The Houston Roughnecks signed offensive lineman Zach Banner and released wide receiver Cyril Grayson Jr. and offensive lineman Saige Young according to Pro Football Newsroom reporter James Larsen.
Zach Banner is six foot eight and weighs 335 pounds. The 31-year-old from Seattle, Washington, was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round (137th pick) of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 2017, he played four preseason games for the Colts before they released him on September 3, 2017. Banner spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played 30 regular-season games, 22 of them for Pittsburgh and eight for Cleveland.
Collegiately, Banner played five seasons at USC (2012-16) playing right tackle in 27 games for the Trojans. In 2016, USC averaged 34.38 points per game, 200.7 rushing yards per game, 276.38 passing yards per game, 477.1 total yards per game, 56 touchdowns, and allowed 12 sacks finishing 10-3 beating Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl. He was named a two-time First Team All-Pac 12.
Cyril Grayson Jr. is five foot nine and weighs 183 pounds. The 31-year-old from Kenner, Louisiana, was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks in the 2024 UFL Dispersal Draft. In 2024, Grayson Jr. made 18 catches for 194 yards, and one carry for three yards in 10 games. The Roughnecks re-signed him on October 7, 2024.
The Seattle Seahawks signed Grayson Jr. as an undrafted free agent on April 10, 2017. The Seahawks released him on September 8, 2017. He also spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and the Dallas Cowboys.
Grayson Jr. signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 19, 2019. He played three seasons in Tampa Bay making 11 catches for 215 yards, two touchdowns, and one carry for 14 yards in ten games.
The Buccaneers released him on September 1, 2022, and later signed with the Cleveland Browns on November 8, 2022. The Philadelphia Stars signed Grayson Jr. on May 30, 2023. In 2023, he made one catch for six yards in two games.
Collegiately, Grayson played four seasons at LSU (2013-16) in Track and Field. He is a four-time NCAA Champion and seven-time All-American between the indoor and outdoor seasons from 2013-16. In addition, he is a member of two NCAA Indoor Champion relay teams in 2014 and 2016 and back-to-back NCAA Outdoor Champion relay teams in 2015 and 2016.
He is also a member of five of the seven-fastest indoor 4×400-meter relay teams in the program’s history, including No. 2 at 3:04.04, No. 3 at 3:04.28, No. 5 at 3:04.46, No. 6 at 3:04.54 and No. 7 at 3:04.60, and ran on four of the 10-fastest outdoor mile relay teams in school history, including No. 2 at 3 minutes, 0.38 seconds; No. 3 at 3:00.48; No. 4 at 3:00.69 and No. 10 at 3:01.63.
Saige Young is six foot four and weighs 305 pounds. The 29-year-old from Versailles, Kentucky, played for the Sea Lions in 2021. The New Jersey Generals (USFL) signed Young as a free agent on December 2, 2022. In 2023, Young played 7 games, of which three were starts.
In addition, he also spent time with the Frisco Fighters and the Fan Controlled Football League. In 2024, he played for the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League. The Houston Roughnecks signed Young on August 20, 2024.
Collegiately, Young played one season at Dodge City Community College in 2016 playing 11 games for the Conquistadors, and was named an All-Conference Honorable Mention. Then, he transferred to Vanderbilt (2017-19) playing 19 games for the Commodores. In 2018, Vanderbilt’s offense helped Ke’Shawn Vaughn rush for 1,000 yards and produce the second-highest rushing total (1,244 yards) in team history.
