April 10, 2025
By Alex Rubin

When the first pull of the 2025 season is launched in a few weeks time, it will wrap up one of the most exciting offseasons in UFA history. It will also be our first look at a handful of potential All-UFA selections who switched teams since the last time they took the field. Some are returning to previous teams or reuniting with former teammates in new cities, while others are simply gearing up for a new adventure and a different chance at success. There are too many players switching teams to highlight every single one, but here are a few I think will be most impactful.

Pawel Janas
Los Angeles —> Chicago

The all-time UFA assist leader is returning to the city where he made his debut. Pawel Janas played for Chicago between 2017-2022, leading the Union to three playoff appearances, two Championship Weekend berths, and one title game in that time. After a two-year stint in Los Angeles, Janas is back with the Union as Chicago is building another title contending team. Many of Janas’s teammates from the Union's 2022 title game appearance including Nate Goff and Paul Arters are back, along with the addition of reigning "European Player of the Year" Daan De Marrée. The accolades of those around him are impressive, but none are more suited for the UFA game than Janas. 

“He does so much,” Chicago Captain Andrew Sjogren said. “His attitude from being in California right now is very strong. He’s been flying out to a bunch of our practices–I think he’s missed maybe one or two practices–which is super special for a player who lives so far away.” Janas, along with a few other additions, is set to move to Chicago for the season in a few weeks time, but his dedication to be part of the team even before then speaks to his capacity for leadership.

“When he’s here, he’s all about getting together with the guys and being a great teammate,” Sjogren added.

Janas might not take up the every-other-throw that he held a few years ago, but he will absolutely be a difference maker for a team with championship aspirations.

James Pollard
Philadelphia —> Minnesota

After six seasons on the Philadelphia Phoenix, James Pollard signed this offseason with the Minnesota Wind Chill. Already integrated into the Minnesota ultimate community through his time playing with club team Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust, Pollard is excited to enhance the Wind Chill’s coverage as part of their team-wide title defense.

Expected to be a key defender and an offensive threat after the turn, Pollard’s versatility allows Minnesota Head Coach Ben Feldman to deploy Pollard in multiple positions. His throwing ability makes him a threat as a puller (as an aside, Pollard and Cameron Lacy easily form the scariest pulling duo in the Association) and a backfield arm while his size and intelligence make him a deadly finisher. 

The trickiest part may be figuring out where Pollard fits in on a team that just won a championship and brings back just about every major contributor. “I’ve been playing with the same people for my whole career,” Pollard said, referencing his time in Philadelphia. “So there’s a lot of chemistry that isn’t there anymore.”

As Minnesota races with Chicago for the division lead and ultimately a spot at Championship Weekend, Pollard’s impact could prove to be an x-factor for the a Wind Chill team itching to prove that they’re still championship material.

Calvin Brown
Los Angeles —> New York

Calvin Brown hasn’t stepped foot on a UFA field since 2023, when he suited up for Los Angeles alongside Janas. However, the cannon-armed youngster spent last club season playing on New York PoNY’s D-line in the club division and will join Marques Brownlee, John Randolph, Antoine Davis, Shashank Alladi among other teammates on the Empire. Brown has been playing the sport since he was a toddler and has built an impressive ultimate IQ. His field vision might entice field-bending throws—see his entry in Ultiworld’s recent Throw of the Year bracket—but his ability to anticipate a play and move smoothly across the field also makes him an incredibly valuable cutter and defender.

“I love playing with Calvin,” Empire squad mate Randolph said. “I think he’s perfectly built for the UFA and the UFA field. He’s a great teammate and a great guy to have around. He’s probably the person I’m most stoked to have on the team as an addition this year [...] He’s a great big space player.”

In the time he spent away from the UFA, Brown led his college team to the national title game and earned a spot on the 2025 USA Ultimate Beach National Team. Especially as Brownlee will need to take some time off due to World Games obligations, adding Brown’s throwing talent and versatility might just be exactly what the Empire need to return to Championship Weekend.

Tobe Decraene
Montreal —> Boston

Tobe Decraene took the league by storm last season, running up 52 assists, 17 goals, and 18 blocks for Montreal on the way to winning “Rookie Of The Year”. Ian Toner reported in March that a complication with his Canadian work permit enticed Decreane to seek a contract with another team. After playing last club season with Boston DiG, Decreane joined many of his teammates in the professional circuit and signed with the Glory. 

Surrounded by more talent than he was in Montreal, Decreane may not reach the same statistical heights that he did last year, but his impact is sure to be felt in a tight division race. Especially considering how many of his Boston teammates will be actively competing in college competition in April and early May, his ability to spark a big play and keep the disc moving will benefit Boston a lot before they have their full complement of players available.

In a very tight East Division, Decreane’s combination of composure and explosive playmaking will prove valuable as Boston fends off seasoned challengers in New York and DC, as well as an upstart in Toronto featuring many of Decreane’s frequent European adversaries. While the rest of the league might struggle to put together a scouting report on Toronto’s big-name international acquisitions, Decreane has been playing against them for years at this point. In addition to his on-field playmaking abilities, his off-field instinct and intuition will be valuable to Boston too.

