2026 Football Roster Tracker
How is UAB's roster shaping up during Alex Mortensen's first offseason at the helm of the program?
Last updated January 14th
UAB’s 2025 offseason promises to be one of its wildest in recent memory. The Blazers’ decision to promote an interim coach rather than bring in an all-new staff has hardly mitigated transfer losses, but at the same time, Alex Mortensen and company have already begun bolstering UAB’s skill positions and renovating UAB’s defense. Follow all the action right here — this page will be updated every time the Blazers lose a player or gain a commitment.
A visualization of UAB’s current roster by class can be found here:
Gone is the era of the spring transfer portal window. This year, players have just one window to enter the portal: January 2nd through January 16th. Players don’t have to settle on a destination during that time frame, but the upcoming weeks will nevertheless be among the busiest of the offseason. Below, each of UAB’s position groups is separated into:
Players listed on UAB’s 2026 roster that haven’t entered the transfer portal.
Players out of eligibility, players that have declared for the draft, or players that have entered the transfer portal.
Newcomers.
A short summary of each position group is also provided.
Quarterbacks
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Ryder Burton (redshirt junior) - 213
Nate Rogers (redshirt sophomore) - 21
Adrian Posse (redshirt sophomore) - 0
Vanden Duggar (sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Jalen Kitna (declared for NFL Draft) - 639
Cam Jennings (transfer portal) - 0
Newcomers
Brogan McNab (true freshman)
Overview
Over the years, Mortensen has developed a reputation as something of a quarterback whisperer, working with Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Bryce Young, and Jacob Zeno, among others. It seems UAB’s new head coach has secured another protégé, as Ryder Burton is expected to remain on the Southside and inherit Jalen Kitna’s role in 2026.
The redshirt junior, a former BYU and West Virginia transfer, turned in the performance of the season during UAB’s upset of Memphis, completing 20 of 27 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns in relief of Kitna. Although Burton cooled off against UConn and Rice before being relegated to the bench in UAB’s final three games, his dominant effort against the Tigers left fans dreaming of what could be. Mortensen has spoken highly of Burton, who is all but guaranteed the starting job. This position group is not one the Blazers will focus on over the offseason.
Nor is it an experienced one. Behind Burton is presumptive backup Nate Rogers, who primarily acted as a designed runner last season, Adrian Posse, a three-star recruit in the class of 2024, and Vanden Duggar, a walk-on from Dana Point, California. Signing with the Blazers out of high school is Brogan McNab, an athletic, dual-threat quarterback Mortensen indicated might change positions.
Running Backs
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Amari Brundidge (redshirt sophomore, walk-on) - 5
Marquise Collins (redshirt junior) - 0
Drew Patterson (sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Jevon Jackson (out of eligibility) - 394
Isaiah Jacobs (out of eligibility) - 332
Solomon Beebe (transferred to Virginia) - 281
Newcomers
Braylon “Bam” McReynolds (ULM transfer, redshirt senior)
Hudson Higgins (true freshman)
J.R. Mosley (true freshman, walk-on)
Overview
Supported by the veteran Isaiah Jacobs and the speedy Solomon Beebe, UTEP transfer Jevon Jackson turned in a solid, productive season as the Blazers’ featured back in 2025. UAB’s run game played second fiddle to its passing attack, but the Jackson-Beebe one-two punch produced average levels of efficiency and high levels of explosiveness.
Unfortunately, Jackson and Jacobs ran out of eligibility, and Beebe moved on to greener pastures in Charlottesville. UAB’s leading returning rusher is quarterback Nate Rogers, who accumulated a grand total of 84 yards on the ground in 2025. The Blazers’ returning backs — Marquise Collins and walk-ons Amari Brundidge and Drew Patterson — own a combined four career carries.
That’s why the return of former Blazers running backs coach Hindley Brigham, who spent last season at ULM, is a timely one: with him comes RB Braylon “Bam” McReynolds, the Warhawks’ 2025 leader in carries and Jackson’s projected successor as the Blazers’ bell cow. Across stops at South Alabama and ULM, McReynolds boasts 1,306 career rushing yards and 511 career receiving yards. Last season, he ran for a career-high 637 yards and posted a sparkling PFF offensive grade of 87.6, the third-highest of any Sun Belt running back.
