Keeping MVP frontrunner and DC Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu upright will be at the top of the priority list for interim head coach Shannon Harris as his team enters the final weekend of the 2025 UFL regular season. 

“I may pull him a lot sooner than last week just to keep him in rhythm a little bit and give him some quick reads — things like that where he’s not holding onto the ball,” Harris said. “That’s the biggest thing. We want to make sure we keep him in a rhythm and don’t get stale.”

Harris said the plan last week was to get second-string quarterback Mike DiLiello some live reps while also maintaining Ta’amu’s timing and rhythm with the starters by giving him the first half of playing time.

With the St. Louis Battlehawks and Defenders meeting again next weekend in the XFL Conference title game, Harris chose to keep Ta’amu on the sidelines by starting DiLiello for the final game of the regular season. Ta’amu currently leads the UFL in passing yards (2,153) and passing touchdowns (17), with just four interceptions this year. 

[MORE: What is the UFL? Everything to know about the 2025 United Football League]

The Battlehawks (7-2) and the Defenders (6-3) kick off Week 10 on Friday (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). The Michigan Panthers (6-3) host the Houston Roughnecks (4-5) In the lone game on Saturday (3 p.m. ET).

In Sunday’s doubleheader, the Arlington Renegades (4-5) face the San Antonio Brahmas (1-8) on the road (noon ET), followed by the Birmingham Stallions (6-3) taking on the Memphis Showboats (2-7) to close things out (3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

Here’s a closer look at five things to watch for in Week 10:

1. QB Mike DiLiello to start for Defenders

The Austin Peay product went 17-for-29 for 207 yards and a touchdown in the Defenders’ surprising loss to the Roughnecks last week. Now, DiLiello gets his first start, with Spencer Sanders serving as the backup and Ta’amu as the emergency No. 3 quarterback. 

Along with Ta’amu, the Defenders will rest a handful of other regular starters for the playoffs, including wide receiver Cornell Powell, linebacker Anthony Hines, pass rusher Derek Roberson and cornerback Bryce Thompson.

On the other side, St. Louis head coach Anthony Becht will play most of his starters, including QB Max Duggan. 

2. Siaosi Mariner surprises as UFL receiving yards leader 

Under the radar this season, Mariner tops the UFL in receiving yards with 527 on 31 receptions and a score. His 17 yards per reception is the fourth-best mark in the league.

Houston’s Justin Hall leads the league with 58 receptions, while Powell is tops in receiving touchdowns with seven.

Vying for the league lead in rushing yards is St. Louis’ Jacob Saylors, whose 499 yards is tops in the UFL ahead of Week 10. San Antonio’s Jashaun Corbin (459 yards) is second, while Deon Jackson (419 yards) is third.

3. Stallions peaking at the right time

The defending UFL champions started the season scuffling at 3-2 but have won three of their last four games and are peaking at the right time. Part of the improved play has been the return of J’Mar Smith, who has stabilized the quarterback position and the entire offense because of his experience in head coach Skip Holtz’s scheme. 

It’s also taken some time for Birmingham’s new roster to gel and deal with injury concerns, according to Holtz. “I call them the intangible things,” he said. “They’re the things you can’t measure — where your motivation is, where your attitude is, where your passion or desire, you’re why.

“It’s the intangible things that make championship teams, and I think that’s one of the things that this team has done a good job of as we’ve gone through the season. It was very hard at the beginning of the season because 50% of our team is new, so we had to teach a new culture.”

4. UFL announces Sportsman of the Year Award nominees

This week, the UFL announced eight nominees for the 2025 UFL Sportsman of the Year. The nominees are Seth Green (Renegades), Barry Wesley (Stallions), Chris Rowland (Defenders), Leon O’Neal Jr. (Roughnecks), Jaylon Allen (Showboats), Ryan Nelson (Panthers), Steven Stillianos (Brahmas) and Trave Feeney (Battlehawks).

The award goes to the player who best exemplifies the league’s core values by demonstrating excellence on the field and a deep commitment to community service off the field. The winner will be announced at the 2025 UFL Championship Game in St. Louis on June 15. 

One of the top runners in the UFL last season, Lovett returns for San Antonio’s last game of the year after landing on IR with an undisclosed injury earlier this season.

In other UFL roster moves, the Roughnecks signed pass rusher Lonnie Phelps after he was released by San Antonio earlier this season. 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams.

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