Stallions’ WR Room IS Loaded, Veteran Williams Still Leading The Way

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - March 4, 2026

By Steve Irvine

Marlon Williams was there for the first step of the second edition of the Birmingham Stallions. He played a key role in two of the league championship seasons and would have done the same in the other if not for a season-ending injury in the first half of the first game. Now, he’s fighting to be part of what could be the best receiving crew in the UFL as the Stallions take a new step with different leadership.

Training camp is just over a week old but Williams said he can already see a difference in this year’s version of the UFL and the Stallions.

“I would say that it is way more competition,” Williams said. “It's a lot more guys, you know, that know how to play ball. In the USFL, there's a lot of guys that had been playing for a little minute but now you have a lot of guys coming from college (also). It's a lot of competition out there. I think the play is way faster too.”

As of now, the Stallions have 10 wide receivers in camp. Stallions head coach AJ McCarron said eight will make the roster. All 10 were brought in with the belief that they are capable of being the No. 1 receiver on the roster. The receiver room is filled with proven receivers, who bring different things to an offense.

“Honestly, I see a group of guys that come to work every day ready to battle,” said the 26-year-old Williams, a Mobile native, who played collegiately at UCF. “You know, everybody can do their own thing really well. You know, everybody can block, catch, run fast, run with the ball well. So I think we are very talented. I'll say that. I think this is probably the most talented group we've had.”

So where does Williams fit in the deep group of receivers?

“I think I'm a little bit of a combination of everybody,” Williams said. “I may not be the fastest in the room, but I do really well with the ball in my hands. Great hands, can run good routes. Honestly, I feel like I bring a leadership role to the team. You know, I've been on the team a couple years. I'm not the oldest, but that's just a character trait of mine. I like to be the leader of the group.”

Williams has certainly been leader in the four years he’s been with the Stallions. His best season came in 2022 when Williams had 43 catches for 603 yards with five touchdowns for the USFL champion Stallions. He had seven catches for 101 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown catch-and-run, in the USFL championship game. His 2023 season lasted less than a half after he suffered an Achilles tendon injury after catching three passes for 23 yards in the opener against the New Jersey Generals. Williams worked his way back on the field in 2024, catching 33 passes for 399 yards with four touchdowns for the UFL champion Stallions and last season he had 18 catches for 253 yards.

Now he takes on the challenge of competing for a job with a new coaching staff and a new offense.

“Marlon's been great,” said Stallions head coach AJ McCarron. “I think this is all new to a lot of guys that are coming to Birmingham, even Marlon and Deon (Cain). Everybody's on the same playing field, level playing field when it comes to the classroom standpoint. So it's how well can you take it from the classroom to the field and execute? But Marlon's awesome. I mean, he doesn't say much. He's always in a good mood. And he's been a pleasure to have on this team. I mean, it's 10 guys fighting for eight spots. So, really and truly, there's a ton of competition, and whoever's the best is going to win.”