UFL MVP power rankings: Renegades’ Luis Perez re-enters after Week 5

Week 5 of the UFL season revealed which teams are ready for the playoffs and which teams could be left behind.

The Michigan Panthers (3-2) took down the Memphis Showboats (1-4) on the road, while the two-time defending USFL champion Birmingham Stallions remained perfect on the year with a double-digit win over the Houston Roughnecks (1-4).

The St. Louis Battlehawks (4-1) handed the DC Defenders (2-3) their third loss of the season, and the reigning XFL champion Arlington Renegades fell to 0-5 after a tough loss to the San Antonio Brahmas (4-1) at home.

Here’s a look at which players stood out in Week 5 for the MVP race.

1. Adrian Martinez, QB, Birmingham Stallions 

Week 4 result: Defeated Houston Roughnecks, 32-9
Week 4 stats: 11 of 22 (55.0%) for 155 passing yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions and 138 rushing yards on nine carries

Martinez? That’s an NFL quarterback right there.

He’s the only player in the league to pass for 300 yards through the first half of the season. The Nebraska product leads the league in rushing with 302 yards (11.6 yards per rush). What’s more, he’s more than 100 yards clear of Brahmas RB John Lovett (195 yards) despite having nearly half as many rushing attempts (26).

2. AJ McCarron, QB, St. Louis Battlehawks 

Week 4 result: Defeated DC Defenders, 45-12
Week 4 stats: 14 of 24 (58.3%) for 213 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions

McCarron, who turns 31 next month, leads the league in passing touchdowns (10) and completion percentage (68.5 %), and he’s one of just two signal-callers who has thrown for 1,000-plus yards through the first half of the season (1,051). 

McCarron led his team to victory despite being down two starters on the offensive line in what was a one-score game at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

3. Luis Perez, QB, Arlington Renegades

Week 4 result: Lost to San Antonio Brahmas, 25-15
Week 4 stats: 26 of 36 (72.2%) for 270 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions

Though the Renegades remain winless, Perez demonstrated why he’s one of the league’s best players with another outstanding performance in Week 5. He became the first QB to reach 1,000 passing yards with 1,151.

Perez has proven that he can lead a losing team to a championship, doing so in 2023, but he’ll need to get help both from the Renegades defense and the top of the XFL Conference to repeat that feat in the UFL in 2024.

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RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.

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