Former St. Louis Battlehawks Star Returns To UFL
ARLINGTON, TX – December 18, 2025 – Former national champion, NFL quarterback, and UFL star AJ McCarron was named head coach of the Birmingham Stallions earlier today. McCarron, who led the Alabama Crimson Tide to back-to-back national titles and later was the signal caller for the St. Louis Battlehawks, now takes the reins from Skip Holtz, continuing a winning legacy in Birmingham.
Born and raised in Alabama, McCarron was the lone quarterback signed in the Crimson Tide’s 2009 recruiting class. He redshirted his first season in Tuscaloosa and saw limited action the following year as he continued to develop within the program.
In 2011, McCarron entered the season as a co-starter but quickly seized the full-time role. In his first career start, he threw for 226 yards and a touchdown while leading Alabama to victory. That season, McCarron guided the Crimson Tide to an 11-1 regular-season record, with their only loss coming against top-ranked LSU. On the sport’s biggest stage, McCarron delivered. He threw for 234 yards in the BCS National Championship as Alabama defeated LSU to claim the 2011 national title.
McCarron raised the bar again in 2012. Alabama opened the season 9-0, with McCarron emerging as a dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate. After a lone loss to Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide regrouped, defeating Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to earn another title shot – this time against No. 1 Notre Dame. Facing a defense led by Heisman runner-up Manti Te’o, Alabama dominated from start to finish. McCarron threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-14 victory, becoming the first quarterback to win back-to-back BCS national championships.
Following a redshirt junior season in which he set a school record with 30 passing touchdowns, McCarron returned for his senior year. Though Alabama fell short of another title, McCarron enjoyed his most productive season, throwing for a school-record 3,063 yards and finishing as the Heisman Trophy runner-up. His performance earned him the cover of Sports Illustrated and cemented his place among Alabama’s all-time greats.
McCarron was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. After spending his rookie season as the backup, he stepped into the starting role late in 2015 following an injury to Andy Dalton. McCarron made history by becoming the first Alabama quarterback to win an NFL game since 1987, completing 15 of 21 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown in a win over San Francisco.
He later led Cincinnati to the postseason, including a pivotal victory over division rival Baltimore to clinch a playoff berth. In the Wild Card Round against Pittsburgh, McCarron threw for 212 yards and a touchdown, though the Bengals fell 18-16 in a tightly contested game.
In 2022, McCarron transitioned to spring football, joining the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL. He made an immediate impact, leading comeback victories in each of his first two starts. In the final game of the regular season, McCarron delivered one of the most prolific performances in league history, throwing for 420 yards and six touchdowns – both single-game XFL records. He finished the season with a league-record 24 passing touchdowns.
McCarron returned to the Battlehawks in 2024 but faced adversity after suffering a Week 7 injury that threatened to end his season. He battled through rehabilitation and returned in time for the XFL Championship, exemplifying the toughness and resilience that defined his playing career. Following the season, McCarron stepped away from the game.
Now, he returns to football in a new role. A fan favorite in Alabama for his leadership and championship pedigree, McCarron brings a deep understanding of the game and a winning mindset to the Birmingham sidelines, setting the stage for the next chapter of one of spring football’s most dominant programs.