The depth in this room is still lacking behind McReynolds. Collins, Brundidge (a Birmingham native and Parker High School alumnus who has endeared himself to the UAB fanbase), and Hudson Higgins (a three-star true freshman who recently led Mars Hill High School to an Alabama 3A state title) will likely compete for opportunities next fall, but don’t be surprised if the Blazers pick up another portal back.
Wide Receivers
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Kaleb Brown (redshirt senior) - 188
Jaylen Elder (sophomore) - 102
AJ Johnson (graduate student) - 32
CD Gill (sophomore) - 5
Jailen Holmes (redshirt senior) - 0
Malik Muhammad (redshirt sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Levi Brayton (sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Lamar White (redshirt sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Iverson Hooks (transferred to Oregon) - 585
Brandon Hawkins (declared for NFL Draft) - 514
Xavier Daisy (transferred to Kentucky) - 367
Corri Milliner (transfer portal) - 259
Evan McCray (declared for NFL Draft) - 140
Aron Marsch (out of eligibility) - 2
Newcomers
KJ Daniels (Oklahoma transfer, redshirt sophomore)
Jayden Skelton (true freshman)
Overview
In November, the talented Corri Milliner hit the transfer portal after twice being suspended during the 2025 season. Leading receiver Iverson “Strap” Hooks, perhaps UAB’s most valuable player, also recently announced his departure, and it’s easy to understand why — he received a tsunami of Power 4 interest before ultimately committing to Oregon. Even Xavier Daisy, the Blazers’ WR4, got snatched up by an SEC school.
With Brandon Hawkins and Evan McCray setting their sights on the next level, the Blazers’ receiving room doesn’t boast much returning production. Kaleb Brown, who posted 255 receiving yards last season, stands as the position group’s lone remaining contributor. Jaylen Elder racked up 9 receiving yards on 102 snaps, while East Tennessee State transfer AJ Johnson played just 32 snaps.
Wide receiver is obviously a position of need for UAB. So far, the Blazers have bolstered the room with Oklahoma transfer KJ Daniels, a four-star recruit in the class of 2024 who never saw the field in Norman, and Jayden Skelton, a 5’9”, 160-pound freshman who signed with UAB during December’s National Signing Day.
Tight Ends
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Antonio Ferguson (redshirt junior) - 319
Joshua Rubin (redshirt junior, walk-on) - 14
Brayden Johnson (redshirt sophomore, walk-on) - 5
Gabriel Cline (sophomore) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Elijah Lagg (transferred to Pitt) - 524
J.C. Sivley (transfer portal) - 265
Aaron Mattingly (transfer portal) - 0
Connor Harby (out of eligibility) - 0
Newcomers
Sean Persson (Toledo transfer, junior)
Overview
According to SIS, UAB tight ends ran 363 routes in 2025; other than UTSA, no American team’s tight ends ran more. Although the unit wasn’t as productive as it was during the first two years of tight ends coach Reilly Jeffers’ tenure, it nevertheless posted 36 catches for 338 receiving yards. Elijah Lagg and Antonio Ferguson led the way, combining for 83% of the group’s production, while J.C. Sivley accumulated 59 receiving yards.
Lagg has departed, as have Sivley, Aaron Mattingly, and the graduating Connor Harby. A former JUCO transfer, Lagg started in all 12 games during his lone campaign on the Southside, acting as a reliable safety blanket for Jalen Kitna. Sivley caught seven balls over his four years in Birmingham, while Mattingly spent one uneventful season at UAB after signing with the Blazers in February 2025. The walk-on Harby never saw the field during his time with the program.
UAB’s returning tight ends: Antonio Ferguson, who racked up 115 receiving yards on 10 catches in 2025, Gabriel Cline, a three-star recruit in the class of 2025, and walk-ons Brayden Johnson and Joshua Rubin. The tight end position is typically one the Blazers lean on, so it comes as no surprise that Jeffers and company have starting reinforcing the room with the addition of Toledo transfer Sean Persson.
