North Carolina doesn’t have a team in the new United Football League, which kicks off its spring season this weekend.
But the professional league, a merger of the USFL and XFL, does feature plenty of talent who either played for North Carolina college teams or who hail from North Carolina hometowns.
All eight UFL teams have players with ties to the Old North State.
Looking for a UFL squad to follow? Consider the Arlington Renegades, who have the most players tagged as North Carolina college alums — seven in all. That includes four who played at East Carolina: quarterback Holton Ahlers, offensive tackles Noah Henderson and Garrett McGhin and wide receiver Isaiah Winstead.
The Birmingham Stallions will have two running backs from the Triangle — Ricky Person Jr. (NC State | Wake Forest Heritage HS) and Larry Rountree III (Missouri | Raleigh Millbrook HS).
North Carolina wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams (Matthews) will run routes for the Houston Roughnecks. Wake Forest tight end Sage Surratt (Lincolnton) is listed on the Memphis Showboats roster.
All seven of North Carolina’s FBS teams have alums on opening day UFL rosters. ECU leads the way with five. UNC, NCSU and Wake Forest each have three, Duke two, Charlotte and Appalachian State one each.
Gardner-Webb from the FCS ranks has one player in the UFL, safety Jamari Brown (Miami, Fla.).
Fox will broadcast a UFL doubleheader during Saturday’s opening day: Birmingham at Arlington (1 p.m.) and St. Louis at Michigan (4 p.m.). ESPN will carry two games Sunday: DC at San Antonio (noon) and Memphis at Houston (3 p.m.).
Here is the complete list of UFL players who either list a North Carolina hometown or ties to a North Carolina college program (courtesy TheUFL.com)
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS
- CB Mark Gilbert (Duke | Fayetteville)
- RB Ricky Person Jr. (NC State | Wake Forest)
- RB Larry Rountree III (Missouri | Raleigh)
HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS
- SAF Jamari Brown (Gardner-Webb | Miami FL)
- WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams (North Carolina | Matthews)
- OG Justin Redd (East Carolina | Hampton, Va.)
MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS
- G Terrone Prescod (NC State | Decatur, Ga.)
- TE Sage Surratt (Wake Forest | Lincolnton)
- LB Anthony Butler (Liberty | Charlotte)
- WR Diondre Overton (Clemson | Greensboro)
MICHIGAN PANTHERS
- CB Adonis Alexander (Virginia Tech | Charlotte)
- RB Matthew Colburn II (Wake Forest | Irmo, SC)
ARLINGTON RENEGADES
- QB Holton Ahlers (East Carolina | Greensville)
- CB Myles Dorn (North Carolina | Charlotte)
- OT Noah Henderson (East Carolina | Bennettsville, SC)
- CB Steven Jones Jr. (Appalachian State | Rockingham)
- MLB Marquel Lee (Wake Forest | Waldorf, MD)
- OT Garrett McGhin (East Carolina | Tallahassee, Fla.)
- WR Isaiah Winstead (East Carolina | Richmond, Va.)
DC DEFENDERS
- WR Kelvin Harmon (NC State | Palmyra, NJ)
- C Lamont Gaillard (Georgia | Fayetteville)
- QB Jalan McClendon (Baylor | Charlotte)
SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS
- DT Jalen Dalton (North Carolina | Clemmons)
- DE Tim Ward (Old Dominion | High Point)
ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS
- FS Ben Deluca (Charlotte | Orlando, Fla.)
- RB Mataeo Durant (Duke | Plum Branch, SC)
- CB Shannon Stribling (Michigan | Matthews)
