The Louisville Kings are set for their inaugural 2026 UFL season, and the early roster build shows a pretty clear direction: lean into recognizable names, get faster on the perimeter, and bring enough size up front to hold up week to week.
They’ll do it under head coach Chris Redman, who was named the first head coach in franchise history on Dec. 30, 2025.
1. The Homecoming Core: Kentucky Names That Actually Matter
Louisville didn’t just grab local guys for the press release. They added players with real college production and legitimate pro experience.
- Benny Snell (RB, Kentucky): Snell left UK as the program’s career rushing leader (3,873 yards) and brings a physical, downhill style that fits spring football. In the NFL, he logged 982 rushing yards and 7 rushing TDs with Pittsburgh.
- Lynn Bowden Jr. (WR, Kentucky): The 2019 Paul Hornung Award winner gives them a movable chess piece—receiver, gadget packages, and return-game help. Louisville added him as a Day Two skill-position pickup.
- Dez Fitzpatrick (WR, Louisville): A Louisville product and 2021 NFL 4th-round pick (No. 109), Fitzpatrick gives the room a familiar downfield target and a player who’s already been through NFL systems.
2. Building Up Front: The “Don’t Get Pushed Around” Plan
If you’re trying to win in the UFL, you usually start with line play. Louisville’s draft haul shows they know it.
- Alec Lindstrom (C, Boston College): A two-time First-team All-ACC center who also spent time in NFL camps (including Dallas). He’s the type of communicator you want when you’re installing protections quickly.
- Gunner Britton (OL, Auburn/WKU): Britton has started across the line and brings pro-ready size. Notably, a UFL bio credits him with allowing just two QB pressures on 66 pass-blocking snaps in the 2024 preseason.
- J.D. DiRenzo (OL, Rutgers/Sacred Heart): A versatile lineman with tackle experience (including time at Rutgers after a strong FCS run). He adds depth and flexibility when injuries hit—which they always do.
3. The Secondary Has Real NFL Pedigree
This is the unit that can raise Louisville’s weekly floor fast—especially in a league where quarterbacks and timing can be uneven early in the season.
- Andrew Booth Jr. (CB, Clemson): Booth was a second-round pick (No. 42 overall) in 2022, and the Kings added him as a Day Two defensive back signing.
- Cameron Dantzler (CB, Mississippi State): Dantzler has 26 NFL starts, giving Louisville a long, experienced outside corner option.
- Kenny Robinson Jr. (S, West Virginia): Robinson’s been around spring football and the NFL ecosystem, and Louisville drafted him as part of its early roster build.
4. Projected Opening Day Depth Chart (Early Look)
This is projection, not a depth chart the team has officially released. It’s based on who Louisville drafted/added and the way spring rosters usually shake out.
| Position | Starter | Key Backup |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Jason Bean | Chandler Rogers |
| RB | Benny Snell | Jaden Shirden |
| WR1 | Lynn Bowden Jr. | Kwamie Lassiter II |
| WR2 | Dez Fitzpatrick | Jonathan Adams |
| TE | Irv Smith Jr. | Jalen Wydermyer |
| LT/OT | James Tunstall | Willie Tyler |
| C | Alec Lindstrom | Doug Kramer |
| RG/G | Gunner Britton | J.D. DiRenzo |
| DE | Myjai Sanders | Xavier Carlton |
| DT | Christopher Hinton | Josiah Bronson |
| LB | Monty Rice | Steele Chambers |
| CB1 | Andrew Booth Jr. | Cameron Dantzler |
| CB2 | Deantre Prince | Isaiah Bolden |
| S | Kenny Robinson Jr. | Quindell Johnson |
5. Under-the-Radar Players to Watch
- Jaden Shirden (RB, Monmouth): One of the more productive small-school runners to enter the mix, and Louisville specifically added him in the draft. He’s a good change-of-pace option behind Snell.
- Daniel Grzesiak (DE, Cincinnati): Another Louisville addition called out during the draft process, and a player with a chance to carve out a real role early as the pass-rush rotation takes shape.
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Opinion: My Early 2026 Louisville Kings Prediction
I’ve got the Louisville Kings finishing 7–3 and getting into the playoffs. The roster has enough real experience—especially in the secondary and the front—to avoid the typical “new team” issues that show up early in spring leagues. They should be able to win ugly when the offense isn’t perfect yet, which matters a lot in this format.
That said, I’m not picking them to win it all, at least not in Year 1. The talent is there, but championships in this league usually come down to continuity: a quarterback room that’s settled, an offense that’s been together long enough to execute on autopilot, and a team that doesn’t have to learn its identity in real time. Louisville can absolutely be a playoff team right away. I just think the title run is a year early, especially with AJ McCarron and the Stallions looking very dangerous.
Early Player Predictions: Who I Think Breaks Out
A few early calls I’m comfortable making:
- Kalen Ballage is going to go off. Whether it’s as a primary back, a red-zone hammer, or the guy who closes games in the fourth quarter, his size/speed combo is the kind of mismatch that shows up fast in the UFL. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s one of the league leaders in touchdowns and/or yards by midseason.
- Andrew Booth Jr. will look like a top-tier UFL corner. If he’s healthy and locked in, he’s the type of player who changes how opponents call an entire game; fewer shots outside, more checkdowns, more forced mistakes.
- Benny Snell will be the tone-setter, even if he’s not the “home run” guy. I’m expecting steady production and a lot of games where his impact shows up in the fourth quarter more than the box score.
- Jason Bean will have a hot-and-cold stretch early, then stabilize. That’s usually how it goes when timing and chemistry are still forming, but his athletic ability gives Louisville a floor most teams don’t have.
- One of the young edge rushers will pop. Every spring season has a pass rusher who comes out of nowhere because effort + quickness travels. Louisville has the kind of depth up front to produce that guy.
If Louisville hits my 7–3 mark, it’ll be because the defense travels every week and the run game keeps them on schedule. If they end up better than that, it’ll probably mean the quarterback play becomes a real advantage.
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