Multiple former Ohio State football players will be playing in the new USFL.
Former Ohio State wide receiver Johnnie Dixon and running back Mike Weber were both selected in the USFL Draft on Wednesday.
Dixon will be playing for the New Orleans Breakers, while Weber will be playing for the New Jersey Generals. Dixon was the 14th wide receiver drafted to play in the new league, while Weber was the third running back selected.
Blue Wave incoming
— New Orleans Breakers (@USFLBreakers) February 23, 2022
WR pick No. 2 for the Breakers is Johnnie Dixon! pic.twitter.com/dPywG0rrbe
March On!
— New Jersey Generals (@USFLGenerals) February 23, 2022
The Generals have selected Mike Weber in the #USFLDraft #InTheTrenches pic.twitter.com/cUJQsanlB3
Both players will be looking to revive their football careers after going unsigned during the 2021 NFL regular season.
Dixon, who played for the Buckeyes from 2014-18, has spent time with three NFL teams – the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys – but has not played in an NFL regular-season game and went unsigned after he was waived by the Cowboys following last year’s preseason.
Weber, who played for the Buckeyes from 2015-18, has spent time with four NFL teams – the Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and New York Giants – but has not recorded a rushing attempt in an NFL game and went unsigned after he was released by the Giants last August.
One other player with Ohio State ties was also selected in the USFL draft: Jonathan Newsome, who played for the Buckeyes for two years (2009-10) before transferring to Ball State. After playing two seasons for the Indianapolis Colts (2014-15) and five seasons in the CFL (2016-20) before retiring from the CFL, Newsome will now be returning to the field as a defensive end for the Birmingham Stallions.
Compensatory Pick: Welcome to Birmingham, Jonathan Newsome!
— Birmingham Stallions (@USFLStallions) February 23, 2022
We have added another DE/Edge selection and will pass on a pick in a future round, as a result. pic.twitter.com/bF4kRr7EbN
The USFL is set to begin play on April 16, when Weber and the Generals will face Newsome and the Stallions in a nationally televised game on both NBC and FOX. All regular season games will be played in Birmingham, Alabama; the playoffs, which begin June 25, will be held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
