Florida Sports Wire

  ARLINGTON, Texas (www.thefloridasportsday.com) Dallas Renegades tight end Baylor Cupp and Orlando Storm running back Tre Stewart have signed with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, the team announced today. The signings bring the total number of 2026 UFL players who have earned NFL contracts to 51.  Since August 1, 47 UFL players have signed with or worked out for NFL teams, participating in a combined 57 NFL workouts during that span. Overall, 83 UFL alumni are currently under contract with NFL teams and participating in NFL training camps, continuing the league's role as a development pathway for professional football players. Cupp (6-6, 243, Texas Tech) appeared in nine games for the Renegades in 2026, recording eight receptions for 73 yards, including a 20-yard reception. He joins the Cardinals following his first season in the UFL. Cupp entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 after completing his collegiate car...

By Don Coble, Florida Sports Wire (www.jaxsportsday.com) There were so many player swaps, especially on the offensive line, during Thursday’s joint practice with the New Orleans Saints that head coach Lian Coen said he couldn’t keep up with the changes. He also said to expect that to continue when Jacksonville opens its preseason schedule against the Saints Saturday, August 15, at the Mercedes Superdome. Kickoff is scheduled at 4 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited. “I couldn’t even tell you who was in at the end, honestly,” Coen said after Thursday’s workout. “It was just a lot of rotating in there, whether it's because of trying to get guys work at different spots in these settings or because we had some guys cramping and had to mix it up.” Coen also plans to step back and observe the entire operation from the sidelines. Coen normally calls the offensive plays, but he will give that headset to Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinksi. That way, the second-year coach can also pay attention to the d...

  By Jeff Moeller, Jax Sports News Welcome to the Big Easy. The Jaguars will be in New Orleans Saturday to officially open the season. These are two teams that don’t have much of a history between them, as there have only been eight regular-season meetings, the last with the Jaguars pulling out a 31-24 victory in a pretty interesting game. In a joint practice Thursday, the Jaguars apparently made it look relatively easy. For Lawrence, the city’s “Big Easy” moniker could be his for the season. He has to make it look easy.  They started slowly, but eventually Trevor Lawrence looked good, tossing a pair of touchdown passes to Jakobi Meyers - looking like his new favorite target- song with Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. This was after Lawrence was picked off on his first pass. It was another untimely throw that Lawrence will need to correct.  Saturday night, the two teams will tee it up for real, but the regulars will likely be done before halftime.  Lawrence’s f...

Special to Florida SportsTicker LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (www,jaxsportsday.com) – Jace Beck tossed a no-hitter on Sunday in the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s 4-0 rain-shortened, five-inning victory over the Gwinnett Stripers from Gwinnett Field. The only base runner Beck (1-1) yielded came on an error to begin the bottom of the first before he retired the next 15 batters, five via strikeout. The contest was halted with Jacksonville (57-55, 15-23) leading 4-0 following the fifth inning due to inclement weather.  Beck’s no-hitter was the second of the season for Jacksonville, following Braxton Garrett’s 8.0-inning no-hitter in a 2-0 loss on April 21, also at Gwinnett. Beck was one of two players traded by the Chicago Cubs for Garrett on August 3 to the Marlins. The no-hitter is also the 15th in Jacksonville history (1970-present) and the first rain-shortened no-no since Elih Villanueva’s 5.0-inning no-hitter on August 15, 2010 against Carolina. Deyvison De Los Santos got the scoring started ...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) - When he took over as offensive coordinator last season, Grant Udinski had plenty of pressure on him. Udinski was part of the new regime under GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen. He had the challenge to take the team to the next level after predecessor Press Taylor failed in his attempt the previous three seasons. But this was a new beginning for Udinski. He previously had served  as assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach  for Minnesota during the  previous three seasons, and was an assistant coach for four previous seasons.  There were plenty of questions surrounding the 29-year-old on whether he was ready for the job.  He certainly had the deck stacked against him.   Udinski inherited an offense that was derailed due to Trevor Lawrence’s early season-ending injury, and the Jags never got on track with a 4-13 overall slate. Prior to that seaso...

From Florida SportsTicker TAMPA  (www.thefloridasportswire.com) – South Florida junior kicker Nico Gramatica has been named to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Friday. Gramatica is one of three American Conference players named to the 35-player watch list. The 35th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a banquet gala on December 7th in West Palm Beach, Florida.   The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954.  Gramatica earned Second Team American All-Conference honors last season, his first as the Bulls’ starting kicker. He went 18-of-24 (75%) on field goal attempts, ty...

From Florida SportsTicker ORLANDO (www.thefloridasportswire.com) – Orlando Storm running back Jashaun Corbin has signed a contract with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Corbin becomes the fourth Orlando player and 39th player from the 2026 UFL season to sign an NFL contract since the conclusion of the season. He joins defensive end Keshawn Banks (Atlanta Falcons), wide receiver Cam Camper (New York Jets), and cornerback D.J. James (New York Giants) as Orlando players to earn NFL contracts. Corbin played in all 10 games for the Storm in 2026, rushing for 438 yards on 131 carries with three touchdowns. He added 118 receiving yards and 322 kick return yards to finish with 878 total yards, ranking third in the UFL. His 438 rushing yards also ranked third in the league. An All-UFL selection in 2025, Corbin led the league with 514 rushing yards while playing for the San Antonio Brahmas. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and scored four rushing touchdowns. Corbin originally s...