:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71990060/1335965713.0.jpg "XFL rosters: Who is St. Louis Battlehawks' starting QB? Who is A.J. McCarron?")
The St. Louis Battlehawks are set to begin their inaugural season in the re-vamped XFL. They will go on the road to face the San Antonio Brahmas. Former Alabama great A.J. McCarron is expected to be the team's starting quarterback. Nick Tiano and Manny Wilkins will be the backups.
College experience
McCarron was at Alabama from 2010 to 2013, winning three national championships during his tenure. He started 40 games for the Crimson Tide and threw for 9,019 yards with 77 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. While McCarron only finished as high as second place in Heisman voting, he did win the 2013 Maxwell Award and was expected to be drafted in the second or third round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
NFL experience
The first sign of his NFL career not working out came during the draft. While he was projected not to fall past the second day, McCarron ended up falling all the way to the fifth round, where he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played out his rookie deal with the team, unable to ever take over the starting gig full-time. McCarron then spent time with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and the Houston Texans. Ahead of the 2021 season, he signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons but then tore his ACL in the second preseason game and was ruled out for the year. His XFL debut will be the first game action McCarron has seen since the injury.