The Markcast® 2023 All-USFL Team

by Pat Rifino

The 2023 USFL season is complete and while fans of the league saw multiple returnees of the league put together dynamic and even record-breaking seasons, some of the newcomers to the league could also be considered some of the USFL’s brightest stars. Overall, the 2023 USFL season once again produced a product that gave many players an opportunity to showcase their skills in hopes of making an NFL roster. Today at The Markcast® we honor several of those players with “The Markcast® 2023 All-USFL Team”

OFFENSE:

QB: Alex McGough, Birmingham Stallions

McGough was above and beyond the best Quarterback in the USFL, and could be considered the best player in the league in 2023. His 25 total Touchdowns (20 Passing, 5 Rushing), in addition to being 6th in the USFL in rushing, is even more impressive considering he opened the season as the backup to J’Mar Smith. McGough’s stats may be the biggest focal point of this All-USFL selection however, his leadership and stability for a Stallions team that dealt with so many injuries is what makes him the prime player of the USFL for me.

RB: Mark Thompson, Houston Gamblers

While Wes Hills seemed to be the leading candidate at this position for a large portion of the season, the mid-season emergence of Mark Thompson makes this an easy choice. His 14 TDs in only 8 games ties a Houston Gamblers record from 1984 by Sam Harrell. While people could argue Hills may have been a “better” running back, no tailback meant more to their team than Thompson did for Houston.

FB: Mason Stokke, Pittsburgh Maulers

Fullbacks don’t often get that much love, so I took it upon myself to give a special shoutout to Mason Stokke. Stokke was an extremely valuable asset in the Maulers passing game while also serving as an extremely serviceable blocker. Stokke totaled 22 receptions for 167 Yards and a Touchdown assisting the Maulers to a Northern Division Championship

WR: Corey Coleman, Philadelphia Stars
WR: Joe Walker, Michigan Panthers
WR: Davion Davis, Birmingham Stallions
WR: Devin Gray, Philadelphia Stars

I went with Four Receivers for my All-USFL team, as I felt that Mr. Do it all Devin Gray deserved an offseason accolade for quietly eclipsing 500 Receiving Yards, while also serving as the team’s primary holder. While Corey Coleman seems like a lock due to leading the league in receiving yards with 669, Davion Davis filled in beautifully for the injured Marlon Williams, and the departed Victor Bolden with 575 receiving yards of his own. Joe Walker also quietly became the Panthers’ most reliable Receiver also amassing 500 yards through the air as well.

TE: Jace Sternberger, Birmingham Stallions

The redemption cycle of Jace Sternberge to the USFL was one for the record books in 2023. The Four NFL veteran burst onto the scene, becoming Alex McGough’s partner in crime in finding pay dirt. The Texas A&M product was arguably the USFL’s most efficient Tight End, setting a record for most Touchdowns in the modern USFL era with 7.

OT: Terry Poole, Pittsburgh Maulers
OT: Marquis Lucas, New Orleans Breakers
OG: Shamarius Gilmore, Philadelphia Stars
OG: Kirk Kelley, New Orleans Breakers
C: Noah Johnson, Michigan Panthers

Offensive Linemen may be the hardest position to evaluate in football for an All-League accolade. While Marquis Lucas, Kirk Kelley, Shamarius Gilmore and Noah Johnson, all posted Top-5 grades for their teams at several points in the season, ironically one of the biggest impact players on this list Terry Poole actually graded pretty poorly. While Poole at times looked limited the amount of value he brought to the Maulers along with the stability and dependability at the position for Pittsburgh was unmatched en route to the Maulers’ playoff push.

DEFENSE:

DE: Breeland Speaks, Michigan Panthers
IDL: Boogie Roberts, Pittsburgh Maulers
IDL: John Atkins, Memphis Showboats
DE: Adam Rodriguez, Philadelphia Stars
EDGE: Hercules Mata’afa, New Jersey Generals

The USFL defense this year as a whole showcased some of the most elite talents during the last two seasons of the USFL’s return. While Breeland Speaks showcased superb talent leading the league in Sacks and quietly demanding extra attention leading to an exceptional season by Levi Bell, and Garrett Marino, Adam Rodriguez put together another solid season totaling 6 sacks of his own becoming the modern USFL Sack leader.

While Boogie Roberts has quickly become a fan favorite of the USFL, the improvement in his play in year 2, was probably something that isn’t getting talked about enough. Roberts came into 2023 leaner and quick enough to put together a dominant campaign clearing the way for his linebacker Kyahva Tezino and Reuben Foster to put together a strong campaign. Another interior Defensive Lineman John Atkins from Georgia was easily one of the USFL’s most underrated players winning Defensive Player of the Week honors, while constantly being a menacing force in the middle.

An unsung hero of the Generals’ Defense, Hercules Mata’afa was too good to not deserve an accolade for the 2023 season. Mata'afa, while only registering “Six” sacks the former Washington State product, was constantly wreaking havoc in the backfield throughout the whole season.

LB: Frank Ginda, Michigan Panthers
LB: Kyahva Tezino, Pittsburgh Maulers
LB: Vontae Diggs, New Orleans Breakers

All three of these Linebackers were the masterclass of Linebackers, whether it be Frankie “Four Times” Ginda leading the league in tackles and earning four defensive Player of the Week awards, Kyahva Tezino closely following Ginda in tackles while scoring two touchdowns, or Vontae Diggs nabbing 3 picks, the Linebacker corps of the USFL was extremely successful as all three players returned to the USFL for the league's second season. While Chris Orr, and Rueben Foster deserve consideration, the above-mentioned players were the league’s premiere class in 2023.
CB: Levonta Taylor, Michigan Panthers
CB: Brian Allen, Birmingham Stallions
CB: Mark Gilbert, Pittsburgh Maulers
SS: Shalom Luani, New Jersey Generals
FS: Kyree Woods, Memphis Showboats

While not the highest-rated cornerback in the league, you can’t discount the fact that Levonta Taylor gave up 0 Touchdowns, in his first season in the USFL, and the overall presence he provided on the right side of the field. Brian Allen and Mark Gilbert both were among the league’s highest-rated corners with Gilbert leading the USFL in interceptions.

Kyree Woods was the USFL’s highest-rated player on PFF for most of the season earning a grade of over 93, while Shalom Luani continued his dominance from 2022, oftentimes supporting the front seven while also serving as an asset as the Generals’ “centerfielder” in the secondary.

Special Teams:

Kicker: Luis Aguilar, Philadelphia Stars
Punter: Matt Mengal, Pittsburgh Maulers
LS: Ryan Navarro, Philadelphia Stars
Returner: Derrick Dillon, Memphis Showboats

Luis Aguilar may be many’s second choice to Matt Coghlin of the Breakers, volume is a big thing for me in picking a kicker. Aguilar put together an extremely memorable season converting 25/29 FGs while only missing One extra point.

Volume Volume Volume, the booming leg of Matt Mengal coupled with being a holder gives our friend of the show the nod as the Top Punter on our list in 2022. The same can be said about Long Snapper Ryan Navarro, who registered no botched snaps in 82 attempts as the Stars’ Long Snapper between FGs, Extra Points, and Punts

2nd in the league in return yards, and 1st in All-Purpose Yards totaling Two return touchdowns, it doesn’t get much better than that for Derrick Dillon. While Deon Cain and Joshua Simmons deserve serious consideration for the honor, Dillon's week Ten performance solidified this selection for me.