UFL Welcomes Two New Players to League, Including Former Iowa State Tight End
The UFL went outside of itself to find new talent for the 2025 season.
On Tuesday, the Memphis Showboats signed defensive back Ravarius Rivers and the St. Louis Battlehawks brought in tight end Chase Allen. Rivers and Allen are set to make their first appearance in the UFL.
Here is the breakdown of signings and what they mean for their teams.
Memphis Showboats
DB Ravarius Rivers
Rivers joins the Showboats after winning the Indoor Football League’s Defensive Player of the Year award with the Green Bay Blizzard. He made 91.5 tackles, three tackles for loss, 10 pass deflections, two blocked field goals and eight interceptions in 15 games. The IFL also named him to their All-IFL First-Team defensive team.
Rivers will have to compete for a starting job, as Nehemiah Shelton will be the leader of the cornerbacks on the roster. With new head coach Ken Whisenhunt and general manager Jim Monos in charge, they need to look at rebuilding the secondary and offensive lines. Rivers is a good start in that direction.
St. Louis Battlehawks
TE Chase Allen
Allen played in one regular-season game for the Chicago Bears in 2022 but did not post any stats. During his time at Iowa State, he was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 team four times. He finished his Cyclones career with 74 receptions for 810 yards and six touchdowns in 58 games.
St. Louis currently has Jake Sutherland and Kemari Averett at tight end. Allen can fill in a need with depth and be used more as a run and pass blocker. Sutherland will go into training camp as the favorite to win the job based on his experience in the Battlehawks offense.
You can follow Anthony Miller on X @ByAnthonyMiller.
Catch up with UFL at SI.com on Facebook and X.
