2025 UFL Power Rankings: Battlehawks climbing, Stallions slide after Week 5
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Week 5 is officially behind us, which means we’ve reached the halfway point of the 2025 UFL season!
Three of this week’s four games were highly competitive and ended with the winning team coming out on top by five points or fewer, while one game was a statement-making 24-point blowout by an unexpected group.
[MORE: What is the UFL? Everything to know about the 2025 United Football League]
That said, it’s time for my sixth power rankings list:
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Current odds to win 2025 title: +3500
One week after pulling off the biggest upset of the season so far, the Brahmas ran into a Roughnecks team that has found its form — just as the Brahmas lost theirs.
Interim head coach Payton Pardee was forced to play two different quarterbacks in former Texas A&M product Kellen Mond and Tennessee product Jarret Guarantano. They combined to complete just 10 of 24 passes for 41 yards. The Brahmas offense mustered just 118 yards in a 27-3 shellacking at home.
With just one win through half the season, San Antonio is down but not out of the playoff hunt. It’s just two wins back from finding its way back into the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Current odds to win 2025 title: +2800
The Showboats earned their first win of the season, and it came against the defending champion Stallions in overtime at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. Showboats head coach Jim Turner made a change at quarterback to former UT-Martin starter Dressen Winn and watched his sputtering pass offense come to life.
Winn completed 17 of 29 passes for 235 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown to wideout Dee Anderson. By halftime, Memphis held a double-digit lead over Birmingham. Though the Showboats eventually gave up the lead, Winn and the offense came up with two two-point conversions with the game tied at 20-all in overtime to seal the victory, 24-20.
Memphis still has time to turn around its season and make a playoff push, and with a win against the three-time league champion Stallions, the Showboats know they have the personnel to do just that.
Current odds to win 2025 title: +1200
We’re only halfway through the 2025 season, and the Roughnecks — winners of two of their past three games — have already doubled their win tally from a year ago. Houston’s offense has produced more in the past three games than it had in the previous two, and the biggest reason for the change is QB Jalan McClendon.
McClendon completed 22 of 32 for 171 passing yards with an interception in a double-digit rout of the Brahmas on Sunday, while the Roughneck defense smothered the Brahmas offense. San Antonio didn’t get on the board until the closing seconds of the third quarter, when the Roughnecks held an 18-0 lead.
With McClendon at quarterback, the Roughnecks not only look like a different team, but they’re the hottest team in the USFL Conference with just five games left to play this year.
Houston Roughnecks vs. San Antonio Brahmas Highlights | UFL
Current odds to win 2025 title: +300
Stallions head coach Skip Holtz started a third different quarterback against a previously winless Memphis team but struggled to find a rhythm with Case Cookus. Despite his experience as a starter in both the UFL and legacy USFL, Cookus’ play looked like he was still learning the intricacies of Holtz’s offense. He finished 15 of 33 passing for 145 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but he had some success in the rushing game (six carries for 83 yards). One Cookus carry went for 30 yards. Still, it’s a far cry from the kind of quarterback play Holtz had grown accustomed to from 2023 USFL MVP Alex McGough and 2024 UFL MVP Adrian Martinez.
While the offense struggled to stop Memphis — especially in pass defense, allowing 323 total yards — the Stallions’ secondary gave up 13.8 yards per completion. Birmingham has now lost twice as many games this season as it did in 2024.
Current odds to win 2025 title: +500
UFL MVP candidate Bryce Perkins played remarkably well. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Battlehawks, who had a huge first half against the Panthers.
Michigan outgained St. Louis (400 total yards to 295) but committed 10 penalties for 78 yards, most of which came at critical moments that could’ve given the Panthers the win. Still, Michigan had a chance to tie and even win the game. On fourth-and-12 with 1:53 left to play, Perkins’ pass to Malik Turner came up one yard short.
Michigan Panthers vs. St. Louis Battlehawks Highlights | UFL
Current odds to win 2025 title: +350
After taking a debilitating loss to the Renegades, the Battlehawks beat one of the two best teams in the USFL Conference at home in Week 5, 32-27. In his first start for St. Louis, former TCU QB Max Duggan looked like the Heisman Trophy runner-up he is. He threw for 124 yards and rushed for 70 yards on 10 carries with three total scores.
No doubt Duggan was helped by the return of former UFL Offensive Player of the Year and standout receiver Hakeem Butler, who caught two passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in his return to the field.
Current odds to win 2025 title: +450
The Renegades found themselves on the losing side of one of the most thrilling games of the season. QB Luis Perez completed 23 of 33 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Defensive end Chris Odom notched three tackles for loss, including one sack, and defensive back Ajene Harris picked off a Defenders pass.
It wasn’t enough. The Renegades, who have been one of the most productive and aggressive defenses in the UFL so far this season, gave up 37 points and 300 yards passing in a game that decided who sits atop the XFL Conference.
Still, the Renegades will look at the six points they scored in the second half and know that they had chances to win.
DC Defenders vs. Arlington Renegades Highlights | UFL
Current odds to win 2025 title: +350
QB Jordan Ta’amu put together another MVP-caliber performance with 308 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He has averaged better than 300 passing yards over the past two games and has been taking advantage of a receiving corps that has proven to be the league’s best.
Five Defenders caught at least three passes in a 37-33 defeat of the Renegades to become the only 4-1 team in the UFL and the favorite to win the title at the season’s halfway mark.
DC’s defense gave up 356 total yards but also notched five sacks and two turnovers.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.
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