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At the midpoint of the 2026 UFL season, a familiar face has helped his team surge to the top spot of the league standings: DC Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu. The 2025 UFL Championship Game MVP, Ta’amu completed 15 of 22 passes (68.2%) for 275 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in the Defenders’ 48-25 victory over the Birmingham Stallions (1-4) this past weekend. Coupled with the Orlando Storm (4-1) suffering their first loss of the season — a 25-17 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks (3-2) — the Defenders are now tied atop the UFL standings. Standout wide receiver Ty Scott led the Defenders with three receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns. After scoring just 10 points in a season-opening loss at St. Louis, the Defenders have averaged 40.5 points per game. “I love our offense and the way [offensive coordinator Fred] Kaiss calls our plays and dials it up,” Ta’amu said. “We go week in and week out game planning our opponents, and we do a great job of finding our matchups.” Elsewhere, the Houston Gamblers (2-3) earned their second win of the season in a 17-13 victory over the Columbus Aviators (1-4), and the Louisville Kings (2-3) manhandled the Dallas Renegades (3-2) to close things out, 47-25. Here are my takeaways from Week 5 of the UFL: 1. Chandler Rogers leads Kings to win in first UFL start Cal product Rogers got his first start over the weekend, with the Kings having traded former starter Jason Bean to the reigning champion Defenders. Rogers didn’t post jaw-dropping numbers, but he was efficient (13 of 18 for 150 yards, zero touchdowns and zero turnovers). He also ran for 22 yards. The Kings leaned on the running game to protect Rogers, totaling 147 yards and four scores on the ground. That was not the case for the league’s leading passer in Renegades QB Austin Reed, who finished with a season-high four interceptions in his team’s second loss in a row. That number could’ve ended up being even higher if Dallas head coach Rick Neuheisel hadn’t replaced Reed with wide receiver Greg Ward Jr. at quarterback late in the fourth quarter. With QB Luis Perez being traded to the Battlehawks, Ward served as the backup for Reed in this game. Ward started at quarterback in college at Houston, throwing for 3,557 yards and 22 touchdowns in his final season for the Cougars. The Kings had just one interception entering Sunday’s contest, but they turned Reed’s four turnovers into 27 points, including two returned for scores. Louisville defensive back Corey Mayfield Jr. finished with two of those picks. The Kings also totaled 5.0 sacks. “Austin had a rough day, no need to compound that, and I wanted to show the league that Greg Ward is a quarterback,” Neuheisel said postgame. “He went 6-for-7. The guy’s a player.” 2. HC Anthony Becht loses to old team; Storm fall to surging Battlehawks Becht was at the helm for St. Louis for the past three seasons but moved to Orlando to take on a new challenge this year. The Storm had their hands full when facing Becht’s former team, including his former coach in now-St. Louis head coach Ricky Proehl, for the first time this season. Specifically, Orlando’s offense, led by one of the league’s best passers in QB Jack Plummer, was held scoreless in the first half and totaled just 29 total yards. The Battlehawks held Orlando to 211 total yards. At 3-2, St. Louis is the only team with wins over the league leaders in DC and Orlando. Any extra motivation for Proehl facing Becht? “No, I’ve got so much respect for Coach Becht and that staff,” Proehl said. “I’ve been with a lot of them since 2023, and I know what kind of football character he coaches and what kind of players he has. And they take on his personality.” St. Louis QB Harrison Frost finished with two interceptions but also threw for 185 yards, completing passes to nine different players. 3. Dorian Thompson-Robinson sparks Birmingham offense in loss Birmingham’s trade to acquire Thompson-Robinson to help ignite its offense led to mixed results. With only a couple of days to learn the playbook, the UCLA product completed 65.1% of his passes for 312 passing yards and two touchdowns. However, he also threw two interceptions, as the Stallions fell to 1-4 and are now on the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. “The preparation is there,” head coach AJ McCarron said about his new quarterback. “He competed his ass off. I’m super proud of him. He just had some bad luck on a couple plays. You clean those up, and it’s a different ball game.” 4. Kings OLB Cam Gill is UFL’s sack leader With five games left, Gill is tops in the league with 5.5 sacks, followed by Houston defensive end Malik Fisher (4.5). Other league leaders include Louisville linebacker Jaheim Thomas and Columbus linebacker Tony Fields II, who are tied for the UFL lead with 40 combined tackles. DC’s Deon Jackson is tops in both rushing yards (267) and rushing touchdowns (five). Last year’s leader in all-purpose yards, Orlando wideout Chris Rowland, is once again leading the league with 525 total yards. Dallas defensive back Shaun Wade leads the league with three interceptions, while Renegades receiver Tyler Vaughns is tops in the league in receiving yards (399) and receiving touchdowns (five). Kings kicker Tanner Brown leads the UFL in field goal percentage (93%), making 14 of 15 so far with a long of 59. 