Five former NU players make XFL 52-player final rosters

Five of the six former Northwestern players drafted into the XFL, a new American professional football league set to launch in February. made the final roster cuts for the league.

Godwin Igwebuike, Kyle Queiro, Jordan Thompson, Flynn Nagel and Hunter Niswander will all begin the season in the league, according to the full rosters released Monday.

The defending trio of Igwebuike, Queiro and Jordan Thompson will play for the Seattle Dragons together. Nagel will play for the Bob Stoops-led Dallas Renegades, while Niswander will take up punting duties for the DC Defenders. Offensive lineman Tommy Doles was originally drafted by the New York Guardians back in the fall, but did not make the final 52-man roster.

The XFL season will launch on February 8, and plans to experiment with a significant amount of rule changes with hopes of differentiating itself from the NFL. For example, the XFL hopes to revive kickoff returns as a meaningful part of the game by moving them back to the 25 yard-line. Gunners will also not be allowed on punts, incentivizing teams to either go for it on fourth down or risk giving up a long return.

Double forward passes will also be allowed so long as the first pass stays behind the line of scrimmage, and teams will have the option of going for a 1, 2, or 3-point conversion after scoring a touchdown.

Nearly all XFL games will be broadcast on major networks like ABC, ESPN or FOX. The inaugural matchup will take place on Saturday February 8 between Seattle and DC. The game will be broadcast on ABC. Queiro/Thompson/Igwebuike vs. Hunter the Punter!