The Colleges with with the Most Players in the AAF
The Alliance of American Football kicked off its inaugural season last weekend and plenty of familiar names took the field. Trent Richardson, who put up a record-setting season for Alabama in 2011, was one of many former college stars who shined opening week, scoring two touchdowns in the Birmingham Iron’s victory.
Eight teams make up the league, each with a 52-man roster. That makes for 416 players in the AAF. Of those 416 players, 385 hailed from Division I college football programs, a whopping 92.5 percent of players rostered on all AAF rosters.
So which programs are most represented in the AAF?
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The eight teams took a bulk of their players from in-state schools. The Salt Lake Stallions, for example, are loaded with former players from the state of Utah, with 17 hailing from Utah, Utah State and BYU alone. The Utes are tied among the most players represented in the AAF with 10.
It’s probably no surprise that Alabama is tied with Utah for the most players rostered in the AAF this season. The 10 former Crimson Tide footballers are on the Birmingham Iron roster, joining four Auburn alum.
Here are the DI programs most represented on AAF rosters.
10 — Alabama (all players on Birmingham Iron): Xzavier Dickson, LB; Josh Frazier, DT; Brandon Greene, OT; J.C. Hassenauer, C; Dominick Jackson, OT; Korren Kirven, OT; Cole Mazza, LS; Trent Richardson, RB; Blake Sims, QB; Bradley Sylve, DB.
10 — Utah (all players on Salt Lake Stallions): Dres Anderson, WR; Matt Asiata, RB; Kaelin Clay, WR; Anthony Denham, TE; Gionni Paul, LB; Tenny Palepoi, DT; Jeremiah Poutasi, OL; Trevor Reilly, LB; Sealver Siliga, DT; Salesi Uhatafe, OL.
9 — LSU: Ron Brooks, CB, San Diego; Greg Gilmore, DT, Memphis; Josh Jasper, P, Memphis; Anthony Johnson, LB, Memphis; Terrance Magee, RB, Memphis; Zach Mettenberger, QB, Memphis; Sam Montgomery, DL, Memphis; Toby Weathersby, OT, Memphis; Brad Wing, P, Memphis.
9 — San Diego State: Alex Barrett, DE, San Diego; Daniel Brunskill, OT, San Diego; Donny Hageman, P, San Diego; Darrell Greene, OG, San Diego; Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego; Kameron Kelly, WR, San Diego; Jeff Overbaugh, LS, Atlanta; Eric Pinkins, LB, San Diego; Terry Poole, OT, San Diego.
8 — Texas A&M: Taylor Bertolet, K, Salt Lake; Cam Clear, TE, San Antonio; Avery Gennesy, OT, Atlanta; Trevor Knight, QB, Arizona; Patrick Lewis, C, Arizona; Damontre Moore, DE, San Diego; Shaan Washington, LB, San Antonio; Trey Williams, RB, San Antonio.
7 — Arizona State: Carl Bradford, LB, Arizona; Mike Bercovici, QB, San Diego; Marcus Hardison, DT, Arizona; Devin Lucian, WR, Memphis; Robert Nelson, DB, Arizona; Rashad Ross, WR, Arizona; Will Sutton III, DT, Arizona.
7 — Florida (all players on Orlando Apollos): Austin Appleby, QB; Josh Evans, S; Drew Ferris, LS; Will Hill III, S; Earl Okine, DE; Leon Orr, DT; Chris Thompson, WR.
7 — Florida State: Ryan Green, RB, Orlando; Ro’Derrick Hoskins, LB, Atlanta; Tre Jackson, OG, Orlando; Giorgio Newberry, DE, Orlando; Reggie Northrup II, LB, Orlando; Terrence Parks, LB, Orlando; Marquez White, CB, Orlando.
7 — Notre Dame: Scott Daly, LS, San Antonio; Tarean Folston, RB, Atlanta; Greer Martini, LB, Salt Lake; John Montelus, OG, San Diego; Nyles Morgan, Arizona; Cody Riggs, CB, Orlando; Ben Turk, P, Orlando.
7 — Tennessee: Alton “Pig” Howard, WR, Memphis; Colton Jumper, LB, Memphis; Justin Martin, DB, Memphis; Rajion Neal, RB; Memphis; Matt Simms, QB, Atlanta; Dallas Thomas, OG, Memphis; Corey Vereen, DE, Memphis.
6 — Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Oregon State, UCLA
5 — Arkansas, Brigham Young, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers, Tennessee State, UCF, Washington
4 — Auburn, Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado Houston, Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, San Jose State, South Carolina, Syracuse.
Thirteen programs, most notably Georgia and Miami (FL), are represented by three players, while 39 programs have two players rostered this season. Some other names you may remember roaming AAF football fields are: Nick Folk (K, Arizona, Arizona), Christian Hackenberg (QB, Penn State, Memphis), Aaron Murray (QB, Georgia, Atlanta), Nick Novak (K, Maryland, Birmingham), Branden Oliver (RB, Buffalo, Salt Lake), Denard Robinson (RB, Michigan, Atlanta), Zac Stacey (RB, Vanderbilt, Memphis) and Greg Ward Jr. (WR, Houston, San Antonio).
What about outside of DI football? There are 21 former DII football players on AAF rosters. The Atlanta Legends found some local talent, rostering five former DII stars the most of any AAF team. Two of those players hail from 2018 DII football national champions, Valdosta State. The Blazers are the only DII program with more than one player in the AAF.
Two DIII football schools are represented in the AAF. That would be North Carolina Wesleyan and Heidelberg. Southeastern (FL) of the NAIA has two players on the Orlando Apollo roster, while three junior colleges—Garden City CC, Globe JC and Grand Rapids JC—are also represented around the league. Two players didn’t go to college at all and then there is Darius Prince. Prince went to Penn State Beaver of the USCAA. Prince, who is now on the San Antonio Commanders, didn’t play a single down of college football but was a basketball player instead. His first taste of football stardom was in the Arena Football League where he earned Arena Bowl XXX MVP honors.
Full AAF rosters are here:
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