4 ½: What’s Next In Week 6, things kick off on Thursday evening with the Battlehawks facing the Kings. There’s one game the next night, with the Gamblers taking on the Aviators on FOX UFL Friday. The Defenders are playing host to the Renegades on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Stallions hitting the road to take on the Storm on Sunday to close things out. [UFL 2026: Full Regular-Season Schedules, Results for All 8 Teams]​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Louisville Kings quarterback Chandler Rogers, who led his team to a revelatory win in Week 5, revealed to the broadcast team in his fourth-quarter interview just how much the victory meant following a week when his predecessor, Jason Bean, had been traded away to make way for his ascension. “We just needed somebody to be a leader,” Rogers said candidly. “Not throwing shots or anything, but we just needed somebody to be like, ‘Hey, come follow me.’ And that’s what I did. I took off and ran with it.” The last time Rogers was in a quarterback derby, he lost to the man who became No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft: Fernando Mendoza. Flip it and allow yourself to imagine what might’ve happened to Rogers’ professional career had he won that QB battle. The margins are just that thin in professional football. With that, here’s a look at my fifth UFL power rankings list of the season: 8. Birmingham Stallions (1-4) Week 4 results: Lost to Defenders, 45-28Current odds to win 2026 title: +1800 UCLA product Dorian Thompson-Robinson enjoyed a rather remarkable debut, connecting on 28 of 43 passes for 313 yards, including nine to former Clemson wideout Justyn Ross for 107 yards. It was head coach AJ McCarron’s defense (2.0 sacks, one pass deflection) that ultimately led Birmingham to lose its fourth consecutive game. It has been a rough few weeks for a team that started the season ranked No. 3 and was tied for the best odds to win the 2026 title. 7. Houston Gamblers (2-3) Week 4 results: Defeated Aviators, 17-13Current odds to win 2026 title: +5000 The Gamblers “All-SEC-in-the-UFL” defense, highlighted by former Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante making five tackles and forcing a fumble, made itself known this week. What’s more, Houston earned a hard-fought win with starting QB Nolan Henderson playing with a broken finger on his throwing hand. 6. Columbus Aviators (1-4) Week 4 results: Lost to Gamblers, 17-13Current odds to win 2026 title: +2200 The Aviators had just five yards of offense in the first quarter, and that was indicative of their inability to establish an offensive rhythm. Even after leaning into their potent run game from one week ago with a 10-play drive that led to points, Houston’s defense continued to load the box and attack a Columbus offensive line that couldn’t protect QB Jalen McClendon in passing situations. McClendon has now been sacked 14 times this season, the most of any player. 5. Louisville Kings (2-3) Week 4 results: Defeated Renegades, 47-25Current odds to win 2026 title: +4000 The Kings created four takeaways that led to 27 points in their romp over the Renegades. In his debut as a starter, QB Chandler Rogers completed 13 of 18 pass attempts for 150 yards and — most importantly — did not turn the ball over. 4. Dallas Renegades (3-2) Week 4 results: Lost to Kings, 47-25Current odds to win 2026 title: +300 After beginning their season 3-0 and looking like the franchise most capable of ending the season with the best record in professional spring football, Rick Neuheisel’s Renegades have lost two consecutive games. Worse yet, Dallas watched its high-powered offense disintegrate with four turnovers — including an 83-yard pick-six thrown by QB Austin Reed. What’s more, there’s no longer a Luis “Spring King” Perez to insert should Reed’s form continue to fall. 3. St. Louis Battlehawks (3-2) Week 4 results: Defeated Storm, 25-17Current odds to win 2026 title: +650 QB Harrison Frost repaid the loyalty head coach Ricky Proehl displayed in allowing him to remain the starter with a workmanlike performance — 20 of 31 completions for 185 yards and one touchdown. The Battlehawks not only bounced back with a win but did so by beating the lone remaining undefeated team in the league. 