Which Former Jaguars Will Take Part in the XFL’s First Games on Saturday?

A few former Jaguars will be taking part in the first games of the reborn XFL on Saturday.

Football history will take place this afternoon, as the XFL will kickoff the first game in its renewed history. For a few former Jacksonville Jaguars, they will have a chance to play part in that history as they take the field for the new spring football league. 

Today, the D.C. Defenders will play host to the Seattle Dragons at 2 p.m. on ABC as the league's first game. Later, the L.A. Wildcats will visit the Houston Roughnecks at 5 p.m. on FOX. 

The XFL will give a number of former NFL players another chance at professional football, and could even help propel some back to one of the league's 32 franchises. Eight XFL teams will play a 10-game season, and former Jaguars will have a chance to shine in scattered games throughout the league. 

Which former Jacksonville players will be participating in the highly anticipated first games of the new XFL? There are a few notable names who are about to embark on this newest endeavor. 

D.C. Defenders vs. Seattle Dragons

CB Doran Grant

Grant signed to the Jaguars' practice squad in the middle of the 2016 season and flashed throughout the 2017 training camp. He would land on injured reserve before the season started, however, and was cut a few weeks later. He has only three games of NFL experience under his belt (all with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015), but he could impress in the new league due to his pedigree coming out of Ohio State, which made him a fourth-round selection in 2015.

CB Jalen Myrick

Myrick was a seventh-round draft pick for the Jaguars in the 2017 NFL Draft. He appeared in five games in 2017, playing mostly special teams, before he was cut before the 2018 season began. He played in five games for the Jaguars and is only 25, so the speedster (ran a 4.28 40-yard dash) has a good opportunity in front of him to make a name for himself.

DT Tony Guerad

An undrafted free agent who signed with the Jaguars out of UCF in 2018, Guerad was cut by the team after a short stint and later found himself in the AAF. Guerad didn't have much time with the Jaguars and is now in his second league as an alternative to the NFL. 

L.A. Wildcats vs. Houston Roughnecks

S Cody Brown

Brown was another former AAF player who spent just a few weeks with the Jaguars earlier this year. Brown didn’t play a single regular season snap for the Jaguars, but the fact he was signed so quickly after the league ended is a solid sign.

WR Tre McBride

McBride was signed to the Jaguars in the summer of 2019, but was waived before the season began. The former seventh-round selection has 17 games of NFL experience and had his moments with the Jaguars in training camp, so this could be a good showcase for his abilities. 

RB Elijah Hood

Hood spent a few weeks with the Jaguars in August 2019 before being waived. He got a few chances toward the end of the preseason, and his downhill running style should serve him well in the XFL.

RB DuJuan Harris

DuJuan Harris was a Jaguar all the way back in 2011, signing with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of Troy. He spent a year with the team before being released before the 2012 season, then embarking on a journeyman career before returning to football with the XFL.

CB Charles James

A Jacksonville native, James' time with his hometown team was short. James was claimed off waivers in August 2017 but was released on Sept. 1. James almost stuck around on a few NFL teams and is one of the more noteworthy names in the new league. 

CB Savion Smith

Smith was signed to the Jaguars' roster in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama, but was cut along with Terrell Pryor before September. He would have just ended his rookie season if he stuck with the NFL, so he has a lot of time to keep playing.

OL Avery Gennesy 

Gennesy signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and was a member of the practice squad, but was waived in May 2018. The former Texas A&M lineman spent some time with the Cleveland Browns as well, and could now carve a role out for himself in the XFL.