UNC Football Alumni: Former Tar Heels in XFL Draft Pool

Some former UNC Football players are in the 2020 XFL Draft Pool as the new league will return for a second stint beginning next year.

Are you ready for the XFL, again?

The league founded by WWE owner Vince McMahon is returning for another go at it beginning in 2020 as they look to provide an alternate to the NFL. The first go around for the XFL didn’t go as planned as it was canceled after just one season.

But now it’s back and the league is ready for their first draft.

The 2020 XFL Draft will be held on October 15–16, 2019 on a conference call with the results tweeted out from social media accounts. The eight teams will take turns picking teams as they look to build their rosters in anticipation for the upcoming season. Among the player pool will be a few former UNC Football players hoping for another shot.

A pair of former running backs, Elijah Hood and Khris Francis, are among three Tar Heels that are in the draft pool. The two players are joined on offense by former quarterback standout Marquise Williams. In total, UNC will have four players in the draft pool as former defensive back Desmond
Lawrence will be the lone player on defense to represent the Tar Heels.

The draft pool is a large one overall and will include a bunch of former NFL players:

All four of the former Tar Heels in the pool were part of UNC’s last team to win the Coastal Division in 2015. Williams was the starting quarterback for that squad with Hood sharing reps with T.J. Logan in the backfield. Francis also appeared in 13 games.

Lawrence was named to the All-ACC Second Team for that season.

As for their NFL careers, Hood is the only one of the four to appear in a regular season game. Hood was cut from Carolina this offseason and then picked up by Jacksonville in August before being let go again.

For more on former UNC Football players, please check back with Keeping It Heel.