The opening game of the USFL‘s return sees the Birmingham Stallions host the New Jersey Generals. For the first time since the 1980s, the USFL takes the field. Competitive football is back, and if they do it right, the USFL could capture the hearts of football fans once again. What are the odds and predictions for the Generals at Stallions in Week 1?
New Jersey Generals vs. Birmingham Stallions pick and prediction | Week 1 USFL
What do the Generals and Stallions bring into their Week 1 matchups?
The Stallions
The opening game will be played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, and is expected to draw quite a crowd. The Stallions will want to impress, and it starts with quarterbacks Alex McGough and J’Mar Smith.
McGough was a seventh-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. He spent three seasons around the NFL and now has an opportunity to take on the role as the starting quarterback for the Stallions. McGough played college football at FIU from 2014 to 2017.
Smith, meanwhile, played quarterback at Louisiana Tech, throwing 51 touchdowns and 21 interceptions across a four-year college career. He signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent but was waived before camp. He then spent time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL before landing with the Stallions.
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Who will be the Stallions’ starter is not yet known, and a lot will be unveiled during the game this weekend as to who the team favors as the signal-caller.
Keep an eye on running back Tony Brooks-James, who played his college football at Oregon. Brooks-James made his debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers after spending time with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He very nearly broke through in the pros.
The Generals
Luis Perez is a name you may recognize. Perez was a starting quarterback in the AAF and the XFL, and he’s the favorite to start for the Generals.
Having played for the New York Guardians, he was one of the top-tier quarterbacks during the 2020 XFL Draft. Perez played Division II football at the collegiate level for Texas A&M-Commerce.
Receivers J’Mon Moore and Darrius Shepherd spent time with the Green Bay Packers in the NFL. Moore, in particular, is expected to be a standout on the Generals’ roster. He played for the Missouri Tigers, totaling two 1,000+ yard seasons and 21 touchdowns across his four-year college career. The Packers then drafted Moore in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Pick and Prediction
Week 1 will be exciting for all watching as we look to see who jumps off the page from these two rosters. I like the experience that comes with the Birmingham Stallions and head coach Skip Holtz. Between 2005 and 2021, Holtz has been the head coach for East Carolina, South Florida, and Lousiana Tech. With the home-field advantage, I’ll take the Stallions as 3-point favorites.
Generals vs. Stallions Pick and Prediction: Stallions 34, Generals 17