With the XFL having wrapped up its season and the USFL regular season finishing up, here’s what former Ole Miss football players have been up to this spring.
USFL
Breeland Speaks
Speaks, a former second-round pick in the NFL, joined the Michigan Panthers this season and made an impact on the field immediately. Speaks has made 47 tackles and recorded nine sacks for the Panthers.
In his debut with the Panthers, Speaks had seven total tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in his quest to make the most of his second chance after last playing in the NFL in 2018.
Trae Elston
Elston has appeared in seven games for the New Jersey Generals this season. Elston has 25 total tackles this season but was placed on injured reserve on May 31.
XFL
Jordan Ta’amu
The former Ole Miss signal-caller was a standout for the DC Defenders, leading all quarterbacks in yards per attempt (8.3) in the regular season. Ta’amu completed 62.4% of his passes while finishing with 14 passing touchdowns to three interceptions. The 25-year-old also had three rushing touchdowns. The Defenders finished the regular season 9-1, and Ta’amu would go on to win Offensive Player of the Year.
In the postseason, Ta’amu and the Defenders made it to the XFL Championship Game, where they suffered a 35-26 loss to the Arlington Renegades. Ta’amu threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions and completed just 16 of his 30 passes.
Jahcour Pearson
Jahcour Pearson turned into a star for the Seattle Dragons this season. Pearson led the league in receiving yards with 670 and caught four touchdown passes. The former Ole Miss wide receiver also had a league-high 60 receptions.
Josiah Coatney
Josiah Coatney helped his Arlington Renegades win an XFL championship this season. Coatney went undrafted by the NFL, but he came away from this season with a title to his name. Coatney was credited with one total tackle in the championship game.
The defensive lineman finished the regular season with 19 total tackles and five tackles for loss.
Lakia Henry
Henry played for an Orlando Guardians team that finished the regular season with a league-worst 1-9 record. Henry had six total tackles and one for loss in the regular season for Orlando.
Fadol Brown
Brown also played for the DC Defenders this season. In seven games with the Defenders in the regular season, he had 19 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Brown had four total tackles in the Defenders’ loss to Arlington in the XFL Championship Game.
Rod Taylor
Taylor split time between the DC Defenders and the Vegas Vipers this season. Taylor was ejected from a Defenders game against the St. Louis BattleHawks after a brawl. Taylor would later be released by DC and picked up on waivers by the Vipers, who would also release him.
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