More football is right around the corner.
With the merger of the XFL and USFL completed last fall, the newly refreshed United Football League (UFL) is set to officially launch its inaugural season this weekend across the country.
The league, split into two conferences featuring four teams from the XFL and the USFL, will take place over the next 10 weeks and lead into the first UFL playoffs for a chance at the championship trophy.
According to a social media post online, the Houston Roughnecks are starting former Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano at the quarterback position.
Guarantano signed a contract with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers in December 2023, which was then converted into a Houston Roughnecks contract after the merger had taken place and teams were finalized. Guarantano begins his USL career after a quick stint in the NFL.
After a one-year stop at Washington State and going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, the former Tennessee quarterback signed an undrafted free-agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals. While Guarantano did play in all of the Cardinals’ preseason games that fall, he was cut on Aug. 20, 2022. Guarantano signed to the practice squad on Sept. 7 but was released on Oct. 4.
The New Jersey native then had a short stop with the Denver Broncos. Guarantano was signed to the Broncos’ practice squad in December 2022 and was even promoted to the active roster that same month. His time with Denver would end in July 2023 when Guarantano was waived from the roster.
More from RTI: ‘Nico is a Baller, Man’: Vols’ Veteran Lineman High on Iamaleava Entering Starting Season
Guarantano’s first game leading the Roughnecks will be a home game against the Memphis Showboats on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The game will take place in Rice Stadium.
In week four, on Sunday, Apr. 21, Guarantano and the Roughnecks will take on former Tennessee wide receiver JaVonta Payton and the Arlington Renegades from Rice Stadium in Houston, TX, on FS1. Payton and the Renegades won the 2023 XFL Championship before the former Vol had a workout with the Philadelphia Eagles over the summer. Payton resigned with the Renegades in January 2024.
The four teams from the XFL Conference include the Arlington Renegades, the D.C. Defenders, the San Antonio Brahmas, and the St. Louis Battlehawks. The four teams from the USFL Conference include the Birmingham Stallions, the Houston Roughnecks, the Memphis Showboats, and the Michigan Panthers.
After redshirting during his first year with Tennessee, Jarrett Guarantano played with the Vols for four seasons from 2017 to 2020 under then-head coach Jeremy Pruitt. In his four playing years, Guarantano racked up a total of 6,174 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions on 61.1 percent passing. Guarantano would wind up transferring to Washington State for his final collegiate season but ended up only appearing in two games due to a knee injury that was suffered during the season.
Guarantano is one of seven players from the SEC on the Roughnecks’ roster including Missouri WR Keke Chism, Alabama MLB Reuben Foster, Texas A&M OL Avery Gennesy, Georgia DL Toby Johnson, LSU CB Colby Richardson, and Florida RB Mark Thompson.
QB1🔥@JayGuarantano has been named the starting quarterback for Week 1 🙌 pic.twitter.com/kwPOUaYkCq
— Houston Roughnecks (@XFLRoughnecks) March 21, 2024