Offensive Linemen
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Barry Walker (redshirt sophomore) - 163
Kyrik Mason (graduate student) - 89
Rod Orr Jr. (graduate student) - 5
Ryan Gunter (redshirt senior) - 2
Jaden Ligon (redshirt sophomore) - 2
Aidan Platt (sophomore) - 0
Donovan Lawrence (sophomore) - 0
Kade Martin (redshirt sophomore) - 0
Nelson Ramirez (senior) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Adam Lepkowski (out of eligibility) - 873
JonDarius Morgan (declared for NFL Draft) - 868
Brandon Sneh (transfer portal) - 795
Logan Moore (transferred to Baylor) - 650
Calib Perez (transfer portal) - 548
Baron Franks II (out of eligibility) - 306
Payton Kirkland (transfer portal) - 78
Mason Chorak (transfer portal) - 0
Daniel Mincey (dismissed) - 0
Newcomers
Barrett Maddox (JUCO transfer)
Keyon Cox (Oregon State transfer, redshirt junior)
Cooper Young (West Virginia transfer, redshirt junior)
Wes Wiggins (true freshman)
The bad news: UAB is losing its starting left tackle (Brandon Sneh), its backup left tackle (Payton Kirkland), its starting left guard (Calib Perez), its backup left guard (Baron Franks II), its starting center (Adam Lepkowski), its starting right guard (JonDarius Morgan), and its starting right tackle (Logan Moore). It will prove particularly difficult to replace Sneh, as experienced, quality left tackles go for a premium on the open market. The 6’6”, 305-pound Kirkland, a former four-star recruit, seemed to be Sneh’s logical successor, but he entered the transfer portal on January 2nd. UAB’s remaining linemen own a combined zero career snaps at left tackle.
As returners go, right tackle Barry Walker, one of the highest-rated recruits in UAB history, posted the Blazers’ fourth-highest PFF pass-blocking grade while serving as Moore’s backup last year. Kyrik Mason owns 782 career snaps across stints at Monmouth, Georgia State, and UAB.
Lepkowski, a Hoover native and former walk-on who represented the program’s final link to the Clark era, is not listed on the Blazers’ 2026 roster but could potentially have one more year of eligibility — he redshirted in 2021 and missed the entire 2024 campaign with an injury. If the Blazers can convince him to stay on the Southside, they’ll be returning a player that finished the 2025 season with the second-highest PFF offensive grade among American Conference centers.
Outside of Lepkowski, Walker, and Mason, no UAB offensive lineman with the potential to return got more than five snaps in 2025. One of the Blazers’ many inexperienced players may very well step up next fall; however, Mortensen and company will certainly look to bolster the line. So far, they’ve snagged three former three-star prospects that have seen limited playing time at the college level: left tackle Keyon Cox, an Oregon State transfer and Phenix City native, guard Cooper Young, a West Virginia transfer, and tackle Barrett Maddox, a JUCO transfer with offers from Kentucky and Auburn.
Interior Defensive Linemen
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Kyle Mosley (redshirt sophomore) - 159
DeMarcus Smith (graduate student) - 89
Nigel Tate (graduate student) - 0
Josh Underwood (sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Denver Warren (declared for NFL Draft) - 423
Eamon Smalls (transferred to Kansas) - 416
Jonathan Allen (transfer portal) - 390
JaSire Peterson (transfer portal) - 105
Peter Simmons (out of eligibility) - 0
Fred Owens (transfer portal) - 0
Newcomers
Raymond “Cookie” Macias (Campbell transfer, redshirt junior)
Although the 2025 Blazers were one of the worst defensive teams in the nation, they stopped the run better than they stopped the pass; however, UAB will have to replace its top three interior defensive linemen, losing snap leader Denver Warren and productive, homegrown pieces Eamon Smalls and Jonathan Allen.
