The USFL 2022 pipeline to NFL rosters continues. Thirty-three players from the USFL have signed on with NFL teams. The New Jersey Generals currently lead the league with six signings. They are followed by the USFL 2022 champion, the Birmingham Stallions, the New Orleans Breakers, Philadelphia Stars, Pittsburgh Maulers, and Houston Gamblers. Each of those teams has had four players signed by NFL teams.
* Update: The Maulers now have five after the signing of DB Terrell Bonds by the Tennessee Titans.
New Jersey Generals Lead USFL In NFL Signings
The most recent NFL signings of New Jersey Generals are CB De’Vante Bausby with the Washington Commanders and WR Darrius Shepherd with the Denver Broncos.
USFL Players Competing For NFL Spots
The Commanders now have two former Generals’ defensive backs in their secondary with De’Vante Bausby and DeJuan Neal. They will be joined by USFL standout Philadelphia Stars CB Channing Stribling. And who knows, The USFL trio of cornerbacks might be chasing around the Dallas Cowboys’ latest acquisition KaVontae Turpin during the NFL season. Neal and Bausby have experience doing that during Generals’ practices in the Spring.
There are no guarantees that all of these players will impact NFL teams. But it’s a pretty safe bet that KaVontae Turpin, who signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, will be an immediate contributor for the Boys this season on special teams and offense. The TCU standout and USFL superstar is heading home to Texas after trading his five-star helmet with the Generals to don the big lone star in Dallas eventually.
On another note, that likely falls into the nobody cares but me department; this is the second time that De’Vante Bausby has been a ‘Commander.’ Back in 2019 for his Generals coach Mike Riley in the AAF with San Antonio, and now with Washington in the NFL.
Six-Star Generals
As of press time, Shepherd and Bausby are the 6th members of the New Jersey Generals inked by an NFL club. They join a growing list that includes WR KaVontae Turpin (Dallas Cowboys), QB Luis Perez (Los Angeles Rams), DB DeJuan Neal (Washington Commanders), and OL Garrett McGhin (New York Giants).
The Generals are accustomed to leading the USFL pack in several statistical categories during the 2022 season. The team led the USFL in offense and boasted the league’s 2022 MVP (WR KaVontae Turpin), coach of the year (Mike Riley), and offensive player of the year (RB Darius Victor).
New Jersey also had six players make the 2022 All-USFL team. Seven, if you count, KaVontae Turpin’s nods on offense and special teams. The accolades for the 9-1 Generals have also extended to the offseason.
With the NFL 2022 preseason starting, tracking how every USFL player does in games will be fascinating. And ultimately, if they can find permanent homes on NFL rosters. Defenders of alternate pro football leagues who contend that there is always quality talent available outside the NFL are having their opinions validated by all these USFL signings. It has happened in the football landscape the last few years with the AAF and XFL and is now continuing with the USFL.
