{"id":211141,"date":"2026-03-30T01:01:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T01:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/211141\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T01:01:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T01:01:16","slug":"orlando-storm-vs-columbus-aviators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/211141\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Storm vs. Columbus Aviators"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week one of the UFL\u2019s<\/a> 2026 season concludes tonight. It\u2019s a unique matchup, as the Orlando Storm<\/a> and Columbus Aviators<\/a> will take to the field for the first time in each of their own franchise\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of unknowns heading into tonight. While we are all familiar with Anthony Becht\u2019s coaching style \u2013 that\u2019s about all we know. These two teams have brand new rosters, featuring loads of first-timers in the UFL.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at what we can expect to go down in Orlando later tonight.<\/p>\n

Quarterback Play<\/p>\n

The Orlando Storm have opted to start Jack Plummer over Dorian Thompson-Robinson. It was an incredibly tight battle in camp, but Jack \u2013 the former Carolina Panther \u2013 earns the week one start. While the NFL didn\u2019t treat him too kindly, Plummer is an intriguing prospect at this level. He\u2019s got a massive frame, at 6\u20195\u201d, and boasts a strong arm which should be capable of doing some serious damage in the UFL. Jack\u2019s got strong leadership skills as well, which should bode well with the Storm\u2019s style of coaching.<\/p>\n

In Columbus, Jalan McClendon finally gets the week one start for the first time in his pro career. He proved to everyone in Houston last year why he deserves that opportunity. McClendon, albeit a pocket passer, does have sneaky mobility when it comes to escaping pressure. However, what makes him his money is his absolute cannon of an arm. In fact, sometimes that velocity can get him in trouble, as he\u2019s a \u201cone-speed\u201d thrower.<\/p>\n

If Jalan can show growth with Todd Haley, and develop some touch on the football \u2013 the sky isn\u2019t even the limit for this Aviators offense.<\/p>\n

Standout Playmakers<\/p>\n

Orlando\u2019s offense has true potential to be lethal. Plummer has no shortage of weapons to throw the football to. This wide receiver room alone features K.J. Hamler, a former second round NFL draft pick with the Broncos. We got to see his talents on display a couple of weeks ago at practice \u2013 he\u2019s unreal. Watch for K.J. to be active early and often. On top of that, WR\u2019s Chris Rowland, Elijhah Badger, and Aron Cruickshank should all be contributors.<\/p>\n

The Storm\u2019s ground game is also going to be tremendous. With Art Valero and Marc Colombo coaching up the guys in the trenches and backfield, there\u2019s no telling what Jashaun Corbin (All-UFL) is capable of this year. Add Tre Stewart and Elijah Dotson into the mix as backs with legitimate NFL potential \u2013 it\u2019s scary.<\/p>\n

Columbus will need Toa Taua to produce early to give themselves a shot at overcoming a stacked Orlando team on the road. Taua, the Michigan Panthers legend, led the UFL last year in rushing touchdowns. This year, he\u2019s looking even more spry and fast \u2013 while maintaining his bruising capabilities as well. To add to that, long-time UFL vets in ZaQuandre White and John Lovett are also available.<\/p>\n

A new name to watch closely in Columbus this year: Antwane Wells. They call him \u201cJuice\u201d, and for good reason. His speed is next level, and he\u2019s got route running abilities any NFL coach would envy.<\/p>\n

Two Defenses, Same Story<\/p>\n

Looking at the roster breakdowns for both of these defenses \u2013 they\u2019ve got some similarities. Up front, they\u2019ve got a few big names who can wreck havoc. On Columbus\u2019 end, they roster Caeveon Patton and Kenny Willekes \u2013 two spring vets who should terrorize quarterbacks and backfields all season long.<\/p>\n

See also<\/p>\n

\"Philadelphia\"Philadelphia<\/a><\/p>\n

In Orlando, Isaiah Buggs and Isaiah Mack will lead the charge in the trenches. On the edge, Keshawn Banks is a new arrival that has shown plenty of promise. Also \u2013 keep an eye out for Chris Garrett to produce. He\u2019s been a rotational piece for St. Louis for two seasons, but finally has the opportunity to be a starter.<\/p>\n

On the backend, it\u2019s a mix of guys who have a lot of experience (i.e. Tony Fields in Columbus, Tavante Beckett in Orlando), alongside new faces.<\/p>\n

Depth Chart Notes<\/p>\n

Columbus<\/p>\n

Aaron Monteiro moves to tackle and will start, alongside Chuck Filiaga, Ryan Nelson, Cohl Cabral, and Matt Farniok at center
\nTay Martin, Roc Taylor, Keke Chism listed as WR1\u2019s
\nKenny Willekes and Ron Stone Jr.; who shared the field in Michigan last year, start at EDGE
\nHenry Black and Akeem Dent, both backup safeties last year, will start<\/p>\n

Orlando<\/p>\n

Starting O-Line: Jason Ivey, Michael Gonzalez, Cole Schneider, Joey Fisher, Samuel Jackson
\nShawn Bowman starting at TE over Steven Stilianos
\nPheldarius Payne, former Battlehawks draft pick, starting at DT
\nMicah Abraham, son of DC Donnie Abraham, set to start<\/p>\n

Coaching Matchup<\/p>\n

Orlando Storm, Anthony Becht: Becht makes his Orlando debut, after three seasons of success in St. Louis. While the team never made it to a Championship, Anthony\u2019s won 22 of 30 regular season matchups, and has always found success despite quarterback injuries and turnover. Just his experience alone gives the Storm a true advantage in this game.<\/p>\n

Columbus Aviators, Ted Ginn Jr.: On the other hand, Ted Ginn Jr. makes his coaching debut, period. He\u2019s never coached outside of youth football, but now is leading a professional team in a brand new market. So far, things have gone well for Ted in camp \u2013 but it remains to be seen if that will translate to the football field on Sunday night.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/p>\n

Whatever ends up happening tonight \u2013 it\u2019s going to be a party. DJ Khaled will be performing the halftime show at Inter&Co Stadium, and it should be an all-time classic for spring football. With the momentum of having a week one home opener, paired up with Anthony Becht at Head Coach \u2013 we\u2019re taking Orlando to win this one.<\/p>\n

To secure your tickets for the game, which are less than $20! \u2013 you can do so here.<\/p>\n

Full Roster Breakdowns: Orlando<\/a>, Columbus<\/a><\/p>\n

What are your thoughts on this upcoming game between the Orlando Storm and Columbus Aviators? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!<\/a><\/p>\n

\"XFL,\"XFL,<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Week one of the UFL\u2019s 2026 season concludes tonight. It\u2019s a unique matchup, as the Orlando Storm and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":211142,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[50490,96691,75519,89175,96695,96692,96701,96696,75521,96700,96694,139,141,140,30210,96690,96693,96699,50491,50496,96697,96698],"class_list":["post-211141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-anthony-becht","tag-antwane-wells","tag-chris-rowland","tag-columbus-aviators","tag-isaiah-buggs","tag-jack-plummer","tag-jalan-mcclendon","tag-jashaun-corbin","tag-k-j-hamler","tag-kenny-willekes","tag-micah-abraham","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-orlando-storm","tag-pheldarius-payne","tag-ted-ginn-jr","tag-toa-taua","tag-ufl","tag-ufl-2026","tag-ufl-preview","tag-ufl-week-one"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}