The position group’s best returning player is probably rotational piece Kyle Mosley, who could be a building block: in his lone start of the season, which came in UAB’s finale against Tulsa, he saw 31 snaps and posted a stellar PFF defensive grade of 84.2. Also slated to come back are DeMarcus Smith, a former Ole Miss transfer who turned in solid performances against Akron and Tennessee before missing the next eight weeks, and Nigel Tate, who suffered an Achilles injury in September and will likely be awarded a medical redshirt.
FCS transfer Raymond “Cookie” Macias has been recruited to help plug UAB’s holes up front, but this room still needs some attention. It would represent a win for the Blazers if they can convince Allen to remove his name from the portal.
Edge Rushers
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Chris Burge (redshirt sophomore) - 308
J’Quan Mason (redshirt sophomore) - 140
James Smyre (graduate student) - 71
Myles Cook (redshirt sophomore) - 40
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Ezra Odinjor (transfer portal) - 493
Amorie Morrison (out of eligibility/transfer portal) - 426
Jamichael Rogers (declared for NFL Draft) - 155
Zach Johnson (transferred to Toledo) - 121
James Steel (transferred to Delaware) - 4
Newcomers
Tylin Jackson (Eastern Washington transfer, redshirt junior)
Similarly to their counterparts on the interior line, UAB’s edge rushing crew is going to have to replace some production. Starter Ezra Odinjor led the team in pass-rushing snaps and quarterback hurries, but he jumped into the portal at the beginning of 2026. Amorie Morrison and Jamichael Rogers are also gone.
However, the Blazers have some talent here: Chris Burge, who led the team in sacks and quarterback pressures despite ranking fifth in pass-rushing snaps, has not entered the portal. During his second campaign in Birmingham, J’Quan Mason also proved himself a capable player; although he saw diminished snap counts after Dilfer was fired, he turned in solid efforts against Akron, FAU, and Rice. The retentions of James Smyre and Myles Cook would give UAB further depth on the edge.
So far, the Green and Gold have held onto Burge and Mason while adding a splash of talent: Eastern Washington transfer Tylin Jackson, a two-year starter in the best conference in the FCS who recorded 16 quarterback pressures last season.
Linebackers
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Gage Messick (redshirt senior, walk-on) - 0
Braxtyn Davies (sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Phillip Davison Jr. (redshirt sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Jacoby Bridges (redshirt sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Devin Hightower (transfer portal) - 652
Tylan McNichols (transferred to Wake Forest) - 353
Calvin Pitcher (out of eligibility) - 307
Eddy Toussom (transfer portal) - 284
Eli Ennis (transfer portal) - 87
Brandon Franklin (transfer portal) - 8
Newcomers
Shaun Myers (Colorado transfer, graduate student)
Ike Esonwune (Oklahoma State transfer, redshirt junior)
Malachi Character (true freshman)
Devin Hightower, the Blazers’ leading tackler and starting Mike linebacker for most of the season, is transferring. Following a campaign full of inconsistent playing time, Calvin Pitcher is out of eligibility. After coming alive in the wake of Dilfer’s firing, racking up nearly all of his counting stats during the second half of the 2025 season, Eddy Toussom jumped into the portal. Eli Ennis, who transferred to UAB from Nicholls State in 2024 after being named a finalist for the FCS Buck Buchanan Award, recently entered the portal again, appearing in just four games for the Blazers. Tylan McNichols’ January 5th portal entry means every single one of UAB’s linebackers has departed.
The Green and Gold signed an athletic, versatile true freshman last month in Malachi Character, but what they need most urgently is instant-impact players to shore up a room that has struggled for several years.
They found one in Colorado transfer Shaun Myers, a graduate student who appeared in 12 games for the Buffaloes last season, starting the final four. A former stalwart at North Alabama, Myers was named PFF’s Big 12 Linebacker of the Week for his September 12th performance against Houston and racked up 36 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble on the year. Ike Esonwune, a former three-star recruit in the class of 2023, also became the third Oklahoma State Cowboy to follow Todd Grantham to UAB.
