Buzzer Beater: 2026 Season Recap

The Oakland Spiders won the title following one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory

September 8, 2026 by Alex Rubin in Recap

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Wow, what a season! From start (remember the Austin-Atlanta 2OT thriller) to finish (Oakland’s dominant offensive performance at Championship Weekend), the 2026 UFA season delivered. Before we transition into offseason mode and look towards 2027, there is still some story to tell about this past summer.

Oakland’s Offense

When I look back on last week’s final, I remember Minnesota’s valiant, short-handed effort during the game, but I don’t think I spent enough words in the final recap describing just how brilliantly the Spiders offense played. Even against a Wind Chill defense that was able to generate coverage sack turnovers (notably Cam Lacy’s block on the first point of the game, and Dylan DeClerck’s layout block on a telegraphed pass to Leo Gordon), Oakland largely looked untouchable.

The Spiders’ versatility allowed them to run an offense unique in the league. Looking at their lineup, one might think that Dan Ritthaler and Dexter Clyburn would sit in the backfield; Chander Boyd-Fliegel and Dillon Whited would catch goals; and Gordon, Raekwon Adkins, and Walker Frankenberg would churn cuts through the midfield. But at any point, Gordon, Adkins, or Frankenberg might park themselves in the backfield. Whited and Boyd-Fliegel were both handling in redzone sets at times. Clyburn can turn on the jets and go deep (as he did several times at Championship Weekend). And Ritthaler, who often caught the centering pass, led the team in goals this season!

No matter what single tactic or move an opposing defense tried to stop, Oakland would figure out another way to play. When other teams might need to reshuffle lines or turn to their bench to make such a tactical change, Oakland could often figure it out on the fly with the players on the field.

As ultimate strategy continues to evolve, other teams may try to mimic the seven-person dominator set that Oakland ran on most offensive points this season. But accomplishing what the Spiders did this year requires not just the tactical know-how, but the specific personnel able to run such an offense. Surely there is another group of players who can do this, but for now, hats off to Ritthaler, Frankenberg, Clyburn, Gordon, Adkins, Boyd-Fliegel, Whited, Stefan McCall, and Adam Rees for showcasing a beautiful way to play ultimate that will be a challenge for any other team to replicate.

End of Season Awards

I have not yet done my full deep dive to plan out who I would vote for when the awards ballots come around (assuming the UFA invites me to vote again). But, as I reflect on the season, here are some initial ideas regarding who I’m thinking about:

MVP

• Tobe Decraene (Boston Glory) – Last year’s MVP had some MVP moments again this season and likely had the biggest individual impact of any single player on a playoff team.
• Alex Atkins (New York Empire) – By Shown Space’s advanced metrics, he was far and away the most impactful player on the field¹
• Walker Frankenberg (Oakland Spiders) – The best player on the best team.
• Elliot Hawkins (Indianapolis AlleyCats) – I mean some of the numbers he was putting up were ridiculous. Two 14 assist games!

Rookie of the Year

• Chander Boyd-Fliegel (Oakland Spiders) – Seamlessly fit into the best offense in the league.
• Nick Whitlock (New York Empire) – A standout in the toughest division in the league.
• Max Pettenuzzo (Toronto Rush) – His arrival changed the trajectory of the Rush’s season for the better.
• Ricky McLeod (Seattle Cascades) – Blocks are not the be-all-end-all stat, but getting 21 of them (second in the league) is very impressive for a rookie.
• Lander Decraene (Boston Glory) – His impact might be overshadowed by his brother, but he was a force for Boston’s D-line this season.

Defensive Player of the Year

• Carter Lankford (Oakland Spiders) – The second year player stepped up into a key playmaking role for the title winners.
• Justin Burnett (Minnesota Wind Chill) – Lockdown defense is so hard to play on the big UFA field, but Burnett makes it look simple.
• John Randolph (New York Empire) – Randolph can clamp up a handler better than anyone else in the league.
• Dylan DeClerck (Minnesota Wind Chill) – Just watch the final, that will tell you everything you need to know.
• Cooper Williams (Carolina Flyers) – The league leader in blocks this season.

Coach of the Year

• Liam Kreiss (Oakland Spiders) – A first year coach winning a championship?
• Ben Feldman (Minnesota Wind Chill) – Consistently among the best in the league. Just because his success was not a surprise does not make it any less valuable
• Nathan Bussberg (Indianapolis AlleyCats) – If there was an executive of the year, Bussberg would definitely win for his recruiting efforts. His on-field adjustments and leadership throughout a down-and-up season are worth merit as well.

Most Improved Player

• Dan Ritthaler (Oakland Spiders) – Stepping into a key offensive role, Ritthaler took on more than his fair share of high-pressure throws and never wavered.
• Cam Lacy (Minnesota Wind Chill) – Lacy entered this league as a pulling threat and has evolved into an all-around playmaker, both as a defender and thrower.
• Elliot Hawkins (Indianapolis AlleyCats) – The last time we saw Hawkins play, he had 1/6 as many assists and 1/7 as many completions.
• Pieran Robert (Madison Radicals) – He stepped into a much bigger offensive role and managed to keep his stellar defensive numbers and on-field performance while also turning into a goal scoring threat.
• Miles Grovic (DC Breeze) – In his first season playing mostly O-line minutes, Grovic set career highs in most offensive categories and proved a vital piece of the Breeze offense.

UFA Final Power Rankings

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1. Though last week we learned that maybe the algorithm favored Empire players too much based on their semifinals predictions??? ↩