By: Mike T-Bell
We have passed the midway point in the UFL season and are heading full steam ahead into Week 7. With 6 weeks of football action complete, here are the current standings:
Midseason Player Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Marcus Simms, Michigan Panthers
Sure if you have been following along with me this year you will know I am a Michigan Panthers homer. However, when I think about Offensive Player of the Year, I think about a player that helps them win ball games, make big plays and cover up for injuries on the team with their superb play. That guy for me is Marcus Simms. Marcus Simms has made a highlight film this year of big plays that have put his team and Jake Bates in position to win games. Simms leads the Panthers in Receiving Yards, Touchdowns, Catches, Longest Reception and Average Yards per game. Marcus also is the second leading receiver in the league in yards and touchdowns. Furthermore, he has come up big while the Offensive Line has struggled to give protection to Perry and Etling and also has been a big contributor after E.J. Perry went down for the season. Marcus Simms is a guy that can high point a pass, show off his 21.5mph speed according to Real Analytics, break tackles, and make guys miss. As long as he is on the field for the Panthers, a big play is a threat to give them a chance at a Jake Bates FG winner.
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Pita Taumoepenu, St. Louis Battlehawks
The defensive player of the year is a guy that terrifies Offensive Coordinators and Quarterbacks alike at the thought of game planning for each Monday. To me, that player is Pita Taumoepenu. He has missed one game to injury but still has a top 5 rating in Sacks with 4 and an additional 4 Tackles for Loss. I almost chose Carlos Davis from the Stallions with his 6 sacks but wanted this award to represent a player that can affect both the pass and run. Additionally, Breeland Speaks makes a strong case for DPOY as he is second in the league in sacks with 4.5 and another 6 TFL through 6 games. Overall, when healthy, Pita is the most dominant defensive player on the field. His first step explosiveness allows him to rush the passer as well as drop into coverage as a linebacker. Boasting a 4.67 40 time, Pita has the balance and body control to be effective on the move. If he can stay healthy, alongside my next pick, the Battlehawks will have a chance at a home field advantage Championship game.
Most Valuable Player: QB A.J. McCarron, St. Louis Battlehawks
Arguably, the Most Valuable Player is the player that if you took off the field, the team as a whole would have a much different record and a much different look and feel. Some may immediately argue the MVP is Adrian Martinez, but while Martinez has been absolutely brilliant this season, when he comes off the field, Matt Corrall has done a superb job in the offense not losing a beat and the record shows that. If you took A.J. off the field however, the Battlehawks might be a 3-3 team or worse right now. The offensive line has been no better than average this year and the running backs have been by committee. McCarron is the second leading Passer in the league in yards and an overwhelming leader in Touchdowns with 13. The next closest player has 8 touchdowns. A.J. also leads the league in Completion percentage amongst QBs who have played at least 4 games as well as Efficiency Rating. With only 2 interceptions to date, A.J. McCarron and his incredible leadership should prove to be the Stallions best challenge this coming weekend.
Best Running Back: RB John Lovett, San Antonio Brahmas
League leader in Rushing Yards, Touches, Avg Yards/Run (10 att/game+), and second in TDs. John Lovett has been a crucial part of the Brahmas offense while they work out the inconsistent play of Quinten Dormady.
Best Tight End: TE Jace Sternberger, Birmingham Stallions
When the Stallions need a first down in a crucial drive, Sternberger seems to be the guy getting the first read. With 12 receptions for 236 yards, Sternberger is the leading Tight End in the league and second amongst all receivers in yards per catch, only behind Marcus Simms.
Best Offensive Line: Birmingham Stallions
You don’t lead the league in yardage without a great offensive line and that is fully evident with the Birmingham Stallions. While also leading the league in rushing yards, the Stallions offensive line have adapted to allow both QBs to move the pocket, pick up crucial first downs and successfully run QB design runs.
Best Linebacker: LB Tavante Beckett, San Antonio Brahmas
Top 3 in the league in tackles with 46 and 4 Tackles for Loss, Beckett also has 2 forced fumbles.
Best Secondary: FS Kai Nacua, Michigan Panthers
Kai Nacua has a league leading 3 interceptions and all of which were in crucial game situations, one being in the redzone. Kai is also top 10 in tackles with 35 and his leadership on the Michigan Panthers defense has been one of the talks of the league. Having a player like Kai Nacua has helped against pass heavy offenses like St. Louis and Arlington.
Best Returner: KR Isiah Hennie, Houston Roughnecks (now waived due to Injury)
Isiah Hennie is absolutely on the field. Boasting the highest kick return average, Hennie is a gamechanger with a longest kick return of 75 yards. I once asked Coach Johnson in the post game press conference if he thought about using Hennie more in the offense with how dynamic he is on the field and Coach Johnson said they have felt the same way about his playmaking ability and had planned to get him more involved. Unfortunately, it looks as if Hennie’s season is over due to injury and has been waived by the Roughnecks. Regardless, Hennie deserves his flowers.
Best Kicker: K Jake Bates, Michigan Panthers
In a few short seasons, the spring football leagues have proved to be feeder systems for the NFL when it comes to Kickers. This season is proving to be finding another diamond in the rough, as Jake Bates has emerged from the outskirts of the football world to the unanimous pick for Best Kicker and dark horse for Offensive Player of the Year. Jake Bates stormed onto the scene in Week 1 with a big 64 yard Field Goal for the win against the Battlehawks. Jake Bates has since gone a total of 12 for 14 this season and is coming off another game winner. Jake’s Field Goals this season are from 64, 62, 52, 46, 55, 49, 30, 43, 60, 29, 49, 42 yards respectively. The most impressive feat is the fact that Jake Bates has performed in crunch time from the moment he stepped on the field this season, kicking 2 walk off game winners and 1st half expiring kicks. With zero meaningful kicks in his entire football career, it has been amazing to watch such a special player emerge in the UFL and presumably a shot with the NFL next season.
With just 4 weeks to go in the regular season, it should be interesting to see if there are any trades or depth chart adjustments that could affect these picks. Will we see Luis Perez traded to a contending team? Will teams like the Roughnecks and Showboats play younger players if they are out of contention for a playoff spot? As teams focus on possible playoff berths, who will emerge as our regular season award winners? See you in June!