Secondary
Potential Returning Players - 2025 Snaps
Delvon Gulley (junior) - 396
Roy Williams (graduate student, walk-on) - 181
Isaiah Crozier (redshirt junior) - 159
Julius Lane Jr. (sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Love Kirby (redshirt sophomore, walk-on) - 0
Outgoing Players - 2025 Snaps
Jeremiah Vessel (transfer portal) - 493
Sirad Bryant (declared for NFL Draft) - 393
T’sai McDaniel (declared for NFL Draft) - 353
AJ Brown (transferred to Rice) - 349
Perry Fisher (transfer portal) - 334
Tamarion Crumpley (out of eligibility) - 292
Tariq Watson (transferred to Rice) - 273
Pierre Royster (transfer portal) - 271
Donald Lee (declared for NFL Draft) - 206
Jalen Cheek (out of eligibility) - 196
Josh Baka (out of eligibility) - 10
Kyle McKinney (transfer portal) - 2
Jaylyn Ferguson (transfer portal) - 1
Ja’Lyen Judson (transferred to Kennesaw State) - 0
Josiah Crawford (transfer portal) - 0
Newcomers
Jeremiah Jordan (Memphis transfer, redshirt senior)
Draden Fullbright (Oklahoma State transfer, redshirt freshman)
Jo Pierce (Oklahoma State transfer, redshirt freshman)
Anta'Veon McKenzie (Sacramento State transfer, junior)
Jaylen Thompson (Memphis transfer, junior)
Guylijah Theodule (Southern Miss transfer, junior)
Darrell Sweeting (Marshall transfer, redshirt junior)
Kris Wokomah (Baylor transfer, redshirt sophomore)
Que Billingsley (Gardner-Webb transfer, redshirt junior)
Daimir Hicks (true freshman)
Mykale Hrabowski (true freshman)
JP Price (true freshman)
Nowhere else on UAB’s roster has there been a greater shakeup than in the defensive backfield. Around Christmas, the program parted ways with defensive coordinator Steve Russ, cornerbacks coach Ryan Lewis Sr., and nickels coach Tee Mitchell, the architects of a secondary that ranked close to the nation’s floor in many metrics.
Now, essentially all of that secondary is gone. Home-grown development projects (T’sai McDaniel and AJ Brown), multi-season veterans (Sirad Bryant, Tariq Watson, and Donald Lee), and last year’s imports (Pierre Royster, Jeremiah Vessel, Perry Fisher, and Jalen Cheek) have moved on. Delvon Gulley, the Blazers’ 2025 leader in snaps at cornerback, can return, as can Roy Williams, and Isaiah Crozier; otherwise, UAB defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and his new assistants are looking at a mostly clean slate.
Encouragingly, the new regime has made the defensive backfield a priority, transforming the position group with a higher caliber of recruit than it attracted under Dilfer. Memphis transfer Jeremiah Jordan is a physical corner who paced the 2025 Tigers in PFF’s tackling grade while leading the entire American Conference in forced incompletion rate. Draden Fullbright, Jo Pierce, and Kris Wokomah are all Big 12 down transfers who received a flood of Power 4 offers out of high school; Fullbright and Pierce followed Grantham from his last stop at Oklahoma State, while Wokomah came over from Baylor. Jaylen Thompson, Darrell Sweeting, Anta’Veon McKenzie, and Que Billingsley have over 2,000 combined snaps at the Division I level, with Thompson starting three games for Michigan State in 2023.
It’s early, but defensive back could be UAB’s most improved position group next season.
Special Teams
Potential Returning Players
Jonah DeLange (senior)
Owen Simpson (sophomore, walk-on)
Caleb Moser (senior, walk-on)
Evan Bishop (redshirt junior, walk-on)
Outgoing Players
Patrick Foley (out of eligibility)
Wyatt Martin (transfer portal)
Newcomers
Badger Hargett (LSU transfer, redshirt junior)
The Blazers are slated to return Jonah DeLange, their starting kicker since 2024, Owen Simpson, last season’s kickoff specialist, and Caleb Moser, their long snapper. Those positions should remain stable, but Patrick Foley’s graduation means UAB needs to find a new punter. Currently in line to inherit that role is LSU transfer Badger Hargett. He hasn’t yet attempted a punt in his college career, but he was an all-state punter as a high school senior in 2022.