The St. Louis Battlehawks signed linebacker William Hardy, and signed defensive backs Keylon Kennedy, Mekhi Garner, and Tayler Hawkins on Thursday according to the UFL Transactions page.
William Hardy is six foot one and weighs 230 pounds. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Hardy spent four seasons at Miles College (2021-24) with 181 tackles (107 solos, 74 assists), 20 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 40 games for the Golden Bears.
In 2024, he made a career-high 78 tackles (46 solos, 32 assists), nine tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 13 games.
Keylon Kennedy is five foot eleven and weighs 185 pounds. The 26-year-old from Daytona Beach, Florida, signed with the Edmonton Elks on March 24, 2025. He attended training camp and was released on May 9, 2025.
The Vegas Vipers (XFL) drafted Kennedy in the first round (8th pick) in Phase 2 of the 2022 XFL Draft. In 2023, Kennedy made 40 tackles (34 solos, 6 assists), three tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions for 18 yards, and one forced fumble.
The St. Louis Battlehawks drafted Kennedy in the 2024 UFL Dispersal Draft. In 2024, Kennedy made five tackles (4 solos, 1 assist) in six games before he was placed on injured reserve and missed the rest of the season. The Battlehawks re-signed Kennedy on August 24, 2024, and released him on March 20, 2025.
Collegiately, Kennedy played one season at Fort Hayes State University in 2018 with 49 tackles (37 solos, 12 assists), two tackles for loss, and eight pass breakups in 12 games for the Tigers. He was named an All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2018.
Then, Kennedy transferred to Garden City Community College (2020-21) with 35 tackles (23 solos, 12 assists), two tackles for loss, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and three blocked kicks in 16 games for the Broncbusters.
Mekhi Garner is six foot two and weighs 212 pounds. The 26-year-old from Dallas, Texas, signed with the Arlington Renegades on March 6, 2025. In 2025, he attended training camp, and the Renegades released him on March 20, 2025.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Garner as an undrafted free agent on May 5, 2023. In 2023, he made four tackles (3 solos, 1 assist) and one pass breakup in three preseason games. He dressed for three regular-season games.
In 2024, he played in one preseason game. He spent the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. The Eagles released him on January 9, 2025.
Collegiately, Garner played one season at Navarro College in 2018 with 48 tackles (34 solos, 14 assists), half a tackle for loss, two interceptions for 14 yards, and five pass breakups in 10 games for the Bulldogs.
Next, he transferred to Louisiana at Lafayette (2019-21) with 62 tackles (48 solos, 14 assists), 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, 18 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 26 games for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He was named Third Team All-Sun Belt in 2021 and an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention in 2020.
Then, he transferred to LSU in 2022 with 42 tackles (25 solos, 17 assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, and eight pass breakups in 13 games for the Tigers.
Tayler Hawkins is six foot one and weighs 205 pounds. The 28-year-old from Palm Springs, California, signed with the D.C. Defenders on December 4, 2024. In 2025, Hawkins made 19 tackles (13 solos, 6 assists) in five games. He did not play in the postseason when the Defenders beat the Michigan Panthers to win the UFL Championship.
The San Francisco 49ers signed Hawkins as an undrafted free agent on May 13, 2022. In 2022, he made seven tackles (5 solos, 2 assists) and one pass breakup in three preseason games. He spent the season on the practice squad.
In 2023, Hawkins made nine tackles (7 solos, 2 assists) and one pass breakup in three preseason games. He played in one regular-season game against the Los Angeles Rams with four tackles (3 solos, 1 assist) and one pass breakup. In 2024, he made five tackles (5 solos) in two preseason games. The 49ers released him on September 2, 2024.
Collegiately, Hawkins played five seasons at San Diego State (2017-21) with 170 tackles (112 solos, 58 assists), five tackles for loss, 24 pass breakups, three interceptions, and one forced fumble in 57 games, of which 31 were starts for the Aztecs. He was named an All-Mountain West Honorable Mention in 2020 and Second Team All-Mountain West in 2021.
