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Two former Hawkeye football players take the field in the UFL

The United Football League kicks off on Friday, March 28
ByJordan Underwood|
Mar 31, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Roughnecks logo on the goal post before between a game between the Memphis Showboats and the Houston Roughnecks at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images
Mar 31, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Roughnecks logo on the goal post before between a game between the Memphis Showboats and the Houston Roughnecks at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

Mark your calendars, football fans! The United Football League (UFL) kicks off on Friday, March 28. The league was newly formed in 2024 after the defunct Xtreme Football League (XFL) and United States Football League (USFL) were combined.

The UFL allows fans to watch football in the spring before the NFL and college football seasons begin. The league has announced the opening weekend schedule for the 2025 season.

The UFL is an exciting new league that became popular after the 2024 inaugural season. Two former Iowa football standouts will represent the Hawkeyes during the 2025 season.

Daviyon Nixon, defensive tackle

Former Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon in an Oct. 3 game versus the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.
Oct 3, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon (94) against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Iowa Football defensive tack Daviyon Nixon will suit up for the Arlington Renegades this upcoming season.

Nixon began his college career at Iowa Western Community College before transferring to Iowa for the 2019 season. Nixon racked up 29 tackles and three sacks in 13 games (one start) for the Hawkeyes.

Nixon compiled a team-leading 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in eight starts for the Hawkeyes in 2020. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after the 2020 season.

He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. He played two seasons for the Panthers (2021-2022) and tallied 15 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

Nixon will try to show NFL scouts what he can do in the UFL after fizzling out of the league after two seasons.

Jack Koerner, strong safety

Former Iowa Hawkeye Football player Jack Koerner attends rookie camp for the New Orleans Saints in 2022
May 14, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive back Jack Koerner (43) during rookie camp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Former Iowa safety Jack Koerner will suit up for the Houston Roughnecks this season.

Koerner is a Des Moines, Iowa native and was a First Team All-State selection after his senior high school season. Koerner decided to walk on at Iowa. He redshirted his first season (2017) before becoming a reserve/special teams player the next season.

Koerner started 11 of 13 games for the Hawkeyes during his junior year (2019) and tallied 81 tackles and one interception. He received a scholarship for the 2020 season, and tallied 45 tackles and three interceptions.

Koerner's best season was his senior season (2021), after he tallied 89 total tackles and three interceptions. He was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, but went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft.

Koerner aims to prove himself in the UFL and pique the interest of NFL scouts.

Nixon and Koerner will attempt to grab the eyes of NFL teams and scouts. Around 250 of the 400 UFL players were asked to work out for NFL teams after last season, and the two former Hawkeyes hope to add to that list after this season.

All 10-week regular season and two-week postseason games will be broadcast on Fox, ABC, and ESPN for the upcoming season.

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