United Football League announces initial rosters for the 2024 season

Vic Beasley, Reuben Foster, DJ Swearinger and more among former NFL players in the new league

By Steven Taranto

Jan 8, 2024 at 1:35 pm ET • 1 min read

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The United Football League announced the results of its first phase of its player dispersal process held on Jan. 5, outlining the initial rosters for each team in the new spring league formed as a result of the merger between the XFL and USFL. Each XFL Conference and USFL Conference team was allowed to protect 42 players from their 2023 rosters, and then were allowed to select up to 20 players from the rosters of teams within their previous league that will not be moving forward into the 2024 season.

Players who were not protected or selected in the initial process will be placed in a pool of players that will be available to all UFL teams in the next round of player dispersal on Jan. 15. That round of dispersal will then be followed by free agency for players who were either not selected or who did not play in the XFL or USFL in 2023 on Jan. 16.

The first phase of player dispersal saw the protection of multiple All-USFL and All-XFL selections, as well as several former NFL players who have landed in the spring league. Among the notable former NFL players include Vic Beasley of the Renegades, Reuben Foster of the Roughnecks, Corey Coleman of the Panthers and D.J. Swearinger of the Defenders.

Two former USFL players -- KaVontae Turpin and Brandon Aubrey -- have gone on to earn Pro Bowl honors in the NFL as members of the Dallas Cowboys.

Here is a sampling of the initial rosters for the UFL with a focus on notable XFL, USFL, and ex-NFL players. Click here for the full rosters from all eight teams.