ARLINGTON, TX – January 28, 2026 – The 2025 NFL season was another remarkable year for players who began their professional journeys in the United Football League, marked by game‑winning kicks, game‑breaking plays, and NFL All‑Pro honors.
One of the most coveted UFL success stories continues to be former Birmingham Stallions kicker Brandon Aubrey. A former professional soccer player turned UFL standout, he has firmly established himself as one of the NFL’s premier kickers.
Aubrey earned NFL All‑Pro Second Team honors after stacking up yet another outstanding season with the Dallas Cowboys. He was nearly as reliable as it gets, converting 36 of 42 field‑goal attempts, including a season‑long 64‑yard make.
The 64‑yarder came in dramatic fashion against the New York Giants in Week Two. With time expiring in regulation, Aubrey drilled the kick to force overtime. He later delivered again, splitting the uprights from 46 yards to secure the Cowboys’ overtime victory.
Aubrey also made history in 2025, becoming the first kicker in NFL history to convert three field goals of 55 yards or more in a single game. He added another historic milestone by making three field goals of 60‑plus yards during the season, something no kicker had previously accomplished. In addition, Aubrey tied the NFL record for the fastest kicker to reach 100 career field goals made.
At just 30 years old, it feels as though Aubrey is only getting started, with the skill set and consistency to put himself in all‑time great conversations.
Staying in Dallas, the UFL left its mark all over the Cowboys’ special‑teams unit. Former New Jersey Generals (USFL) standout KaVontae Turpin continued to prove why he is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s most dangerous return men, earning NFL All‑Pro Second Team honors of his own.
Turpin led the NFL in kickoff return yards (1,814), finishing 226 yards clear of the next closest returner. His ability to consistently flip the field provided Dallas with excellent starting position throughout the season, often setting the stage for Aubrey’s success. Turpin’s longest return went for 84 yards.
Turpin also showcased his versatility beyond special teams. He recorded 26 receptions for 396 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 15.2 yards per catch. His big‑play potential was on full display on Christmas Day, when he hauled in an 86‑yard catch‑and‑run touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.
One of the most compelling UFL‑to‑NFL stories belonged to “The Thiccer Kicker,” Harrison Mevis. Formerly of the Birmingham Stallions, Mevis seized his opportunity with the Los Angeles Rams, earning the starting kicker role in Week 10.
Mevis was automatic on extra points, finishing a perfect 39‑for‑39, and showed similar reliability on field goals by converting 12 of 13 attempts. His longest make traveled 52 yards, and his steady production played a key role in the Rams’ deep postseason run.
His defining moment came in the NFC Divisional Round against the Chicago Bears. With the game tied in overtime, Mevis calmly knocked through a 42‑yard field goal to send the Rams to the NFC Championship Game with a 20-17 victory. Despite a loss in that contest, he accounted for nine points, including a 50‑yard field goal in Seattle – his longest kick of the postseason.
On the defensive side of the ball, former Arlington Renegades standout Jalen Redmond found his stride in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. Redmond emerged as a key contributor, starting 15 of 17 games during the 2025 season.
Redmond finished the year with 62 total tackles, including 30 solo stops, while adding six sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and five passes deflected – impressive production for an interior defensive lineman.
Those numbers place Redmond comfortably above league average at his position, and his impact along Minnesota’s defensive front was undeniable.
Back on special teams, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates delivered a strong sophomore campaign. The former Michigan Panthers standout connected on 27 field goals, with a season‑long of 59 yards, and was nearly perfect on extra points, converting 54 of 56 attempts.
Bates finished sixth among all NFL kickers in total points (135) and knocked through four field goals from 50 yards or longer, highlighting his value as one of the league’s deeper‑legged specialists.
He also proved clutch when it mattered most, drilling a 42‑yard walk‑off field goal as time expired in Week 18 at Chicago, to give the Lions the 19-16 win over the Bears.
Another kicker to make his mark in 2025 was Andre Szmyt, formerly of the St. Louis Battlehawks. Szmyt became a reliable option for the Cleveland Browns, starting all 17 games as a rookie.
Szmyt converted 24 of 27 field‑goal attempts, an above‑average mark among NFL kickers, with a long of 55 yards. He was also nearly automatic on extra points, going 25‑for‑26.
His signature moment came in Week 18, when Szmyt closed the season with a game‑winning 49‑yard field goal on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals for a 20-18 victory.
Overall, 66 players from the past two UFL seasons, along with alumni from the modern era of spring football (2020-present), earned spots on NFL 53‑man rosters or practice squads during the 2025 NFL regular season, further cementing the UFL as a proven pipeline to the highest level of professional football.