Three former Kansas football players were selected in the XFL Rookie Draft in case they do not receive an NFL contract this offseason.
The XFL Rookie Draft is not like the typical draft that most professional sports leagues utilize. For a player to qualify for it, they must have been eligible for the most recent NFL Draft and cannot be under contract with another organization. There are eight rounds, and each team can choose ten players to add to next year’s roster if they cannot find a rookie deal.
A total of three undrafted free agents who played for the Kansas Jayhawks were selected by an XFL team. The Seattle Sea Dragons chose defensive tackle Sam Burt with their first-round (No. 5 overall) selection. Seattle took another former Jayhawk in round three — fellow defensive lineman Malcolm Lee. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Brahmas chose linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill with their sixth-round selection.
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Burt spent all four of his collegiate seasons at Kansas, serving as the team’s starting nose tackle as a junior and senior. He recorded 1.5 sacks and 18 total tackles in 2022.
Lee was also a significant contributor on the Jayhawks’ defensive line last year. He also spent four years at the university, totaling 78 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and one interception in his career.
McCaskill was a transfer from Louisiana, finishing his career at Kansas as a super senior. He recorded 84 tackles in the Ragin’ Cajuns’ magical 2021 season, where they went 13-1 and finished 16th in the AP Poll. At KU, McCaskill registered 50 total tackles and recovered a fumble.
All three of these players can continue to look for an undrafted free agent deal, as being selected in the XFL Rookie Draft is not a binding contract. However, they have a backup option if no team gives them a chance just yet.
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