Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
The St. Louis Battlehawks have work to do.
Head coach Anthony Becht said at the start of the year that he believed the Battlehawks built a roster that could win the 2025 UFL Championship Game, which takes place on June 14 in front of his team’s hometown fans in St. Louis.
[MORE: What is the UFL? Everything to know about the 2025 United Football League]
If the playoffs started today, however, the Battlehawks would miss out and be watching from home.
“We’ve got a huge game next week against a divisional opponent,” Becht said. “And I’m just asking everyone to bring a friend.”
The contest Becht is referring to is the opening game of Week 6, with the Battlehawks hosting the Arlington Renegades in an all-important XFL Conference tilt on Friday night (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). It’s a crucial matchup, with both teams sitting at 3-2 on the season and fighting for the second playoff spot in the division.
The Renegades won the previous head-to-head matchup earlier this year, a 30-15 victory in Arlington in Week 4.
Elsewhere, the Memphis Showboats (1-4) travel to face the Houston Roughnecks (2-3) on Saturday (noon ET).
Closing out the week, the Michigan Panthers (3-2) host the DC Defenders (4-1) at Ford Field on Sunday (noon ET), followed by the San Antonio Brahmas (1-4) traveling to face the Birmingham Stallions (3-2) at Protective Stadium (4 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
Here’s a closer look at five things to watch for in Week 6:
1. Renegades CB Ajene Harris leads league in interceptions
One of the main reasons for Arlington’s continued success on defense this season is Harris’ sharp play.
The USC product and Los Angeles native just earned UFL Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week, finishing with two picks and six combined tackles in a late-game loss to the Defenders last week.
Through five weeks, Harris leads the league in interceptions (three), pass breakups (11) and forced fumbles (two).
“He’s continually coming up with big plays,” head coach Bob Stoops said about Harris. “And he plays multiple positions … so he understands all the positions. He’s really a bright player, on top of being a skilled player.”
2. RB Wes Hills returns to UFL with Showboats
One of the top runners in spring football, Memphis brought Hills back to shore up the team’s depth at running back.
Williams finished with 277 rushing yards and five touchdowns in eight games for the Panthers in 2024. The year prior, Hills led the legacy USFL in rushing with 679 yards and 10 touchdowns while playing for current Memphis offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone as a part of the now defunct New Orleans Breakers organization.
The Showboats also activated receiver Daewood Davis from IR. An All-UFL selection in 2024 who finished with 41 receptions for 446 receiving yards and five touchdowns, Davis signed with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers after the 2024 UFL season but was released due to injury.
The Renegades also executed a trade this week, sending linebacker Storey Jackson to the Brahmas for defensive end Ikenna Enechukwu.
3. Starting QB job in San Antonio up for grabs
Kellen Mond could be holding a clipboard for the Brahmas when they travel to Birmingham this weekend.
An ineffective Mond was replaced in the second half by Jarrett Guarantano in San Antonio’s home-opening loss to the Roughnecks in Week 5. However, Brahmas head coach Payton Pardee indicated that the quarterback switch could be permanent, as he declined to name a starter for this weekend’s game.
“I believe in all three quarterbacks we have,” Pardee said. “I think they’re all very talented. They all have unique skill sets, so I feel very confident in the players that we have in that room, but that’s going to be something that we evaluate this week in practice.”
In five starts, Mond has completed 56.8% of his passes for 597 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Guarantano finished 6-of-15 for 29 yards in his first action of the season last week.
4. Roughnecks host Showboats in rematch
Houston defeated Memphis by one point, 18-17, on the road in Week 3 — the team’s first victory of the season at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. This week, the Showboats get a shot at revenge when they travel to face the Roughnecks in Houston.
Starting for the first time this season, Memphis QB Dresser Winn earned Offensive Player of the Week honors for Week 5, completing 17 of his 29 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown in a 24-20 overtime win over Birmingham.
Winn gets an opportunity to see if he can play efficient football for a second straight week against a Houston defense holding opponents to 14.3 points per game over the past three weeks, with the Roughnecks winning two of those.
On the other side, Houston QB Jalan McClendon continues to play solid football. Since taking over as the team’s starter, he has completed 70% of his passes for 407 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. McClendon has also rushed for 34 yards and a score.
5. Panthers WR Samson Nacua suspended one game for altercation with fan
The UFL announced this week that it handed down a one-game suspension without pay to Nacua after a video emerged showing him striking a Battlehawks fan in an altercation after the Panthers’ Week 5 road game in St. Louis.
Nacua, who agreed to participate in community service, will miss this weekend’s away game against the Defenders.
Nacua is the older brother of Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua. His other brother, Kai Nacua, plays in the UFL as a safety for Michigan.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams.
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