The Birmingham Stallions re-signed offensive lineman Darius Harper and defensive back T.J. Carter on Monday according to the UFL Transactions page.
Darius Harper is six foot seven and weighs 300 pounds. The 26-year-old from Springfield, Ohio, signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2021. He was released by the Chargers on August 30, 2021.
The Birmingham Stallions drafted Harper in the fifth round (36th pick) of the 2022 USFL Draft. He helped the Stallions beat the Philadelphia Stars in the 2022 USFL Championship Game. In 2023, Harper played 9 games, of which seven were starts.
Birmingham’s 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) as the Stallions won their second USFL Championship over the Pittsburgh Maulers.
In 2024, Harper played five games. Birmingham’s offense ranked first in total yards (3,475), rushing yards (1,347), second in passing yards (2,128), first in yards per game (347.5), and touchdowns (31) as the Stallions won the UFL Championship over the San Antonio Brahmas 25-0.
Collegiately, Harper played basketball at Miami (OH) for two seasons (2015-16) season averaging 2.9 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game playing 30 games for the Redhawks.
Harper transitioned to football transferring to Cincinnati (2018-20) playing tackle in 26 games for the Bearcats. In 2020, Cincinnati’s offense averaged an AAC-best 5.6 yards per carry and ran for 212.4 yards per game on the ground. The offensive line allowed an AAC-low nine sacks during the regular season. He was named an All-ACC Honorable Mention.
T.J. Carter is five foot eleven and weighs 193 pounds. The 25-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, re-signed with the Birmingham Stallions on May 7, 2024. In 2024, Carter made four tackles (2 solo, 2 assists) and one pass breakup in two games as the Stallions went on to win their third consecutive championship (2 USFL, 1 UFL).
Carter signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent on May 5, 2022. He spent the 2022 season on the practice squad before he was released on March 10, 2023.
The Birmingham Stallions signed Carter as a free agent on March 20, 2023. Carter made 29 tackles (15 solo, 14 assists), one interception, one forced fumble, and three pass breakups in 10 games.
In the playoffs, Carter made three tackles (2 solo, 1 assist) in two games helping the Stallions win their second USFL Championship over the Pittsburgh Maulers. He was released by the Stallions on March 10, 2024
Collegiately, Carter played four seasons at Memphis (2017-20) making 187 tackles (150 solo, 37 assists), six tackles for loss, one sack, seven interceptions for 109 yards, one touchdown, 40 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and two kick returns for 17 yards in 46 games for the Tigers. He was named a two-time Second Team All-AAC and the AAC Rookie of the Year in 2017.
Then, Carter transferred to TCU in 2021 making 63 tackles (47 solo, 16 assists), one interception, and two pass breakups in 10 games for the Horned Frogs.
