The new staff for the San Antonio Brahmas, led by coach Wade Phillips, is slowly reshaping the look of the team. San Antonio has seen changes to its roster already, bringing in multiple guys from the XFL’s Roughnecks.
The Brahmas drafted 10 players, focusing on offense with seven picks coming on that side of the ball.
Here is a full breakdown of the San Antonio Brahma’s 10 selections in the Super Dispersal Draft.
Round Drafted - Player Analysis
The first overall pick in the Super Dispersal draft was a big splash for the Brahmas. Quinten Dormady’s story made national news after he was accused of sharing plays from the Orlando Guardians, which was found to be inaccurate. Dormady made the most of his opportunity with the Guardians, throwing for 1,507 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions in seven games.
Roster Impact: Jack Coan and Kurt Benkert are on the active roster with some questions surrounding whether Benkert will return. Dormady goes in as the favorite to win the starting job unless they bring in another quarterback to compete.
The Philadelphia Stars drafted Trey Botts in the USFL College Draft, but he elected to play in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. Botts ultimately did not make the team and signed with the Stars in November. In 2021 with CSU-Pueblo, he racked up 55 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one fumble recovery in 11 games.
Roster Impact: The Brahmas roster has been going through a lot of changes with a new coaching staff in place. Botts will have a chance to compete for a starting job with three other defensive tackles in the mix.
The Houston Roughnecks brought in B.J. Wilson when he signed his letter of intent with the team last month. Wilson was a First Team All-GLVC selection at Quincy in 2022, becoming the first player in the history of the school to sign with an NFL team when he signed with the Carolina Panthers in May.
Roster Impact: San Antonio has six tackles on their roster that will have Wilson competing hard for a spot.
Defensive back Chris Steele signed his letter of intent with the Houston Roughnecks in November and was signed by the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL last month. Steele spent time in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Roster Impact: With a reworked defense, the secondary might have opportunities for guys to step in. Steele has a chance to play on the team based on his experience in the NFL.
Dareuan Parker was selected by the Houston Roughnecks in the seventh round of the XFL Draft and made multiple starts at right guard in 2023. He also briefly spent time in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.
Roster Impact: The starting experience for Parker in AJ Smith’s offense gives him a good chance to earn a starting spot again.
K.D. Cannon played in just four games for the Guardians last season, catching four passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He played in the 2020 XFL for the Los Angeles Wildcats and the Seattle Dragons. and spent time with four different NFL teams before playing in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2018 and 2019.
Roster Impact: Cannon has blazing speed, making him very difficult to overthrow on passes. San Antonio’s receiving core needed some speed and Cannon should be able to provide it.
Landen Akers missed four games last season with the San Antonio Brahmas due to injury but was able to perform well in the six he did play. Akers finished with 31 receptions for 303 yards on the year. The Houston Roughnecks acquired him in a trade with the Brahmas in August.
Roster Impact: AJ Smith wanted to bring Akers into their offense before being moved over to San Antonio. With the two of them back together, Akers will play a big role in the offense being one of the better receivers in the UFL.
A.J. Hendy was one of the starters in the secondary for the Houston Roughnecks last season, racking up 36 tackles and one tackle for loss in 10 games. Hendy played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders for two seasons prior to being a member of the 2020 XFL with the New York Guardians.
Roster Impact: The 30-year-old safety has been a consistent performer in the XFL tackling in open space. San Antonio will look for him to keep that veteran presence on the defense in 2024.
John Yarbrough was on the Roughnecks roster last season primarily as a backup guard and center for the team. He started in three games in the USFL in 2022 with the Houston Gamblers and was a starter for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL in 2021 as well as a member of the Tampa Bay Vipers of the 2020 XFL.
Roster Impact: Depth will be key for the offensive line, and Yarbrough brings experience and versatility.
Cody Chrest originally signed with the Houston Roughnecks in the offseason, coming off a stint with the Green Bay Packers over the summer before being released. Chrest also spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Roster Impact: Chrest is a young player on the roster and will need to work his way up the depth chart compared to the other receivers.
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