2. Orlando Storm (4-1) Week 4 results: Lost to Battlehawks, 25-17Current odds to win 2026 title: +320 QB Jack Plummer was forced to dink and dump the ball down the field, needing 44 pass attempts for just 143 yards in what was the Storm’s first loss this season. Still, they’ve done enough to prove they should be near the top of this list. 1. DC Defenders (4-1) Week 4 results: Defeated Stallions, 45-28Current odds to win 2026 title: +150 The defending champions have found their form, as QB Jordan Ta’amu made like he ran a poker game on K Street as he was dealin’. He finished the day with 15 completions on 22 attempts for 275 passing yards and four touchdowns.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage: Talladega Superspeedway (Talladega, Ala.) — It was a weekend where all the talk was about the future of NASCAR and the change in CEO. Then, as timing would have it, a very important person when it comes to the future of the sport celebrated on the track. The mostly unapologetic 22-year-old Carson Hocevar won at Talladega Superspeedway. He has generated some enemies on the racetrack but more frenemies. His goofiness and love for racing is infectious. His sometimes boneheaded moves on the track? Not so much. But those moves have become fewer as he matures in his third year of Cup racing for Spire Motorsports, an organization that has a little bit of a renegade attitude. “You already have Carson’s irrational confidence,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in his postrace news conference. “He’s going to show up in a fur coat on Monday.” It’s that willingness to live free of conventional boundaries that has fans enamored with Hocevar. Not all fans, though. There are some who feel he doesn’t treat his competitors nor his equipment with respect. He had the celebration of the win planned where he worked the throttle with his long legs and sat on the window waving and pointing to the crowd. The fans loved it. Some drivers would be afraid to plan out a celebration. They wouldn’t want to jinx it. Not Hocevar. As Dickerson said, Hocevar has irrational confidence. “I felt like it was an if, not when, so I felt like I wasn’t jinxing myself,” Hocevar said in his postrace news conference. “I was just kind of putting the confidence in it. I knew we were going to do it at some point. I knew we were going to do it pretty soon.” The victory also was a sign of Hocevar’s growth as a driver. He came close to winning the Daytona 500 before getting turned on the final lap. “Obviously, the 500, I think I’ve ran that back about 1,000 times in my head and was pretty confident the next big superspeedway we went to that we’re going to do it and take it back,” Hocevar said. It was just the second win for Spire and the first in a race that wasn’t rain-shortened. It was a culmination of an eight-year process of starting a race team and building it to a point where it is now part of TWG Motorsports, the group that owns Andretti Global in INDYCAR, Cadillac F1 and teams in other racing series. “Jeff truly believes we can make a championship organization out of this,” said Hocevar, who improved to eighth in the standings. “That’s why we’re all here. That’s why we’re all living it. We believe it ourselves. This isn’t a shock to any of us. Everybody says they want to win, but we truly believe in ourselves.” Several drivers went to Victory Lane to congratulate Hocevar on his first Cup win. They understand the struggles he’s gone through and likely view this victory as a sign of growth. As he drove to Victory Lane, Chase Elliott went over to his car and congratulated him. “I’m really happy for Carson,” Elliott told me and other reporters on pit road. “He’s done a great job. He’s really been deserving. He’s been really close a lot, too. … That’s a pretty special thing to win your first race. “I’m sure it’ll be a hurt Monday morning for him, there’s no doubt.” The symbolism of his victory was hard to ignore. He said he was inspired by watching Dale Earnhardt Jr. race at Talladega and win so often. Earnhardt retired after the 2017 season. And since about that time, the sport has searched for drivers who electrified the fan base. There have been some (Elliott for sure is one of them) but the sport seems to be looking for the next superstar who wants to watch races from the grandstands (as Hocevar does) and has the enthusiasm that the driver gets to live the dream. This all came on a weekend when the sport named a new Chief Executive Officer. Steve O’Donnell said the sport needs to get back to having fun again. He won’t ban the borderline dangerous celebration. With