The UFL season is right around the corner, and these former Buckeyes will be suiting up for the 8-team league in its second season. 

Ohio will receive a team in the UFL this Spring, led by native son Ted Ginn Jr. The former Ohio State Buckeye is the head coach of the Columbus Aviators.

Head Coach Ted Ginn Jr. 

Former Buckeye great Ted Ginn Jr will return to Columbus, this time as head coach of the Columbus Aviators. Ginn has no prior professional coaching experience, last serving as an assistant on his father’s coaching staff at the high school powerhouse Glenville. He will now get the chance to lead the newly established Aviators in hopes of winning a title in 2026. 

Gareon Conley

Gareon Conley re-signed with the DC Defenders after taking one year off from football. The former first-round draft pick spent the entire 2024 season with the team before signing with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad following the season. Conley’s return to the NFL after five years would be short-lived after being released by the Cowboys just one month later, leading to his retirement from football. Now, Conley returns to the UFL with his former team, where he will get the chance to contend for a championship. 

Steele Chambers

Steele Chambers is gearing up for his second season in the league. The former running back-turned-linebacker spent last season with the Memphis Showboats before being selected by the Kings in the UFL Draft. Chambers spent time with the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots before being waived in 2024 and beginning his UFL journey. 

Antwuan Jackson Jr. 

Defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson is entering his fourth season of spring football. Jackson began his spring football career with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023. He then played the 2024 season for the St. Louis Battlehawks following the merger and will now suit up for his second season with the Memphis Showboats. Jackson is no stranger to change.

His college football career began at Auburn, where he redshirted his freshman season. He then entered the transfer portal and played JUCO at Blinn College. After one season with the team, he transferred again, this time finding a home in Columbus. He played four seasons with the Buckeyes.  

Matthew Jones 

Offensive lineman Matthew Jones is entering his first season of spring football with the Columbus Aviators. Jones played six seasons with the Buckeyes, most notably in 2022 and 2023, when he started 24 times across 26 games. Now, Jones will have the opportunity to continue his football career after being waived by the Arizona Cardinals in 2024. 

The Columbus Aviators open their season in Orlando on March 29th against the Orlando Storm.