Spring football is underway, and not just for the current members of the Gators. The UFL got underway last week, and there are some new teams this season, including the Orlando Storm. They are off to a 2-0 start after knocking off the Louisville Kings.
And one of the key figures for the Storm this season is a former Gator looking to earn his shot at an NFL roster this fall.
Elijhah Badger turning heads two games into UFL season
Elijhah Badger is hoping for a second shot at the NFL. Badger went undrafted last year before going through camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite flashing a couple of times in camp, Badger fell down the depth chart and was ultimately waived by the Chiefs on cut day. He was not given a spot on their practice squad.
So it’s with that backdrop that Badger is with the Storm this season, and he is playing in his first real football since the 2024 campaign with the Gators. And two games in, Badger has been a one-man highlight machine.
In their opener, Badger had four catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. 90 of his yards came after the catch. This weekend, Badger had four more catches for 59 yards and another touchdown.
ELIJHAH BADGER TOUCHDOWN ⚡️⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/pFrFyxTIS8
— Orlando Storm (@UFLStorm) April 5, 2026
While the UFL to NFL pipeline isn’t automatic, the league did boast last season that 46 NFL players on opening day rosters in 2025 were alumni of spring football.
Badger came to Florida from Arizona State ahead of the 2024 season. Ironically, he came to Florida as a known yards-after-the-catch guy but ended up being used as DJ Lagway’s primary target down the field. Even though he only had 39 catches in 2024, he racked up 806 yards for an astounding 20.7 yards per game, which was good for 10th in the country.