St. Louis UFL Team Selects Former Missouri Running Back in Draft

The ex-Truman State back who took the SEC by storm last season now has multiple opportunities to head on his professional career.

May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Cody Schrader (38) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. / © Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports

Former Missouri Tigers running back Cody Schrader was selected by the Saint Louis Battlehawks in Wednesday UFL College Draft. Schrader went undrafted in this years NFL Draft and was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.

Because he was not exclusively drafted by an NFL team, he was eligible to be drafted into the UFL. The Battlehawks have Schrader's UFL rights, as do the 49ers (to a certain extent) in the NFL. He will now have two options, both appealing, to further his professional career for the upcoming 2024 football season.

Schrader could spend the fall on a NFL practice squad before playing in his hometown for the spring UFL season. As long as he doesn't sign a contract with the 49ers or any other NFL teamduring the season, he'll be eligible to play in the spring league.

The Battlehawks have the most passionate fanbase in the UFL by the numbers, dominating attendance leaderboards for the league and setting the record for the highest attendance for any spring football game with 40,317 in their home opener in 2024. The Battlehawks fans would likely be estatic to see a local product suit up in the blue and silver.

Schrader came onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere last year for the Tigers, rushing for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior campaign. The year prior he went for 745 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Arguably no player was more surprising than Schrader last season, as well as impactful for the Tigers. One of his most notable games of his senior season came against the Tennessee Volunteers at home, pulling out a 36-7 win and totaling 321 yards of offense on the ground and in the air.

Schrader became a fan favorite of Missouri fans, as well as the coaching staff. His role as both a leader and running back will not be easy to replace for this season and others to come.

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

'Last Year is Last Year': Missouri Refuses to Stay Stuck in the Glory of 2023

Everything Brady Cook, Luther Burden and Kristian Williams Said at 2024 SEC Media Days

Missouri Head Coach Speaks on Cody Schrader's Impact and Filling his Role