Tobias Brooks
Carolina —> Colorado

Let me start by making it clear that Tobias Brooks will not play every game for Colorado this season. Between his commitments to his college team - Colorado Mamabird is among the favorites to win USA Ultimate’s D-I College Championship in May - and his spot on the U24 National Team that is set to compete at the U24 World Championships in late June, Brooks may not make his mark on this edition of the Summit until midway through the season. Yet his talent is so bright that Colorado is reserving a place on its O-line for Brooks and expects him to slot right in when he’s ready to fully join the team. 

A natural leader with bounds of athleticism and an eye for the end zone, Brooks is the perfect puzzle piece to complete Colorado’s offense.

“He’s one of the best players in the league,” new Summit teammate Alex Atkins said. Atkins added that while the Summit have offensive principles that they follow, the team also wants to let their creative players shine. Known for his array of no-look throws, smooth give-and-go moves, and pure power, Brooks will thrive in an environment where his creativity and improvisation can flourish. 

While he may not capture the same statistical high as he did last season–Brooks finished second on the Flyers in assists despite missing four games–he is sure to make his presence known and looms as essentially a mid-season acquisition for a Summit team looking to climb back to the top of the West Division.

Leo Gordon
Oakland (rookie)

For UFA fans who do not follow college ultimate as closely, get used to hearing the name Leo Gordon. Gordon is coming off a 2024 D-I championship as one of the key leaders of Brown University’s Brownian Motion team (the other key contributor there was UFA player Jacques Nissen). A Bay Area native, Gordon is a dynamic offensive force, equally adept at getting open for UFA-style hucks as he is dancing around the handler set or springing free for a stall-six bailout. 

As part of Brown’s handler-driver offense, Gordon got to show off his mastery of placing a 175 gram disc wherever he wanted to. Paired with Nissen, the two of them could dribble through small spaces or power full-field hucks from either direction. On a UFA field, Gordon will benefit from the larger spaces from which to make initiation moves and the ability to play creatively with field-flipping swings, quick-strike give-and-go moves, and funky blades all well within the limits of his arsenal.

The Spiders have no shortage of offensive talent, so they’ll be able to place Gordon into spots in the lineup where he can be most effective. In his most recent club season, that meant starting downfield and often receiving the first pass, but in other contexts he has operated behind the disc or as an overqualified finisher. No matter where he plays for Oakland this season, his addition is one factor keeping the Spiders in playoff contention in a crowded West Division

Alec Wilson Holliday
Dallas —> Atlanta

Despite playing for a winless team, Alec Wilson Holliday led the league with 60 goals last season. After a public free agency that included hiring former Empire coach Charlie Hoppes as his agent, Wilson Holliday signed with the Atlanta Hustle, adding pop to their offense that needed to replace the retiring Bobby Ley and Matt Smith. Alongside league legend Cameron Brock, Wilson Holliday brings a downfield dynamism to a team that has been on the brink of Championship Weekend contention for half a decade.

“They’re a great team,” former Hustle player and current Flyers star Allan Laviolette said. "There’s no real way around it [...] they were looking like the best team in the division [last season]. I can’t imagine that they’re not going to continue to build on that with the talent that they brought in. I wish we could go back to the Atlantic Division [from 2021] so there could be two teams coming through [to Championship Weekend].”

Wilson Holliday’s offensive game starts downfield and typically ends in the end zone, though he is more than a cherry-picking goal scorer. Adept at keeping defenders off balance, Wilson Holliday’s intelligence to choose his spots downfield and his field vision to find openings just as a thrower sees them make him valuable all over the field. A talented athlete, AWH is also no slouch on defense, but Atlanta is expected to play him mostly on the O-line where he has played the bulk of his UFA career so far.

As Atlanta vies for their first Championship Weekend appearance, Wilson Holliday offers another option for one of the league’s most dynamic offenses to flow through and another All-Star caliber player for opponents to add to the game plan.

Khalif El-Salaam
Seattle —> San Diego

Khalif El-Salaam was a major factor in Seattle’s return to Championship Weekend last season, but over the offseason he moved back to San Diego and will once again suit up for the Growlers, as he did during the 2021 season. El-Salaam’s resume speaks for itself, so it should go without saying that his defensive prowess and comfort handling the disc on the counterattack will be a boon to an ascendant Growlers team. Even more than what he brings on the field, El-Salaam is helping to develop a winning mentality for a team integrating a handful of impactful new players ready to compete in a new division.

“From SoCal ultimate, where there is a style of casual play, having someone who every time they step foot on the field is truly trying to win every matchup they find in every drill [...] it brings another level of intensity,” Growlers teammate Will Turner said. “This season in particular feels even more like that than the previous season that I played with him.”

The Growlers can hover below the National radar sometimes, but with El-Salaam headlining a very talented cast of additions, we could legitimately see San Diego back in the playoffs this season. With perennial All-UFA selection Travis Dunn controlling the offense, El-Salaam’s presence both as a defender, but more importantly, as the pace-setter for the counterattack will help the Growlers realize their potential and play up to their best.