ARLINGTON, Texas — The XFL returns to North Texas on Saturday after the league took the Internet by storm in 2020, but folded after shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The football league, which has its headquarters based in Arlington, is rebooting for the third time in 2023. The league features eight teams, including three in Texas.
The XFL teams drafted their rosters in November of 2022 for the 2023 season, and there are some names you might recognize if you go to a game. The Arlington Renegades open their season against the Las Vegas Vipers in Choctaw Stadium, the old Texas Rangers ballpark.
Here are a few of the notable names for each team:
Arlington Renegades
- Head coach: Bob Stoops, former Oklahoma Sooners head coach
- Will Hill, S, former safety for Baltimore Ravens
- Marquette King, P, former punter for Oakland Raiders
Las Vegas Vipers
- Head coach: Rod Woodson, NFL Hall of Fame safety for Pittsburgh Steelers
- Martavis Bryant, WR, former WR for Pittsburgh Steelers
- Geronimo Allison, WR, former WR for Green Bay Packers
- Vic Beasley, LB, former LB for Atlanta Falcons
Who are the starting QBs?
For the Renegades, the starting quarterback is Drew Plitt, a three-year starter at Ball State University. At Ball State, Plitt threw for 9,062 passing yards and 68 touchdowns and led the Cardinals to their first bowl win in program history (Arizona Bowl, 2020).
Plitt went unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft and participated in minicamps as a tryout player for several teams, including for the Cincinnati Bengals in May 2022. The Bengals signed Plitt for the preseason and he was waived before the 2022 season.
For the Vipers, the starting quarterback is Luis Perez, a two-year starter at Texas A&M-Commerce. At Texas A&M-Commerce, Perez threw for 8,327 passing yards and 78 touchdowns and led the Lions to a NCAA Division II National Championship in 2017. Perez also won the 2017 Harlon Hill Trophy, which is the Division II equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
Perez has been signed and waived by numerous NFL teams, including the Los Angeles Rams (twice), Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Perez also competed in the 2020 XFL season for the Los Angeles Wildcats and was traded to the New York Guardians.
The Arlington Renegades kick off against the Las Vegas Vipers at 2 p.m. CT on WFAA.
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