2024 Houston Roughnecks season

American professional football season
  • ← 2023 Gamblers
  • Houston Roughnecks
  • 2025 →

The 2024 Houston Roughnecks season was the third season of Houston Roughnecks (2024), an American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team's first season in the United Football League (UFL) after a merger in the offseason between the USFL and the XFL. Under the terms of the agreement, the team consists of the roster and coaching staff of the former USFL's two-season-old Houston Gamblers franchise, taking over the Roughnecks branding and home city previously used by the XFL team with the same name.

Renovations that began on the Roughnecks' home stadium in 2020 and 2023, TDECU Stadium, following the end of the 2023 University of Houston Cougars football season rendered that stadium unavailable for use for the 2024 season, while the Gamblers had never played in Houston, instead sharing stadiums with their rivals the Birmingham Stallions and Memphis Showboats under the USFL's hub model. The XFL stated that the Roughnecks would remain in Houston during the renovations, potentially at another stadium in the city.[1] Rice Stadium, which hosted games in the USFL's predecessor The Spring League in 2021, and Shell Energy Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo soccer team, were among the venues the league contacted about hosting the Roughnecks.[2] On February 1, 2024, the league announced that home games would be hosted at Rice Stadium.[3]

Current roster

2024 Houston Roughnecks final roster
Quarterbacks
  •  6 Jarrett Guarantano
  • 14 Nolan Henderson
  •  7 Reid Sinnett

Running backs

  • 14 Ezra Gray
  • 22 Kirk Merritt
  •  5 T. J. Pledger
  •  8 Mark Thompson

Wide receivers

  • 18 Emmanuel Butler
  •  3 Keke Chism
  • 16 Cyril Grayson
  • 11 Justin Hall
  • 12 Brian Hightower
  •  1 Anthony Ratliff-Williams
  • 81 Reggie Roberson Jr.

Tight ends

  • 80 Braedon Bowman
  • 84 A. J. Lewis
  • 42 Clint Sigg
Offensive linemen
  • 79 Isaiah Battle T
  • 72 Cam Carter T
  • 74 Avery Gennesy G
  • 75 Shamarious Gilmore G
  • 76 Brandon Haskin T
  • 78 Braylon Jones G
  • 65 Jack Kramer C
  • 77 Justin Redd G

Defensive linemen

  • 15 Ronheen Bingham DE
  • 50 Jeffery Johnson DT
  • 97 Glen Logan DT
  • 93 Chris Odom DE
  • 58 Adam Rodriguez DE
  • 94 Keonte Schad DT
  • 95 Ethan Westbrooks DE
Linebackers

Defensive backs

  • 20 Jamari Brown SS
  • 29 Corn Elder CB
  • 25 Mister Harriel FS
  •  4 Jimmy Moreland CB
  • 27 Jai Nunn-Liddell CB
  •  9 Colby Richardson CB
  • 31 Markel Roby FS
  • 38 Donald Rutledge Jr. SS
  • 24 Kiondre Thomas CB
  • 21 Rashad Torrence II SS

Special teams

Reserve lists
  • 88 Woody Brandom TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 10 Reuben Foster OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 90 Toby Johnson DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 99 Olive Sagapolu DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 55 Gabriel Sewell Jr. ILB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 59 Reggie Walker DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)


Rookies in italics
50 active, 6 inactive

Signees to the NFL

Player Position XFL team Date NFL team Ref.
C. J. Brewer DT Houston Roughnecks May 15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers [4]
Jack Heflin DT Houston Roughnecks May 15 New Orleans Saints [5]

Schedule

All times Central

Week Day Date Kickoff TV Opponent Results Location Attendance
Score Record
1 Sunday March 31 2:00 p.m. ESPN Memphis Showboats 12–18 0–1 Rice Stadium 9,157
2 Sunday April 7 3:00 p.m. Fox at DC Defenders 18–23 0–2 Audi Field 15,052
3 Sunday April 14 11:00 a.m. ABC at Michigan Panthers 20–34 0–3 Ford Field 6,952
4 Sunday April 21 1:00 p.m. FS1 Arlington Renegades 17–9 1–3 Rice Stadium 7,179
5 Saturday April 27 6:00 p.m. Fox Birmingham Stallions 9–32 1–4 Rice Stadium 6,285
6 Saturday May 4 2:00 p.m. Fox at St. Louis Battlehawks 8–22 1–5 The Dome at America's Center 32,969
7 Sunday May 12 2:00 p.m. ESPN San Antonio Brahmas 12–15 1–6 Rice Stadium 6,134
8 Saturday May 18 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 at Birmingham Stallions 28–35 1–7 Protective Stadium 10,245
9 Sunday May 26 1:30 p.m. Fox Michigan Panthers 22–26 1–8 Rice Stadium 6,527
10 Sunday June 2 6:00 p.m. Fox at Memphis Showboats 12–19 1–9 Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium 6,039

