The 2023 edition of the XFL – headed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his longtime business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia – is ready to launch in 2023. In preparation for that launch, the league completed its two-day draft last Tuesday and Wednesday, and Texas Tech football is represented.
Before the draft, the league assigned available quarterbacks to each team. The two-day draft was split up into four position groups including offensive skill, defensive backs, defensive front, and offensive line. To fill out the rosters, teams had open rounds to pick players from.
The league will have a supplemental draft in January to reach its goal of 528 total players – 66 per team – to attend camps ahead of the February 2023 kickoff.
Former Tech wideout T.J. Vasher, who spent time on the Dallas Cowboys roster in the offseason, was selected in the ninth round by the San Antonio Brahmas, while former Red Raiders linebacker Riko Jeffers was taken in Round 24, also by the Brahmas.
In 37 games for the Red Raiders from 2016-2020, Vasher caught 146 passes for 1,983 yards and 21 touchdowns. Undrafted, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys but sat out all of 2021 due to an injury suffered while at Tech.
Vasher showed signs of brilliance in camp prior to the start of the 2022 NFL season but was released in late August due to an already full receiver room.
Jeffers played 55 games for the Red Raiders from 2017-2021, registering 296 tackles, 180 solos, seven sacks, and an interception.
The league returned five teams from its previous 2020 incarnation while adding three new ones for a total of eight. Taking the field in 2023 will be the Arlington Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Vegas Vipers, Orlando Guardians, St. Louis BattleHawks, San Antonio Brahmas, Seattle Sea Dragons, and DC Defenders.
The XFL 2023 season kicks off on Feb. 18 with training camps beginning on Jan. 8.
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