UFL Draft and Player Allocation Announced

The 2026 United Football League Season is set to launch! It was an exciting offseason with a new owner taking control of the league, teams relocating, and new coaches in the fold! Mike Repole is making his mark on spring football and working to course-correct the UFL by right-sizing markets and updating brands within the league. As part of this effort, the UFL announced their player allocation and draft process for the 2026 UFL Season. This revamped player selection will include multiple phases of selection and provide all teams with an opportunity to sign talented players for the 2026 season.

“As we work toward fulfilling our bold vision for the United Football League that includes new markets, new teams, and new stadiums, presenting a dynamic product on the field remains the cornerstone of this league,” said UFL President & CEO Russ Brandon in the league’s release announcing the move. “In order to stock our teams with talent – especially our three new teams – and to ensure competitive balance throughout the league, we have laid out an innovative selection process that will lead to an exciting brand of football this spring.”

The 2026 UFL Draft will include a Quarterback Draft, Regional College Allocation, UFL Player Draft, and Free Agents Draft. The selections will take place from January 9 through January 14 at the UFL Headquarters in Arlington, Texas.

Quarterback Draft

The Quarterback selection portion will take place remotely on Friday, January 9. This process will be conducted remotely with selections being announced on Monday, January 12. Several spring football veterans are likely to hear their names called as teams gather. Luis Perez and Jordan Ta’amu have established themselves as spring football fixtures and will be strong additions to any roster for the 2026 UFL season. With 2025 MVP Bryce Perkins under contract in Canada, there are few other locked-in options for 2026.

Two names to keep an eye on are Jalen Morton and Sam Castronova. Both Castronova and Morton spent 2025 carving up Arena Football One and were previously signed to UFL contracts prior to the restructuring.

Morton spent time in 2025 on the Birmingham Stallions roster as well. Morton was the 2026 AF1 Rookie of the Year and had a dynamic year for the Southwest Kansas Storm. With 46 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns in 11 games, Morton proved to be a capable playmaker on the ground and through the air in the arena game and looked ready to take the step up to the UFL.

Castronova was named the 2025 AF1 MVP and Arena Crown MVP with his absolutely explosive 2025 performance. Across 12 games, Castronova threw for 61 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions, including 13 against 0 in two playoff games. He was also highly effective with his legs as he ran for 179 yards on 32 attempts for 9 touchdowns across 12 games. He was the most electric player in Arena Football last season and has a game that will translate well to the 100 yard game.

College Allocation

Heading into the 2026 season, the UFL is attempting to tie its teams more to their local communities and areas via a protected college allocation process. The Regional College Allocation will take place on Saturday, January 10, and allow UFL Teams to select up to three players from their assigned regions. There have been rumors as to which colleges align to which teams, but nothing has been publicized by the UFL.

This will give teams the ability to give college heroes a chance to continue their success at the next level. As the Transfer Portal and NIL create a fluid player situation in college, the continued opportunity provided by the UFL is an amazing opportunity for players to continue their development and gain an NFL opportunity. There were 46 UFL veterans on NFL rosters to start the 2025 season. That number will continue to grow, and a dedicated college to UFL pathway for players will benefit them and the league.

UFL Player Draft

After allocating quarterbacks and regional college players, UFL teams will have up to six players on their rosters. This provides a strong core for teams as they enter the Draft phases of the UFL Player Allocation process. First up, all players who finished the 2025 UFL season on an active roster or injured reserve will be included in a UFL Player Draft. The UFL Player Draft will take place on Tuesday, January 13 at the UFL Headquarters in Arlington.

Over the past two seasons, multiple UFL teams have built competitive rosters with stars whom fans have come to know and love. To support continuity for teams and continue to build player awareness and marketability, teams will be able to protect up to twelve total players via their Reserve List. Any player placed on the Reserve List will not be draftable by other UFL teams. All players not placed on a team’s Reserve List will be available to be selected in this portion. It is not clear if quarterbacks may be protected as part of the Reserve List, but our best guess is that they are not able to be protected.

Dynamic playmakers like Chris Rowland and Justin Hall are likely to be protected by the DC Defenders and Houston Gamblers, respectively. Hall has been one of the most productive receivers in the UFL the past two seasons, and with a quarterback shuffle likely to benefit the Gamblers and new Head Coach Kevin Sumlin in the fold, Hall will be even more valuable and dynamic. This is hard to believe considering he has 165 catches, 1,618 yards, and 10 touchdowns over the past three seasons (30 games) in Houston.

Rowland made big strides as the Defenders’ primary receiving threat in 2025. He had 42 catches for 522 yards and three touchdowns last season and was a reliable threat for Jordan Ta’amu and the DC offense. DC should look to bring him back, and with Head Coach Shannon Harris returning, it is likely he will work to keep the core of the Defenders’ Championship roster together in 2026.

The UFL Draft will consist of six positional groups, Offensive Linemen, Running Backs/Tight Ends, Wide Receivers, Defensive Front Seven, Defensive Backs, and Specialists. There does not appear to be a minimum number of players a team can select in this portion, but all teams must have a minimum of 60 players and no more than 62 players, including three quarterbacks.

Free Agents Draft

After the UFL Player Draft, the final portion of the UFL Player Allocation Process will begin on Wednesday, January 14, with the Free Agents Draft. Any player who was draft-eligible for the NFL in 2025 or 2026, 2025 NFL training camp players, UFL Showcase attendees, players who signed a 2025 LOI with a UFL team, and all other free agents are eligible to be drafted. The Free Agents Draft will have six positional groups, Offensive Linemen, Running Backs/Tight Ends, Wide Receivers, Defensive Front Seven, Defensive Backs, and Specialists, as well as an open section for teams to fill in their roster with any needed players to meet the roster minimum.

Key UFL Dates

The UFL is scheduled to kickoff on March 28, 2025, with eight teams and all the action and excitement of years past. Training Camps are expected to open in late February/early March and there will be roster cutdowns at some point in the process.

UFL Fantasy

The 2025 UFL Fantasy Football Season is here folks! We are incredibly excited to continue to expand the AltFantasySports community as we ramp up our content and coverage this season. As a result, we are opening leagues in early February for sign-ups AND drafts! With the full player pool being available post-draft, we will work to keep the site updated throughout the preseason and training camp. Make sure you sign up on AltFantasySports so you are ready for the 2026 UFL Fantasy Season!

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