viewed” offensive tackles should sure up the blindside for Jalan McClendon, and Noah Atagi who started 8 games for Houston provide high upside for the team in 2026. Unsigned currently is reserve offensive lineman T.J. Bradley, and Avery Jones along with starter Zach Banner who has received several NFL workouts.
Who is coming back on Defense:
Defensive Line:
Jamir Jones (2nd year), Israel Antwine, (2nd year), and TJ Franklin (2nd year) will be joined by newcomer Robert Cooper (2023 UDFA) as the team looks to replace a whole in their pass rush left by Adam Rodriguez, and Chris Odom. Unsigned are Tashawn Bower who was possibly Houston’s most dynamic mid-season signing, along with Darrius Moragne, Rashod Berry, Christopher Allen, and Lonnie Phelps.
Linebacker:
Jeremiah Tyler is set to return for his 4th season who has been a consistent figure for the franchise going back to 2023. Houston is also returning Xavier Benson who started five games for the team in his “rookie” season. Drew Lewis a long-time reserve linebacker remains unsigned.
Defensive Backs:
Arguably Houston’s most dynamic position group, the franchise has done a decent job of retaining several key pieces despite losing Damon Arnette and as of right now Keenan Isaac. Houston is returning Rayshad Williams, Armani Marsh, Leon O’Neal (All-UFL), and Markel Robey shaping up to have a dominant “no-fly-zone” in 2026. The team has also signed NFL veteran Chris Steele who has spent time with the Roughnecks (XFL 2023) and Brahmas, while also giving 2024 draft pick Malik Dunlap another opportunity.
Special Teams:
It appears that Houston will possibly look to open up their kicking competition as long time professional kicker Chris Blewitt still is without an LOI. Punter Mike Rivers and Long Snapper Marco Ortiz are set to return for the 2026 season as well.
Final Thoughts:
The Defenders currently have 24 players under contract with LOI’s signed for the 2026 season. With UFL rosters expected to be between 60 and 70 players for training camp Houston still has plenty of additional pieces to add to their team.
The 2026 Houston Gamblers will be without Curtis Johnson who was announced to not be returning to the UFL after leading the team for three seasons to a 11-19 record with plenty of “sound bites” along the way. Returning to the front office is GM Will Lewis who is now working in the player personnel department that is now being ran by the UFL organization rather than on a team-by-team basis.
With plenty of change inbound, the Gamblers have a chance to build on their late season success of 2025 and compete for their first playoff berth in their rebooted franchise. The Gamblers and the rest of the UFL is set to begin in 2026 its third season on March 27th.