Birmingham Stallions Coach Skip Holtz's Remarks on QB Situation, Matt Corral, Team Outlook in 2024
There’s only one goal in mind for the Birmingham Stallions entering the 2024 UFL season: to three-peat as champions. The Stallions have dominated the USFL the last two seasons, winning the league’s championship before the XFL-USFL merger late last year.
Expectations for the Stallions this season in the new UFL have not changed. Coach Skip Holtz has built a dominant team that has only lost three games in two years.
One position of focus going into the season is at quarterback. J’Mar Smith and Jalen Morton are the veterans, with Smith being the favorite to win the job. When speaking to the media on Wednesday, coach Holtz was also impressed by new arrivals Adrian Martinez and Matt Corral.
“I've really been pleased with the way both Adrian and Matt have picked it up with the way that they are learning it with the way that we're giving it to them. them, two great people, two extremely talented quarterbacks, both with their arms and their legs, quick feet. They both have dual threat capabilities where they can utilize their feet much like Alex McGough did a year ago.”
Corral was one of the biggest new additions to the UFL this offseason. Most recently, he spent part of the 2023 season with the New England Patriots before being cut from the team after not showing up to work without providing notice. Holtz is confident that Corral is committed to playing for the team.
“I had some great conversations with Matt before we ever signed as we were in the recruiting process of free agency and we were on the phone and we were visiting. That was one of the questions that I wanted answered. What's the commitment level here? Why did things happen in the past the way they happened and what's going to change moving forward? Why are we not going to be in that situation again? And I was very comfortable visiting with Matt with all the things that he was facing during that time and why he made the decision that he did and how motivated he is to come back and to have this opportunity again.”
When a team wins two straight championships, expectations are high to complete the dynasty. While players might have mixed in and out of the roster, Holtz expects the team to play the same as they did the last two years.
“I would like to think we're going to be a team as we've been the last two years that has been a team that's been able to win some low scoring games. But we've also been able to win some high scoring games, which is one of the reasons that we've been able to have some success.”
The Stallions open their season against the defending XFL champions Arlington Renegades on March 30.
Ahead of UFL Training Camp, Birmingham Stallions Remain Gold Standard: Part One
You can follow Anthony Miller on X @ByAnthonyMiller.
Catch up with UFL on FanNation on Facebook and X.
Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.