Buzzer Beater: All-American Additions [UFA Week 5, 2026]

Which players might make a difference the rest of the way after the D-I College Championships are complete.

May 27, 2026 by Alex Rubin in Rankings, Recap

If you have questions about the UFA, you can also write in to [email protected], and some weeks I will feature a reader question in this column. Subscribers can also DM me in the Ultiworld Discord or post questions in the UFA channel so others can chime in.

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Degree Seeking Stars

The big event on the ultimate calendar this weekend was the D-I College Championships. Of course, I still snuck in some time watching the intriguing series of UFA games over the weekend, but my attention was on the action in Rockford, Illinois, as 40 of the best teams in North America spent their weekend vying for a national title. To follow all the action from the D-I Championships, you can see Ultiworld’s written and video coverage on our event page.

The end of the college season has one big implication for the UFA: the sudden availability of some of the league’s star players. Below, we take a look at which teams stand to benefit the most from their college-eligible players returning to UFA play.

Atlanta Hustle – Will Selfridge (Utah), Michael Poe (Georgia Tech), Sam Kilgore (Colorado)

• Selfridge and Poe have already played for the Hustle this season, so their impact is noted. In Kilgore, the Hustle are getting a tenacious defender who can match either size or speed to lock down his matchup.

Austin Sol – Owen Johnson (Texas), Aaron Barcio (Texas), Jake Worthington (Texas)

• Johnson led the Sol in blocks last year. In the college division, he is a top goal scorer, so his versatility will be useful for the Sol. Worthington is a big defender who will at the very least be useful in end of quarter situations. Barcio is a veteran handler with the poise to keep the disc moving even against high pressure defenses. Together, this trio could help bolster the Sol’s defense as they compete for a playoff spot.

Boston Glory – Jonah Stang-Osborne (Massachusetts), Roan Dunkerley (Massachusetts), Jason Tapper (Brown)

• All three of these players are stellar defenders and can contribute on offense, but Stang-Osborne is the biggest difference maker. His throwing range (especially with the UFA disc) makes defenders scared because they truly need to cover every inch of the field. It is hard to imagine Boston getting too much better, but Stang-Osborne’s reintroduction does just that.

Carolina Flyers – Tobias Brooks (Colorado), Zeke Thoreson (Colorado), Josh Singleton (North Carolina)

• Carolina’s offense is about to get a massive infusion of talent. Brooks was second on the team in assists the last time he played for the Flyers. Thoreson, who won the prestigious Callahan Award on Sunday, is a speedy cutter who will make a difference as a defender when his team doesn’t have the disc. Singleton is a tall lefty who can open up new opportunities for his teammates with his throws. In their tight playoff battle, adding so much new talent will be incredibly beneficial.

Chicago Union – Cullen Baker (Texas)

• A veteran handler who rarely turns over the disc, Baker becomes another key thrower for a Chicago team looking for more players to fill their gaps left from departing players.

Colorado Apex – Nanda Min-Fink (Colorado)

• During this rebuilding year, Min-Fink should be able to shine. Starting on the Colorado teams that made the playoffs, his sense of timing and spacing make him a hard cutter to cover.

DC Breeze – Gabe Dowd (Michigan), Isaac Lee (Maryland), Miles Grovic (Maryland), Lev Blumenfeld (Maryland)

• All of these players have already suited up for the Breeze this season, and they have all played key roles. Look to their results against New York: with the college kids the Breeze pulled off an upset, but while they were playing at Nationals they lost by four.

Houston Havoc – Xavier Fuzat (Texas), Isaac Fuzat (Texas)

• While the Fuzat brothers alone will not be enough to transform the Havoc into contenders, they will make the team fun to watch. Xavier is a top-tier thrower who makes Houston worth watching even during their less competitive games just to see what tricks he pulls out of his bag.

Indianapolis AlleyCats – Elliot Hawkins (Colorado)

• Most of Indy’s additions this season were veteran players, but the wait to see what they all look like with Hawkins will be worth it. One of the most dynamic players on the field, Hawkins can throw full field with precision, juke a defender out of their cleats, and hold his own on defense even while chasing elite opponents. His addition to the O-line will make facilitation of the disc significantly easier.

Minnesota Wind Chill – Thomas Shope (Carleton), Nate De Morgan (Carleton)

• Both top defenders in the college division, Shope and De Morgan have also made their names as offensive contributors in the UFA. With smart positioning, both players can blanket opponents and get blocks. Shope’s intelligent cutting and De Morgan’s cannon arm will only add to a Wind Chill team that is already among the best in the league.

