Stallions Open 2025 Season At D.C. Defenders

MARCH 29, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

By Steve Irvine

In some ways, Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz doesn’t fully know what to expect heading into his team’s UFL season opener on the road against the DC Defenders.

That’s understandable considering the Defenders are less than a week past having to change their head coach when Corey Barlow resigned to accept the job as Tennessee State’s head coach. The Defenders elevated quarterback coach Shannon Harris to interim head coach. They also have the same offensive coordinator (Fred Kaiss) and defensive coordinator (Gregg Williams) for the second consecutive season. So, even though the leader of the team changed, Holtz’s questions about the Defenders aren’t the concern, even though you never really know what to expect from Williams when it comes to coordinating his defense.

The questions, Holtz said, are largely are about his own team, especially in a league where you don’t spend time with your players until they report for a month of training camp and first game preparation.

“I’m more concerned in this opening game with us,” said Holtz, whose team enters the season a quest for the Stallions’ fourth consecutive league championship.  “How do we play assignment wise, not blowing assignments, giving our players the opportunity to make the routine play.  Trying to eliminate loss yardage plays, trying to eliminate busted coverages where you're giving up big plays on defense. The unknown of how your team is going to respond when things go bad. Do we start howling at each other? Do we stop barking at each other or do we start picking each other up? How well are we going to work together as a team? We have so many new faces I think before we can worry about our opponent, we got to make sure that we take care of our business.”

It is a secure feeling for Holtz to look around and see plenty of familiar faces. He has two familiar quarterbacks, a running back position stocked with Stallions veterans, a tight end position built so strong that Jace Sternberger, one of the top players at that position, is listed third on the depth chart and an offensive line and receiver group that is filled with experience. On defense, there are a few more new faces but also dependable returnees like linebacker Kyavha Tezino, defensive tackle Carlos Davis, cornerback Daniel Isom and safeties Kenny Robinson Jr. and A.J. Thomas.

But there is still unknown.

“We have some new faces, but we also have some new personalities,” Holtz said. “We have, you know, a new chemistry. We've got to continue to try and gel as a football team. And that is going to be a work in progress.”

The first step comes on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT against a DC Defenders team in a game that will be shown on ESPN. The Defenders have a veteran quarterback in Jordan Ta’amu, who was the XFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, and running back Abram Smith comes back after missing last season with a knee injury.  Defensively, the Defenders will come after Stallions starting quarterback Alex McGough with edge pressure from Malik Fisher and Derek Roberson, who combined for 11.5 sacks last season. If McGough gets time to throw, he has proven targets in Davion Davis, Austin Watkins Jr., Marlon Williams, Deon Cain, Amari Rogers and the tight ends.