As the USFL’s debut quickly approaches, the official draft is behind us, and teams will be hitting the field shortly. While a supplementary draft will be held on March 10th, most of the players have already been signed/selected, and the initial tone has been set for each team.
With that in mind, there are a few quarterback-wide receiver connections that stand out above the rest. Granted, it is hard to know how each player will perform heading into a brand new league, since the competition is different on every level.
That being said, here are three duos that are bound to make waves in the USFL, once it kicks off on April 16th.
#1: Bryan Scott + Jordan Suell | Philadelphia Stars
Not surprisingly, one of the main duos to keep an eye on is Bryan Scott and Jordan Suell, who were both drafted by the Philadelphia Stars. What makes this pairing so unique and intriguing is the fact that they both played together in The Spring League.
During the TSL’s 2020 season, Scott and Suell played for the Generals. The two took the league by storm, dominating week in and week out. No matter who tried to defend Suell, he found ways to get open – and Scott made sure to get him the football. Suell had 325 yards and four touchdowns in just four games.
PJ Walker x Cam Phillips // Bryan Scott x Jordan Suell
Is this Spring Football's next dynamic duo? The film certainly agrees with that take. @USFL fans, grab your popcorn. It's about to be a show.
(via @XFL2023 | @TheSpringLeague) #USFL2022 @USFLNewsroom @USFLStars pic.twitter.com/o386PX2CFe
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenMI) March 6, 2022
While there are plenty of capable quarterbacks and wide receivers in the USFL, this duo is especially dangerous due to the chemistry they already built in 2020. Scott clearly played a role in bringing Suell to Philadelphia, encouraging Bart Andrus to reunite the two athletes.
Guess whose QB was in the war room early this morning helping to look at WRs?
Ours.@BryanScottQb // @JordanSuell2 pic.twitter.com/mNcgD7YWTQ
— Philadelphia Stars (@USFLStars) February 23, 2022
Not only that, but Andrus was the coach for the Generals during that TSL season. With all of these pieces now on the Stars, expect nothing but greatness from this duo in 2022.
#2: De’Andre Johnson + KaVontae Turpin | New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals might have a bit of a quarterback dilemma, as they drafted two guys who are more than capable of starting. Ben Holmes and De’Andre Johnson split the QB duties in The Spring League, under the leadership of Mike Riley, who is now the head coach of the Generals.
Regardless of who gets the starting role, a duo to look out for is De’Andre Johnson and KaVontae Turpin, who both saw success in the TSL during the 2021 season. Turpin is an incredibly underrated wideout, being smaller than most. He uses this size disparity to his advantage, finding ways to elude defenders with quickness and agility.
This is the ability that De’Andre Johnson flashes from time to time. Hits KaVontae Turpin in stride deep down the field.
Beautiful placement, touch, and great deep ball ability. pic.twitter.com/IxSlUBcmq0
— John Douglas Vogel (@DraftVogel) June 13, 2021
Turpin participated in Fan Controlled Football, The Spring League, and made an appearance in the European League Of Football during 2021. He was exceptional in all three leagues, and that shouldn’t change in the USFL.
Considering Johnson has experience with Turpin already, these two should be utilized in Riley’s offense quite a bit.
#3: Jordan Ta’amu + Eli Rogers | Tampa Bay Bandits
Two XFL alumni are now joining forces in the USFL, as Jordan Ta’amu and Eli Rogers were signed to the Tampa Bay Bandits. Ta’amu is clearly one of the best quarterbacks selected in the USFL, and was electrifying during the XFL’s 2020 season.
Jordan Ta'amu was downright dominant for the @XFLBattleHawks pic.twitter.com/8FQCfiJmM8
— XFL (@XFL2023) March 1, 2020
What makes this pairing interesting is Eli Rogers’ caliber as a wide receiver, and how he can impact the game through his creative playmaking abilities. Rogers played for the DC Defenders in 2020, and was one of their top players throughout the short season.
Every catch Eli Rogers had in Saturday's XFL debut for DC Defenders. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/gLg3EaQij0
— BlitzburghUSAVideos (@sdextrasmedia) February 9, 2020
Rogers does an excellent job of finding the open areas on the football field, especially when his quarterback is under duress. In the footage above, Cardale Jones is scrambling often, and Rogers seems to always be in the right place at the same time. When you consider the fact that Ta’amu is even more mobile than Jones, this duo has a very high ceiling heading into April.
On top of that, Todd Haley (Head Coach of the Bandits) is being reunited with Rogers. Both were a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization for a time, as Haley served as the offensive coordinator for several years. With Haley being fully aware of Rogers’ skill set, expect Rogers and Ta’amu to do impressive things in the USFL this year.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, there will be plenty of athletes who will be excellent in the USFL, and we can only speculate as to which players will perform well on the field. These three duos, however, definitely stand out when it comes to future expectations.
April 16th can’t get here fast enough, and we can’t wait to see what happens in the USFL’s debut.
Who are some QB/WR duos that you think will do well in the USFL? Do you agree with our list here? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
