The St. Louis Battlehawks re-signed defensive tackle T.J. Pesefea Jr. on Wednesday according to the UFL Transactions page. In addition, the Battlehawks re-signed offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez according to the X account UFL Analyst.
T.J. Pesefea Jr. is six foot three and weighs 314 pounds. The 24-year-old from Sacramento, California, signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023. He played three preseason games making four tackles (3 solo, 1 assist).
The Bengals released him on September 12, 2023. Pesefea Jr. signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks on December 27, 2023. In 2024, Pesefea Jr. made 9 tackles (3 solo, 6 assists), three tackles for loss, one sack, and one fumble recovery in 9 games.
Collegiately, Pesefea Jr. played one season at American River College in 2018 making 17 tackles (3 solo, 14 assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass breakup in 9 games for the Beavers. Then, Pesefea Jr. transferred to Arizona State (2019-22) making 75 tackles (35 solo, 40 assists), 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and four pass breakups in 40 games for the Sun Devils.
Steven Gonzalez is six foot five and weighs 341 pounds. The 27-year-old from Union City, New Jersey, signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2020. He was released by the Cardinals on August 30, 2020, and signed with the Buffalo Bills on May 13, 2021. The Bills released him on August 19, 2021.
The St. Louis Battlehawks drafted Gonzalez in the third round (23rd pick) in Phase 4 of the 2023 XFL Draft. He started 10 games for the Battlehawks in 2023 and was named to the All-XFL Team after the season.
In 2024, Gonzalez started 10 games. St. Louis’s offense ranked sixth in total offense yards (2,721), third in rushing yards (977), seventh in passing yards (1,744), sixth in yards per game (272.1), and second in touchdowns (30).
Collegiately, Gonzalez played four seasons at Penn State (2016-19) playing left guard in 50 games, of which 42 were starts for the Nittany Lions. He was named Second Team All-Big Ten in 2019.
In 2019, Penn State tied a Cotton Bowl record with five rushing touchdowns, 396 rushing yards, a program bowl record, and the second-most in Cotton Bowl history, and set a Cotton Bowl record for points in the first half (35).
