Alliance Phoenix, one of eight teams that will be a part of a new pro football league called the Alliance of American Football, has signed the first 11 players to its inaugural roster, the AAF announced Monday.
Former Arizona Wildcats guard Jacob Alsadek is among the first wave of signees. The 6-foot-7, 325-pound Alsadek was a four-year starter at UA and was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention in his senior season of 2017. Alsadek is one of the first 100 players to be signed to an AAF team.
Alliance Phoenix also signed running back Bronson Hill, who played collegiately for Eastern Michigan and had a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals. Hill was released by the Cardinals in May.
Alliance Phoenix will begin play in February 2019, one week after the Super Bowl, and will play its home games at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Each AAF team will have a 52-player roster and will play a 10-game regular-season schedule.
Valley native and former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel has been named Alliance Phoenix's first head coach. Former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage is the team's first GM.
The other players signed by Alliance Phoenix are:
Kamari Cotton-Moya -- defensive back, Iowa State
Wyatt Demps -- wide receiver, Nevada-Reno
Da’Sean Downey -- linebacker, Massachusetts
James Fisher -- long snapper, North Dakota State
Chris Johnson -- defensive tackle, Western Kentucky
Anthony McMeans -- offensive tackle, New Mexico State
Jhurell Pressley -- running back, New Mexico
Prince Shonola -- wide receiver, Rocky Mountain
Jordan Villamin -- wide receiver, Oregon State