[6][7]

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Memphis Showboats

Week 1: Memphis Showboats at Houston Roughnecks – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Showboats 9 6 0318
Roughnecks 0 3 0912

at Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: March 31
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Haze, 79 °F (26 °C)
  • Game attendance: 9,157
  • Referee: Jeff Heaser
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Lowell Galindo, Tom Luginbill, Harry Douglas and Kayla Burton
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • MEM – Matt Coghlin 27-yard field goal, 4:31. Showboats 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 56 yards, 10:29.
  • MEM – Christian McFarland 12-yard fumble return (one-point run failed), 3:42. Showboats 9–0.

Second quarter

  • MEM – Vinny Papale 11-yard pass from Case Cookus (one-point pass failed), 6:57. Showboats 15–0. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 7:57.
  • HOU – J.J. Molson 55-yard field goal, 1:51. Showboats 15–3. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 5:06.

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – J.J. Molson 45-yard field goal, 13:46. Showboats 15–6. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:12.
  • MEM – Matt Coghlin 51-yard field goal, 8:44. Showboats 18–6. Drive: 9 plays, 20 yards, 5:02.
  • HOU – Jarrett Guarantano 1-yard run (three-point pass failed), 5:29. Showboats 18–12. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 1:09.

Top passers

  • MEM – Case Cookus – 23/40, 204 yards, TD, INT
  • HOU – Jarrett Guarantano – 16/21, 157 yards

Top rushers

  • MEM – Case Cookus – 4 rushes, 16 yards
  • HOU – Jarrett Guarantano – 2 rushes, 22 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • MEM – Jonathan Adams – 4 receptions, 49 yards
  • HOU – Kirk Merritt – 4 receptions, 33 yards

Standings

  • v
  • t
  • e
USFL Conference
Team W L PCT GB TD+/- TD+ TD- DIV PF PA DIFF STK
(y) Birmingham Stallions 9 1 .900 - 11 31 20 6–0 265 180 85 W1
(x) Michigan Panthers 7 3 .700 2 5 27 22 4–2 228 189 39 L1
(e) Memphis Showboats 2 8 .200 7 -19 20 39 2–4 188 290 -102 W1
(e) Houston Roughnecks 1 9 .100 8 -12 17 29 0–6 158 233 -75 L6
XFL Conference
Team W L PCT GB TD+/- TD+ TD- DIV PF PA DIFF STK
(y) St. Louis Battlehawks 7 3 .700 - 7 31 24 5–1 260 202 58 W1
(x) San Antonio Brahmas 7 3 .700 - 12 24 12 3–3 192 153 39 L1
(e) DC Defenders 4 6 .400 3 -2 24 26 2–4 209 251 -42 L1
(e) Arlington Renegades 3 7 .300 4 -2 26 28 2–4 247 249 -2 W2
(x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention


Staff

The 2024 coaching staff was announced on February 21, 2024.[8]

Houston Roughnecks staff
Front office
Head coach

Head coach – Curtis Johnson

Offensive coaches
  • Special Teams/Running Backs – Garret Chachere
  • Offensive Line – Bob Connelly
  • Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks – Eric Price
 
Defensive coaches
  • Defensive Line – Kwahn Drake
  • Defensive Backs – Brett Maxie
  • Assistant Secondary – Zach Shagi
  • Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – Chris Wilson
Team operations
  • Quality Control – Jordan Higgins

References

  1. ^ https://twitter.com/XFL_PR/status/1683862174022742017
  2. ^ Mitchell, Mike (2024-01-04). "UFL President Reveals League's Future Plans, Schedule, Vision". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  3. ^ Zuvanich, Adam (2024-02-02). "Houston Roughnecks of United Football League to play home games at Rice Stadium". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  4. ^ "Bucs add two players, cut two players after rookie minicamp". bucswire.usatoday.com. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Saints to sign Jack Heflin". profootballtalk.com. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  6. ^ "2024 Houston Roughnecks Schedule". FBS Schedules. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  7. ^ Guillermo, Matt (February 5, 2024). "Houston Roughnecks kick off their UFL era on March 31, play 9 weeks of games thereafter". KTRK-TV. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  8. ^ "UFL announces 2024 coaching staffs for all eight teams". Fox Sports. February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Houston Roughnecks
  • Founded in 2022
  • Formerly the Houston Gamblers (2022–2023)
  • Based in Houston, TX
Franchise
  • History
  • Seasons
  • Players
  • Coaches
Stadiums
Key personnel
  • Head coach: Curtis Johnson
Affiliations
  • League: United States Football League (2022–2023); United Football League (2024–present)
    Conference: USFL Conference (2024–present)
    Division: South (2022–2023)
Seasons