New York Empire – Samuel McCrory (Massachusetts), Ethan Lieman (Massachusetts)

• Speaking of the Empire, New York will benefit from the reintroduction of two UMass stars who competed in Monday’s title game. Lieman is a speedy cutter who generates separation with ease, and McCrory is a steady defender who will only bolster New York’s top unit.

Oakland Spiders – Stefan McCall (Georgia Tech), Anton Orme (Cal Poly SLO), Raekwon Adkins (Oregon), Toby Warren (California-Santa Cruz)

• The Bay Area youth scene is still churning out lots of talented players. When they return to their home region to play for the local professional team, they make an all star team that looks headed to Championship Weekend. Orme, Adkins, and Warren are all offensive hybrids who can shape throws around any kind of defense. Adkins is a particularly dynamic player with his distinct give-and-go style that is simply so hard to cover. McCall is newer to the UFA but was one of the most important rookies in the division this year. His throwing prowess and ability to keep possession of the disc under heavy pressure impressed all season long.

Oregon Steel – Ben Thoennes (Oregon State), Felix Moren (Oregon State), Marcus Beidler (Oregon), Callahan Bosworth (Oregon State), Beckett Sessums (Oregon), Will Dillender-Kinast (Oregon), Andrew Thoennes (Oregon State), Emmett Warner (Oregon)

• Oregon needs all of the talent it can get. With some of the better players on the Oregon and Oregon State teams that both made the bracket at the College Championships, the Steel should only improve in the second half of the season.

Philadelphia Phoenix – Ezra Beidler-Shenk (Pittsburgh), Drew Loughnane (Penn State), Nolan McCloskey (Brown)

• Philadelphia is in need of some wins, and their three college players make earning them more likely. Beidler-Shenk is one of the Rookie of the Year favorites in the college division, and his offensive mastery and athleticism will translate very well to the UFA field. Loughnane is one of the few defenders with the speed and strength to really clamp an opponents. He surely will also record a handful of stunning chasedown blocks. McCloskey is a talented thrower who should collect assists by the handful.

Pittsburgh Thunderbirds – Reid Duncan (Pittsburgh), Thomas Mazur (Pittsburgh)

• By this point, Duncan is a Thunderbirds veteran. His size and athleticism play very well downfield. Mazur likewise is a great midfielder who can move the disc between the handler and cutter layers easily to facilitate better offense.

Salt Lake Shred – Oscar Brown (Utah), Lucas Reavy (Utah), Grayson Rettberg (Utah)

• Brown and Rettberg have already made their mark on this Shred team, so their talent is well known. Reavy had a bit of a breakout season on the Utah D-line, especially for his offensive abilities on the counterattack. If he can replicate that success on the UFA field, he could end up on an All-Rookie list.

News and Notes:

• The Toronto Rush continued their winning ways, taking down the Montreal Royal 21-16 behind Rookie of the Year favorite Max Pettenuzzo’s five assists and one goal on 741 total yards without a turnover.
•  The New York Empire exacted revenge on the DC Breeze to the tune of an 18-14 bounceback victory. Matt LeBar led the way with three goals and three assists alongside Alex Atkins’s four assists and two goals.
• The Atlanta Hustle were held to their lowest goal total in franchise history in a 18-12 loss to the Carolina Flyers, also in a revenge matchup from last week. In a defensive battle, Atlanta’s Trip Crowley notched four blocks and is now tied for second-most blocks on the season.
• The San Diego Growlers took down the Vegas Bighorns 26-17, but the Bighorns should be proud that they won the second quarter 6-5, a rarity in a season with few silver linings.
• The Philadelphia Phoenix scored on just 17% of their offensive possessions in a 28-11 loss to the Boston Glory. Playing just about exclusively on D-line, Oscar Graff led the game with seven goals, Lander Decraene led the game with six assists, and rookie Chris Parinella led the game with five blocks.
• Carolina’s offense is about to get a massive infusion of talent. Brooks was second on the team in assists the last time he played for the Flyers. Thoreson is a speedy cutter who will make a difference as a defender when his team doesn’t have the disc. Singleton is a tall lefty who can open up new opportunities for his teammates with his throws. In their tight playoff battle, adding so much new talent will be incredibly beneficial.

UFA Power Rankings

• No changes needed after this week’s results.