St. Louis Battlehawks Acquire Rights To Seven XFL Prospects | Eric Assoua
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St. Louis Battlehawks Acquire Rights To Seven XFL Prospects

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The XFL held their combine rights draft just a couple of weeks ago. Anthony Becht and the St. Louis Battlehawks selected seven players during the event:

WR Aaron Nelson
OL Jacob Brammer
OL Cedrice Paillant
DL Eric Assoua
DL Christian Mejia
LB Callahan O’Reilly
DB Prince Charles Iworah

In this piece, we’ll be looking at each XFL draftee, and what they can bring to the St. Louis Battlehawks during the 2024 XFL season.

WR Aaron Nelson | Delaware Valley

Aaron Nelson joins the St. Louis Battlehawks in an effort to reload their depleted wide receiver core. The Battlehawks have seen quite a few of their wide outs head to the NFL’s ranks, meaning they’re in need at the position.

Nelson played his college ball at Delaware Valley, and was solid. His 2019 season was excellent, where he recorded 29 catches for 623 yards, and five touchdowns. In 2021, he registered 20 catches for 337 yards, and two scores.

Interestingly enough, Aaron spent a bit of time with the Houston Roughnecks this past spring. He made it through training camp, and remained with the team until March 25th, when he was let go due to an injury. Now, he’ll have a chance to continue his professional journey with St. Louis.

OL Jacob Brammer | Vanderbilt

Jacob Brammer will look to help build out St. Louis’ offensive line unit, bringing plenty of experience to the team. Brammer played at North Texas from 2018-2021, and was an Honorable mention All-Conference USA candidate after starting all 12 games at right tackle his final year.

In 2022, Jake transferred to Vanderbilt, and saw more success. He was named to SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll, and started in 11 of 12 games for the team that season.

OL Cedrice Paillant | Marshall

Another offensive lineman has joined the Battlehawks, as Cedrice Paillant was selected in the XFL Combine draft.

Paillant has an outstanding background, at Rutgers and Marshall. He didn’t allow a single sack in his final two collegiate seasons, where he saw the majority of his time at right guard. In addition, he started in 11 games for Rutgers in 2021.

With such a strong college career, Cedrice brings a lot to the table for the St. Louis Battlehawks.

DL Eric Assoua | Western Michigan

Eric Assoua will look to help rebuild a St. Louis defense that was decimated by the NFL. The Battlehawks are needy for quality defensive lineman, and Eric is an intriguing prospect who can bolster this unit.

Eric Assoua spent his college career at Western Michigan, where he racked up 98 tackles and 11 sacks over the course of four years.

From there, he had a short CFL stint with the BC Lions, before participating in The Spring League with the Alphas. In addition, he was with the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2022, posting two tackles and a sack. Now, he joins the Battlehawks ahead of the 2024 XFL season.

DL Christian Mejia | Washington State

Christian Mejia spent his last six years with Washington State, where he showed growth from start to finish. In 2021, Christian started in six of 13 games, and finished the year with 17 tackles and a sack.

2022 proved to be another exceptional year for Mejia. He started 10 of 12 games for Washington State, and posted:

32 tackles
1.5 sacks
1 interception

Christian was invited to the Denver Broncos Mini-Camp in May. After an impressive performance at the XFL combine, Mejia heads to St. Louis.

See also

LB Callahan O’Reilly | Montana State

Callahan O’Reilly is an exciting prospect for the St. Louis Battlehawks, one who could provide the team with an All-XFL caliber season given the opportunity.

In college, Callahan was outstanding. In 2019, he posted 91 tackles and a sack for Montana State, starting in 10 of 15 games for the team. He even scored a touchdown that year, taking a fake punt to the house.

Then, in 2021, O’Reilly had an unbelievable season in 14 starts, racking up 105 tackles and two interceptions.

In April, Callahan was invited to the Chicago Bears mini-camp. Now, O’Reilly will look to continue his professional career in the XFL, with the St. Louis Battlehawks.

DB Prince Charles Iworah | Western Kentucky

Prince Charles Iworah has had quite the career so far. The former Western Kentucky standout made an impact in college, totaling 90 tackles and five interceptions during his tenure there.

Prince then spent the next few years in the NFL, with the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins. Charles Iworah recorded one regular season tackle, in an outing with San Francisco during the 2016 NFL season.

Spring football isn’t new territory for Prince. He played in The Spring League in 2021, with the Conquerors. He also spent a bit of time with the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers, making two tackles for the team in limited minutes.

Prince Charles Iworah certainly has a lot left in the tank, and will have a chance to impress with the Battlehawks.

What are your thoughts on these draft selections for the St. Louis Battlehawks? Which XFL prospects should they pursue? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!