Familiar face back on qb depth chart for Stallions
MAY 10, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
By Steve Irvine
J’Mar Smith is now just one play away from seeing his first on-the-field action with the Birmingham Stallions since the opening game of the 2023 season. Stallions head coach Skip Holtz decided after the team’s practice on Friday afternoon that Smith will be the backup to starter Case Cookus and newly signed Jalen Morton will serve as the No. 3 quarterback during Sunday’s key UFL divisional game against the Houston Roughnecks at Protective Stadium.
Earlier in the day, during a teleconference with media members, Holtz said he wasn’t sure what he would do with the backup quarterback decision.
“We've had two work days and we still have another one today before I've got to kind of make that final decision but I’m anxious to see how they're going to progress today,” Holtz said at the time. “We are charting everything, looking at everything. Who is the most ready quarterback to play? I think J’Mar Smith had a good week. Jalen Morton has been impressive in some areas. Case Cookus has probably taken over 50 percent of the reps and then Jalen and J’Mar kind of split the others behind him. Chase will be the starter and right now it'll be either J’Mar or Jalen. I don't know which one for sure yet, but I'll make that decision after today's practice.”
Now we know it will be Smith, who has more experience with Holtz’s offensive system than any other quarterback. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound Smith spent five seasons at Louisiana Tech under Holtz and has spent at least part of the past four seasons with the Stallions. He was the Stallions most effective quarterback in 2022, throwing for 1,573 yards with 10 touchdowns to help his team with the USFL championship. Smith entered the 2023 season as the starter and opened up with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Austin Watkins on the opening series of the season. However, he suffered a hand injury late in the first half and was lost for the season. Last season, Smith served as the No. 3 quarterback behind UFL MVP Adrian Martinez and Matt Corral.
Smith chose not to report to training camp this season but joined the team the day before the Stallions game against Memphis on April 25. He served as the No. 3 quarterback for that game and was waived early the following week. But, he returned to the team later that week because Corral’s injury sent him to the injured reserve list. Now, Smith is set to play if needed.
Morton was with the Stallions in 2022 and 2023 and saw brief action in his second season. Morton was playing for the Southwest Kansas Storm in the Arena Football League this season. He started all eight games he was with the team, throwing for 1,355 yards with 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and rushing for 11 more touchdowns. He joined the Stallions earlier this week because backup quarterback Andrew Peasley was injured in his first action of the season.
“He made the comment to me (earlier this week), he said just getting adjusted to the outdoor game, which you don't really take that into account,” Holtz said. “Arm strength is certainly not his problem for the outdoor game. I can only imagine how strong his arm is on a shorter field, a smaller field, but he's doing a nice job. He's been coming in, we've been meeting extra for him to get caught up with everything. I think that's probably the biggest thing for him, just getting adjusted to the spacing on the field where he's been on a smaller field. With only eight players playing in the Arena League, where you've got the pockets much bigger, there's obviously more defenders that are in the box with more different looks that they can give you. I think it's just him getting comfortable with that.”
Holtz said on Friday that he hopes that Alex McGough will be cleared to return soon. McGough started the season opener and was the lone Stallion quarterback to play that day. He suffered a shoulder injury on the first play of the second game and has been on the injured reserve list since the third week.
If things go right on Sunday, though, Cookus will be the only quarterback taking a snap. Cookus took over for an injured Corral late in the Stallions 23-16 win at Houston on April 19. He started the past two games, a loss to Memphis and win over San Antonio, and is 32-of-58 for 347 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. He struggled in the win over Memphis but was more consistent in the victory over the Brahmas.
“I thought Case played much better in week two than he did in week one,” Holtz said. “I thought he felt very comfortable. I said after his first game that the thing I regretted the most was I couldn't get him comfortable in our offense. Having a whole week to practice as a quarterback, I felt like he really, he's getting more and more comfortable. I think every day he’s learning. Like he said to me this morning when we were watching film, he said, you know, it's the first time I've had that play and that situation. So, we learn from it. We grow from it.”