Former Carolina Panthers players competing in 2025 UFL playoffs
It’s June, but you still have the hunger for football?
Well, the United Football League is about to begin its four-team playoff on Sunday with a conference championship doubleheader.
The Michigan Panthers will travel to Birmingham, Ala., to face the Birmingham Stallions (3 p.m. on ABC) for the USFL conference championship. The DC Defenders and St. Louis Battlehawks will then compete for the XFL conference championship in St. Louis (6 p.m. on FOX).
The winners of those matchups will then battle in the UFL championship game at 8 p.m. on June 14 (ABC).
The Carolina Panthers have ties to all of those postseason teams, which could lead a casual or first-time UFL watcher to finding some sort of rooting interest for the UFL playoffs. Sure, the names aren’t going to go up in the Hall of Honor at Bank of America Stadium down the road, but as a Panthers fan, you’ll definitely recognize a few players from a training camp or preseason of the past, or perhaps even a regular-season stint.
Also, it’s worth noting that the Panthers have added talent from spring leagues to their training camp rosters in the past, including defensive end LaBryan Ray. He has played 982 regular-season defensive snaps over the past two seasons.
Here is a look at the Panthers connections on the UFL playoff rosters:
Former Carolina Panthers on Birmingham Stallions roster
The reigning UFL champions have the biggest collection of former Panthers of the four teams. Several Matt Rhule-Scott Fitterer era contributors line the Stallions’ roster.
The group features three Rhule-era draft picks, including QB Matt Corral (injured) and DB Kenny Robinson.
▪ WR Deon Cain (2024 offseason)
▪ WR Jalen Camp (2023 practice squad)
▪ TE Marcus Baugh (2019 offseason)
▪ TE Jordan Thomas (2023 offseason and practice squad)
▪ G Deonte Brown (2021 to 2023; 2021 sixth-round pick)
▪ LB Delontae Scott (2022 practice squad)
▪ DB Kenny Robinson (2020 to 2022, fifth-round supplemental draft pick)
▪ K Harrison Mevis (2024 offseason)
▪ Injured list: QB Matt Corral (2022 to 2023; 2022 third-round pick), DB Madre Harper (2021 to 2022 practice squad)
Former Carolina Panthers on Michigan Panthers roster
Despite sharing a mascot, the Panthers connections on the Michigan roster are slim. The UFL squad has three active former Carolina players on its roster, but none of them played in a regular-season game for the NFL team.
▪ RB Nate McCrary (2022 practice squad)
▪ DE Taylor Stallworth (2023 offseason and practice squad)
▪ DB Kai Nacua (2018 practice squad, 2019 offseason)
▪ Injured list: DT Walter Palmore (2021 offseason)
Former Carolina Panthers on St. Louis Battlehawks roster
The Battlehawks are the top seed in the XFL conference. Their roster features four former Panthers employees, but only one who actually played on Sundays. Defensive tackle Phil Hoskins was a seventh-round pick of the Panthers in 2021 and played in eight games for the franchise over two seasons.
▪ WR Hakeem Butler (2020 practice squad)
▪ WR Gary Jennings (2023 offseason)
▪ C Mike Panasiuk (2020 practice squad)
▪ DT Phil Hoskins (2021 to 2022; 2021 seventh-round pick)
Former Carolina Panthers on DC Defenders roster
The Defenders offer some deep-cut Panthers connections. None of the four former Panthers players played in a regular-season game. But Jordan Ta’amu leads the UFL, by a large margin, with 17 touchdowns passes this season.
▪ QB Jordan Ta’amu (2021 offseason)
▪ WR Jaydon Mickens (2019 offseason)
▪ CB Willie Drew (2024 offseason)
▪ CB Kiondre Thomas (2024 offseason)
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
