UFL

Will All-SEC Kicker Harrison Mevis Be Birmingham Stallions' Next Brandon Aubrey?

Modern-day professional football leagues have produced some of the NFL's best kickers, such as All-Pro Brandon Aubrey. Will Harrison Mevis be the next Birmingham Stallions specialist to follow suit?

Mike Mitchell

Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers place kicker Harrison Mevis (92) kicks a field goal against the Florida Gators during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers place kicker Harrison Mevis (92) kicks a field goal against the Florida Gators during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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In the spring pro football world, a common theme for players venturing into leagues like the UFL is that they are betting on themselves. For players on the fringe of NFL rosters or the outside looking in, the UFL provides a playing avenue for career advancement.

Although there are dozens of players from the AAF, XFL, USFL, and UFL who have been gainfully employed for multiple seasons after showcasing their skills in the spring, the pathway to or back to the NFL is still a long shot. Breaking through the glass ceiling and past the perception of playing in a "secondary pro league" is challenging.

However, the overwhelming success of specialists over the last few years like Atlanta Falcons All-Pro Younghoe Koo, the Detroit Lions record-setting Jake Bates, and the soon-to-be two-time NFL All-Pro Brandon Aubrey in Dallas with the Cowboys has turned leagues like the UFL into legitimate breeding grounds for the game's next great kickers.

The gamble that football players take playing in the UFL has become a safe bet for kickers, thanks to the standout performances of the spring's finest specialists. As a result, NFL teams will more and more seek out kickers who shine in the UFL.

The next great NFL kicker will likely arrive from the UFL's 2025 kicking crop.

One name in particular to watch will be kicking for the same team that helped Aubrey transition from a soccer player to an otherworldly kicker. In case, you missed it, the Birmingham Stallions have signed former first-team All-SEC Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis.

Nicknamed "The Thiccer Kicker," because of his unconventional 243-pound frame, the Tigers' standout specialist, who also owns the trademark to "Money Mevis," is a potential UFL star in the making.

Beyond his unique size, one of the other significant questions surrounding Mevis heading into the NFL Draft was his accuracy. He connected on a respectable 84% of his kicks in college (89 of 106), only missing one extra point on 149 tries, but misfired on 12 field goal attempts his last two years at Mizzou.

What can't be questioned is Mevis's leg strength. The hefty specialist boomed 13 field goals on 18 attempts over 50 yards during his collegiate career, including a 61-yard game-winner at the gun in 2023 against Kansas State.

Mevis then displayed his ginormous leg strength at the NFL combine, nailing a 60-yard field goal.

Mevis signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2024 as an undrafted free agent but was let go in early August. Despite all the kicking struggles and injuries around the league, he hasn't been able to land an NFL deal, but the best thing for him with the NFL season dying down is a full-on audition in a league that produces standout kickers.

Birmingham, which officially announced Mevis's signing on December 7, is hedging its bets, bringing back veteran kicker Chris Blewitt as competition. The Stallions could also bring back spring league regular Ramiz Ahmed, who filled in admirably for the Stallions last year before netting an NFL spot with Washington.

Therefore, there's no guarantee that "Money Mevis" will be the Stallions' opening-day kicker when the three-peat champions look to win their fourth straight championship. But it's a good bet that one of the UFL's top kickers in 2025 will get a chance to achieve stardom in the NFL later this year.

You can find Mike Mitchell on X @ByMikeMitchell.

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Mike Mitchell
MIKE MITCHELL

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