The St. Louis Battlehawks released running back Jacob Saylors and offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith on Monday, as reported on the UFL Transactions page. Saylors is expected to join the New York Giants, while Jones-Smith is set to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.
Jacob Saylors, standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 199 pounds, is a 22-year-old from Jasper, Tennessee. He initially signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2023, where he recorded nine carries for 27 yards and two catches for 14 yards in one preseason game against the Washington Commanders. After his time with the Bengals, Saylors joined the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad before signing with the St. Louis Battlehawks on February 5, 2024. During the 2024 season, Saylors had 94 carries for 461 yards and five touchdowns, along with 23 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. In the playoffs against San Antonio, he had 14 carries for 78 yards and one catch for 11 yards. Collegiately, Saylors played five seasons at East Tennessee State, amassing 3,861 rushing yards, 33 touchdowns, 779 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns, and 1,425 kick return yards in 51 games. He was named Second Team All-American by the Associated Press in 2021.
Jaryd Jones-Smith, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound offensive lineman from Camden, New Jersey, signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He also had stints with the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens, playing in six NFL regular season games for Las Vegas and Baltimore. Jones-Smith also played for the San Antonio Commanders in the AAF, appearing in eight games before the league folded. The St. Louis Battlehawks drafted him in the first round (7th pick) of the 2023 XFL Draft. In 2023, he started eight games for the Battlehawks and was named to the All-XFL Team. After the season, he signed with the Washington Commanders and joined their practice squad. In 2024, Jones-Smith played ten games, contributing to an offense that ranked sixth in total yards, third in rushing yards, seventh in passing yards, sixth in yards per game, and second in touchdowns. Collegiately, Jones-Smith played four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, appearing in 33 games with 13 starts, and was selected to play in the 2018 East-West Shrine Game.
