The Cowboys signed a trio of UFL players just last week, but they may not be done scouring the spring league for talent at key positions ahead of this summer’s training camp.
And it seems as if Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is going back through his Rolodex as well as hitting up his current staff for recommendations.
According to the UFL, the Cowboys have worked out running back Deon Jackson and linebackers Micah Baskerville and Curtis Jacobs. All three played most recently for the DC Defenders, who came up short in their pursuit of back-to-back league championships when they lost the 2026 United Bowl to Louisville on June 13.
Most notably of the three, Jackson was the UFL’s season leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
Originally undrafted out of Duke in 2021, the 5-foot-11-inch prospect signed with Indianapolis and appeared in 27 games over two-plus seasons with the Colts. Jackson did log two carries for six yards in the Cowboys’ 54-19 blowout win over Indy in 2022. Jackson went on to close out the 2023 campaign with Cleveland and then spend 2024 with the Giants, though he played very sparingly with both clubs, getting into just one game at each stop.
Jackson was with the Jets in 2024’s camp and the Lions last summer but failed to make the roster in both instances and signed instead with the spring league’s Defenders.
While in Indianapolis, it’s possible Jackson may have made an impression on onetime Colts tight ends coach Klayton Adams, now the offensive coordinator in Dallas.
Or his name may have come from former Cowboys assistants Matt Eberflus, Dave Borgonzi, or David Overstreet II, all of whom were on the Colts’ defensive staff in Jackson’s first season there. Schottenheimer is known to make an annual offseason practice of reaching out to past co-workers and coaching associates for talent recommendations.
Baskerville latched on with the Bears under Eberflus (as head coach) and Borgonzi (as LB coach) in 2023 after going undrafted out of LSU. But he appeared in just two contests over two seasons before jumping to the UFL. He’s played for the Defenders in back-to-back seasons.
Jacobs put up good numbers at Penn State but was not selected during the 2024 draft. He saw action in nine outings for the Patriots and made two starts in that season. He followed it up with three game appearances for Tennessee last year, playing solely on special teams under coordinator John Fassel and assistant Rayna Stewart, both former Cowboys assistants who have worked alongside Schottenheimer. Jacobs has also previously spent time in camp with both the Chiefs and Giants.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys work out 3 more UFL prospects, including 2026 season’s rushing leader
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
