April 23, 2025
By Daniel Cohen
After a whirlwind of an offseason with significant player movement across all four divisions, there are lots of exciting 2025 debuts to look forward to in Week 1. This year’s opening weekend edition of “Players to Watch” features impact players on new teams, loads of offensive firepower, and stars looking to take their franchises to the next level.
Sean Connole, Atlanta Hustle
The Sean Connole signing was a huge need fit for the Atlanta Hustle after losing O-line handler Bobby Ley to retirement this offseason, and he should slot in immediately alongside Austin Taylor in the Hustle backfield. The former Shred star led Salt Lake in total yards in his first three seasons in the league with over 17,000, and his dynamic playstyle as both a thrower and cutter could make him Atlanta’s most impactful offseason addition, even with the notable signings of Alec Wilson Holliday and Cam Brock. His Hustle debut comes this Saturday in the Game of the Week against his former team, the first ever meeting between two teams that have had 10-plus regular season wins each of the last two seasons.
Joel Clutton, Vegas Bighorns (Pictured)
It’s hard to know much about Vegas at this point, but when they announced the early signing of Joel Clutton and proceeded to name him team captain, it’s clear they plan on making a name for themselves out West. Clutton appeared in 14 games for Salt Lake in 2022 and 2023, and he consistently showcased his dominance as both a deep defender and downfield receiver; he was a unanimous UFA All Defense team selection in 2022 and made one of the league’s greatest Championship Weekend highlights in 2023. Now on his fourth UFA team, Clutton brings his defensive prowess, leadership, and Championship Weekend experience to the league’s newest franchise, and if he can make some plays against New York in the 2025 premiere of Friday Night Frisbee, Clutton could ignite the Bighorns’ inaugural season.
Tobe Decraene, Boston Glory
2024 Rookie of the Year Tobe Decraene will battle his former team this week as he suits up for Boston for the first time since leaving Montreal. One of many high-profile free agent signings we saw league-wide this offseason, Decraene is set up to terrorize opponents this year for a Glory squad that continues raising their ceiling each year. In addition to reigning MVP Jeff Babbitt, Decraene will take the field this week alongside Orion Cable, Tannor Johnson-Go, Simon Carapella, and newcomer Calvin Stoughton among others; this team is absolutely loaded with talent, and if they choose to feature Decraene, they could be the most fun team to watch in 2025. It’ll be worth watching how he adjusts to a new system and exactly how he fits in, but with the playmaking ability he brings as a thrower, receiver, and block-getter, the sky’s the limit for the young Belgian star.
Jordan Kerr, Salt Lake Shred
Jordan Kerr got off to a hot start last year—he tossed 24 assists while recording just three throwaways in his first six games—before injuring his hand in early June, and while he was able to play through the injury in the back half of the season, his touches dipped drastically and the Shred offense fell out of rhythm. Now that he’s had a full offseason to recover, Kerr should be back in his featured hybrid role for a Shred O-line that may need him to take on even more responsibility following the offseason departures of Sean Connole, Elijah Jaime, and Grant Lindsley. There’s no doubt Kerr still has the ability to take over the way we saw him play in 2022 and 2023 when he was a back-to-back MVP finalist, but it remains to be seen what the new iteration of the Shred offense looks like. An early test against a talented Hustle defense will be telling of what we should expect from the Kerr-centric offense this year.
Ben Lewis, Houston Havoc
Ben Lewis just keeps getting better, and we probably don’t talk about it enough. Whether he’s generating turnovers with massive layout blocks, keeping the offense moving with sharp throws and underneath gainers, or streaking deep into the end zone for game-breaking goals, Lewis has been the heart and soul of this Houston Havoc team since their inaugural 2023 season. After a strong first year in Houston, Lewis leveled up his production last season to the tune of 24 assists, 40 goals, and 15 blocks, one of just three players with over 60 total scores and 15 blocks in 2024. He’s gotten visibly more versatile as a playmaker throughout his career, and he’ll have a chance to kick-start the Havoc’s third season in a big opening weekend game against Austin; while they’ve yet to steal a game from their Texas rivals, Houston’s trending the right direction after a strong offseason and this could be the year they finally push for a playoff spot.
Evan Magsig, Oakland Spiders
Evan Magsig threw for over 6,200 yards in 13 games last season, a new single-season UFA record*. No other player even hit 5,000 in 2024. Magsig has evolved into one of the top throwers in the West over the last few seasons, and he’s been a huge part of Oakland’s recent ascent into West Division contenders. His deep throwing ability was fully unleashed last year, as he completed 35 hucks at a 70 percent rate, the highest completion rate of anyone with over 30 huck completions. This Spiders O-line is a big-play offense driven by playmakers, and this identity should continue to grow stronger in 2025 with Magsig anchoring the backfield for another season.
* Since the league began tracking yardage in 2021
Max Sheppard, New York Empire
One of the more notable free agent signings of this past offseason, Max Sheppard may have the largest range of outcomes of any new addition around the league. Does he thrive as a deep-throwing hybrid as he did in the 2019 and 2022 All-Star games? Can he cut down on turnovers to fit in with a more rigid New York system? Does he become a counterattack engine on the D-line? We got a sneak peak at Sheppard on the Empire O-line in their preseason showcase game against Philly, and he certainly looked comfortable in a catch-and-shoot role; Sheppard completed four throws of 40-plus yards and led the team in total yards with over 400. The Empire lacked a consistent deep game last season following Ryan Osgar’s departure, and this offseason they lost their top two huck completion leaders— Elliott Chartock and Charles Weinberg—from 2024. Expect Sheppard to be looking deep early and often in New York’s double header road trip to open the season.
