ORLANDO QB PLUMMER WINS 2026 UFL MVP
Following a season in which Orlando’s expansion franchise set the pace in the regular season, quarterback Jack Plummer capped his breakthrough campaign by being named the United Football League’s Most Valuable Player as the league handed out its annual awards ahead of the United Bowl.
Plummer emerged as the clear choice after guiding the Storm to an 8-2 record and the top seed in the playoffs. In his first season of spring football, the one-time Carolina Panthers taxi squad member led the league with 2,188 passing yards and 195 completions, while throwing just one interception. His 17 touchdown passes against a single turnover established a new UFL single-season record, and he added a 71-yard rushing touchdown in Week Eight, the second-longest run in the league all year.
The MVP honour crowned a memorable debut season for Orlando, with head coach Anthony Becht collecting the Buddy Teevens Coach of the Year award after steering the expansion side to the postseason in his first campaign in Florida. The former St. Louis Battlehawks coach reached the playoffs for a third straight year and improved his overall UFL record to 30-10, but deflected the personal glory in favour taking pride in player development.
While Orlando dominated the headline awards, players and coaches from across the league were also recognised for standout campaigns.
St. Louis Battlehawks receiver Hakeem Butler earned Offensive Player of the Year honours for the second time after leading the UFL with 641 receiving yards and averaging a record 22.1 yards per catch. His season was enough to earn another NFL opportunity with the Denver Broncos.
Louisville Kings defensive end Cam Gill was named Defensive Player of the Year after registering a league-record 10 sacks and leading the UFL with 12 tackles for loss. Gill became a key figure in the Kings’ championship-winning defense and made no secret of his own NFL ambitions after lifting the title.
Special teams honours also went to Louisville, where kicker Tanner Brown enjoyed a record-breaking campaign. Brown converted 25 field goals, including the first 60-yarder under the league’s four-point field goal rule, before producing two further 60-yard attempts in the Kings’ playoff victory over St. Louis. The feat made him the first player in professional football history to make multiple field goals of at least 60 yards in the same game, and helped secure a contract with the New Orleans Saints.
The Battlehawks added another award when defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin was named Assistant Coach of the Year after overseeing the league’s top-ranked defense. St. Louis led the UFL in total defense and rushing defense while posting a franchise-record 31 sacks.
DC Defenders receiver Cornell Powell rounded out the major honours by receiving the Sportsman of the Year award. The accolade recognises leadership and service away from the field, areas in which Powell has become heavily involved through The Powell Project, a charitable foundation he launched in 2021 to support young people and underserved families in his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, while also promoting awareness of breast cancer research and autism.
Powell was also among the UFL’s most productive receivers, leading DC with 34 catches for 491 yards, underlining the all-round contribution that made him one of the league’s most respected figures in 2026.