all respect to O’Donnell, the fans don’t connect with a CEO. They connect with the drivers. If O’Donnell is going to be successful in his new role, he needs the Carson Hocevars of the world to thrive. “There’s kind of like this big juxtaposition of how sometimes the garage looks at Carson, then you see the crowd up there going ape-s**t while he’s hanging out the window,” Dickerson said. “It’s going to take stuff like that. “That personality connects. Obviously, it’s on the drivers. They’re the biggest part of it. It’s going to take the teams, and it’s going to take NASCAR itself. … It’s kind of like what we’ve done here at Spire. It’s going to take everybody in there to keep pushing this forward. I know Carson will do his part, for sure.” Reddick Agrees To Extension Tyler Reddick made it official as he confirmed he would remain at 23XI Racing with a multiyear contract extension. Reddick was in a contract year and coming off a winless 2025. It was easy to wonder if he would go to another team. But he won five of the first nine races, including the Daytona 500, so remaining at 23XI appeared to be a formality. He confirmed to me after the race at Talladega that he had not even reached the point where he personally could talk to other teams, so he didn’t consider any specific offers. “We’re trying to try to build something great here, and it’s been a great process along the way, and for us to have the gains and the resilience to overcome last year the way that we have says a lot about this group,” Reddick told me. “I’m excited to keep building that as the years go by.” Gabehart Still Limited In Role U.S. District Court Judge Susan Rodriguez issued a preliminary injunction against Spire Motorsports chief motorsports officer Chris Gabehart. The injunction is similar to the restraining order that Joe Gibbs Racing obtained to keep their former competition director from using his JGR experience for the benefit of Spire. Gabehart can still go to races but cannot perform similar duties to his competition director role. Judge Rodriguez noted in her ruling: — Gabehart took confidential information that belonged to JGR, but there is no evidence (at least not yet) that Spire has that info. — Spire had not engaged in any illegal conduct in hiring Gabehart from JGR. — Gabehart’s 18-month non-compete as far as the competition director role is enforceable. Gabehart argued it wasn’t, alleging JGR breached contract by withholding pay. One of the next rulings from the judge will be whether to expedite and have a trial by the end of 2026 (which JGR has asked for) or whether it will be in spring 2027 (which Spire has requested). In The News — Kyle Busch has a new crew chief. Performance director Andy Street, a former crew chief for Austin Hill in the O’Reilly Series, will replace Jim Pohlman. Pohlman, who took the role this year, will remain with the organization in the competition department. — Cleetus McFarland’s next O’Reilly Series race will be in late May in Nashville, where he will again drive for Richard Childress Racing. — INDYCAR’s Independent Officiating Board has named its managing director of officiating, former CART and IMSA technical director Scot Elkins. Ellkins will oversee everything from technical inspection (headed by Kevin “Rocket” Blanch) and race director (headed Kyle Novak) and report to the board. The board was instituted to keep the officiating at arm’s length from the Penske Entertainment Group’s running of the series because Team Penske fields cars in the series. — Acura announced it will pause its IMSA program following the 2026 season, which potentially could impact the Meyer Shank Racing INDYCAR operation. Marcus Armstrong will have Acura branding for his Indy 500 car as the brand (which is under the Honda banner) increases its presence in INDYCAR. Without the Acura-supported sports car program, Shank could opt to operate a third INDYCAR team, considering it already likely would in 2028 because it is expected to field the chartered car that Honda will get as part of the new agreements with Honda and Chevrolet. Why The Call? Denny Hamlin could not take the wave-around even though the leader, Noah Gragson, pitted before the race went back to green during the final stage. The problem was, the pits were already closed, as they are when drivers come to choose a lap before going back to green. NASCAR does not let a driver get the wave-around after the pits are closed. It allowed Zane Smith to get it earlier in the race, but NASCAR said that was a mistake. Social Spotlight They Said It “He looks like Shamu hanging out the window at Sea World.” — Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson on the Hocevar celebration. In Inside The Garage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports