Jacquez Jones and Jordan Wright Selected in XFL Rookie Draft

Former Kentucky Football linebackers Jordan Wright and Jacquez Jones were selected in Friday’s 2023 XFL Rookie Draft.

Jones and Wright both went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft but quickly latched on with NFL mini-camps. The linebackers failed to make a team, making them eligible for the XFL Draft. Information regarding player eligibility and details around the Rookie Draft are listed below:

• Eligible to have been drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft.
• Not under contract by a professional football team.
• To allow for the increased number of players, XFL team rosters will be expanded from 51 to 90 players.
• Drafted rookies will be placed on XFL rosters with players who finished the 2023 season on active and reserve lists.
• XFL teams will hold exclusive rights with the players they select in the draft.
• All players who sign an XFL contract, including players who remain under contract from the 2023 season, will have an “NFL Out” until Tuesday, December 26, 2023, following the conclusion of Week 16 of the NFL season.
• 2023 draft-eligible players under contract with IFL are eligible to be drafted.

Wright, a three-year starter at Kentucky, was selected by the defending XFL Champion Arlington Renegades. J-Wright will go from one Stoops to another, as Mark’s brother Bob Stoops heads the Renegade staff. Wright played a total of 54 games in the blue and white, totaling 168 tackles, 25 TFL, and 9.5 sacks. He is best remembered for his stellar one-handed interception of Anthony Richardson in Kentucky’s 26-16 victory over Florida last season. Wright latched on with the Chicago Bears after going undrafted but failed to make the team.

Jones, who played two seasons at Kentucky following his transfer from Ole Miss, was selected by the Orlando Guardians. Jones made a big impact during his short time in Lexington, totaling 123 tackles, five TFL, and 1.5 sacks in 19 games played. His final season of college football didn’t go the way he had hoped, however, as he suffered a foot injury against Ole Miss in game five that kept him out for six games last season. Jones won the Big Blue Nation over with his “barking dog” celebration and his hustle.

The XFL is in its third iteration, run by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale. The original league was a joint venture between the then WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and NBC, a more gritty football league designed to rival the NFL. However, the league fizzled out, costing those involved millions of dollars in losses. The league was relaunched in 2020 but was shut down mid-season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league was relaunched for the third time in 2023 and enjoyed a successful season, with the league earning $80 million in gross revenue.

Best of luck to Jacquez and Jordan as they begin their professional careers.