The Michigan Panthers claimed offensive lineman Cohl Cabral off waivers from the Birmingham Stallions and released offensive lineman Drew Himmelman on Friday according to the UFL Transactions page.
Cohl Cabral is six foot five and weighs 304 pounds. The 26-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, returns to the Stallions after attending training camp with the Minnesota Vikings. He played ten games for the Stallions in 2023.
He was a key contributor in helping the Stallions win their second USFL championship in 2023. The Stallions’ offense ranked second in passing yards per game (217), first in passing touchdowns (21), third in rushing yards per game (115.6), and seventh in allowed sacks (16).
Before Birmingham, Cabral signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent the 2020 season on the Rams and Houston Texans practice squads. In 2021, he was on the practice squads for the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.
Collegiately, Cabral played four seasons at Arizona State (2016-19) playing 50 games, of which 38 were starts for the Sun Devils. In his senior season, he was part of an offensive line that helped the way for running back Eno Benjamin’s second consecutive 1,000-yard season, the first time a Sun Devil running back had accomplished the feat since the 1970s. He was a two-time team captain and Second Team All-Pac 12 in 2018.
Drew Himmelman is six foot ten and weighs 325 pounds. The 27-year-old from Geneseo, Illinois, was drafted by the Michigan Panthers in the 2023 UFL Dispersal Draft. In 2023, he played four games for the Philadelphia Stars (USFL). Philadelphia’s offense ranked third in passing (213.3 yards per game), finished last in rushing (77 yards per game), 20 touchdowns, and allowed a league-high 29 sacks.
Before Philadelphia, Himmelman signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and was placed on the practice squad. In 2022, he signed with the Washington Commanders and was placed on the practice squad before being released and later tried out for the Buffalo Bills. He returned to Washington in 2023 but was again released.
Collegiately, Himmelman played 39 games in four seasons at Illinois State (2017-20), of which 38 were starts playing left tackle. In 2021, Himmelman was part of an offensive line that helped the Redbirds rush for 172 yards per game and aided two different backs in rushing for over 100 yards in a game, including two in the win over Western Illinois. He was named First Team All-MVFC.
In 2019, he earned First Team FCS All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association, STATS FCS, and The Associated Press after playing left tackle in 15 games. The offensive line helped lead the way for the league’s leading rusher James Robinson, who recorded 1,899 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground.
In 2018, Himmelman played a critical part in the offensive line unit that made ISU the third-best scoring offense in the conference, paving the way for James Robinson, who rushed for a league-leading 1,290 yards with 12 touchdowns. He was named HERO Sports FCS Sophomore All-America First Team.
In his freshmen season, Himmelman started nine games playing left tackle. He was an instrumental part of ISU’s offensive front that had the fourth-best rushing offense in the MVFC and helped James Robinson rank second in the MVFC in rushing touchdowns (12) and third in yards (933).
