The United Football League’s 2026 season wrapped last Friday with the DC Defenders’ United Bowl win over the Louisville Kings.
Now, many UFL players are looking to make the jump to the NFL, including former Buccaneers and Rams linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi. He worked out for the Cowboys on Monday, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Fatukasi, 27, logged 23 tackles (three for loss) and two sacks in seven games for the Birmingham Stallions this year. His first NFL experience came in Tampa Bay, where he made the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie in 2022. He carved out a special teams role for the first 13 games of the season but was waived in December. Fatukasi then spent time with the Broncos, Patriots, and Chiefs before making another regular season appearance for the Rams at the end of the 2023 season. The veteran linebacker was waived by Los Angeles in 2024 and spent the last two years in the UFL.
Another former NFLer seeking a return to the league is Orlando Banks edge rusher Keshawn Banks, who auditioned for the Falcons on Monday, Wilson reports. Banks ranked among the UFL’s top 10 defenders with five sacks and 11 tackles for loss this year with previous stints with the Packers, Patriots, and Cardinals. His only regular season action in the NFL came in New England in 2023, when he played 61 special teams snaps in three elevations from the practice squad.
The Texans stayed local for their tryouts with Houston Gamblers running back Marcus Yarns and linebager Eugene Asante, per Wilson. Yarns, who spent training camp with the Saints in 2025, posted 345 rushing yards in the UFL this year, the fifth-most in the league. His 5.7 yards per carry also ranked second among all players with at least 25 carries. Asante, who had brief stints on the Browns’ and Falcons’ practice squads last season, made 40 tackles (three for loss) across his nine games with the Gamblers.
Another Gambler, wide receiver/returner Jalen Moreno-Cropper, worked out at the Saints’ mandatory minicamp (via Wilson). The former Fresno State standout signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent his rookie year on the practice squad. He made one regular season appearance in 2024 and three in 2025, all via practice squad elevations, with a total of just 45 snaps. In 2026, Moreno-Cropper ranked 11th in the UFL with 41.6 yards per game and ninth with 72.0 all-purpose yards per game.
NFL teams often use this spring workouts to determine their options should injuries pop up between now and training camp. They are also preparing to fill roster spots vacated by players set to go on injured lists. For example, Cowboys offensive lineman Matt Hennessy is likely to open training camp on the physically unable to perform list after recently undergoing neck surgery.