June 12, 2025
By Daniel Cohen, Evan Lepler, and Adam Ruffner
Here we go with another batch of Midseason Awards!
For some reason, we failed to publicly share these opinions in 2024, but they were a staple of the three previous seasons of UFA coverage. While we all may have slightly different thought processes of how we make our selections, it’s important to note that these are meant to be our takes on what has transpired so far, not predictions for what things will look like at the end of the season.
Without further adieu, here are our individual awards at the midway mark of the 2025 UFA season.
MVP
Allan Laviolette, Carolina Flyers
Obviously it feels weird to pick a midseason MVP whose team isn’t currently in playoff position, but that should tell you just how dominant Allan Laviolette has been this year. He’s forced my hand. His throwing stats are off the charts—he’s already set single-season career highs in assists and completions—and no quarterback currently compares as a facilitator, shot-taker, and difference-maker. — Daniel Cohen
Austin Taylor, Atlanta Hustle
Austin Taylor’s always been a commanding presence at the helm of the Hustle offense, but he’s playing better than ever in 2025. He’s fortunate to be surrounded by plenty of talent on Atlanta’s O-line, but Taylor’s the quarterback who makes things go, navigating out of tricky situations and putting the frisbee exactly where it needs to be. — Evan Lepler
Allan Laviolette, Carolina Flyers
Shoutout to Austin Taylor, Jackson Potts, Chad Yorgason, and a handful of other potential players, but Allan Laviolette is simply on a different level in 2025. The stats tell a helluva story—there's simply no peer for Laviolette's raw production and precision through the first month-plus of the season—but the film is even more impressive. There's zero latency in Laviolette's ability to catch-read-release, and that hair-trigger, finely calibrated firepower has blasted the Flyers right back into playoff contention after an 0-4 start. It's a similar reversal the 36-year-old has performed over the past two seasons after returning from what could have been a career-ending injury. — Adam Ruffner
Rookie Of The Year
Leo Gordon, Oakland Spiders
Evident from his first game against New York, Leo Gordon has been the perfect fit on the Oakland Spiders O-line. A go-to handler for one of the league’s best offenses, his creativity as a thrower and up-tempo playstyle has drastically elevated Oakland’s ceiling. — DC
Leo Gordon, Oakland Spiders
First impressions are lasting impressions, and Gordon’s performance in the Spiders’ season opener against New York was a truly scintillating start. Since then, his weekly production has remained at an exceptionally high level, mixing his creative instincts with a toolsy arsenal to become an all-around offensive beast out West. — EL
Daan De Marrée, Chicago Union
The 24-year-old European star Daan De Marrée has shown zero learning curve adapting to the pros. His first two starts have come against a pair of formidable defenses in Minnesota and Madison, and De Marrée has executed with his usual composure coupled with next-level athleticism; his pair of blocks against the Radicals last Sunday were on towering interceptions and a grinning reminder that the man is not to be tested one-on-one. It's tempting to call his style effortless, but that would be ignorant of his constantly churning cuts, and his ability to create space for his teammates. — AR
Coach Of The Year
Bryce Merrill, Salt Lake Shred
Salt Lake is off to a super impressive start to the season after plenty of roster turnover this past offseason, and not only that, they’ve had two major come-from-behind wins against last year’s West Division champs and an Oakland team that started 5-0. Head Coach Bryce Merrill has this team fine-tuned heading into the second half of the year with explosive rotations and a team-wide clutch gene on both sides of the disc. — DC
Bryce Merrill, Salt Lake Shred
Coming off a disappointing finish to the 2024 campaign, Merrill has masterfully managed a rotating roster full of young and inexperienced talent through the first half of the season. Truthfully, the Shred could very easily be 3-3 instead of 5-1 right now, but Merrill helped will his team to a pair of unlikely, thrilling, come-from-behind wins over Seattle and Oakland, surging Salt Lake into first place atop the West at the halfway point. — EL
Bryce Merrill, Salt Lake Shred
Aside from the team's active five-game winning streak and the transformation of Chad Yorgason into an offensive superstar, the real reason I selected Merrill (and his incredible staff) at the midway point is the way that this Shred squad has so quickly and fully created a cohesive identity in the wake of a big roster overhaul following 2024. The defense is once again pummeling opponents in waves, Jordan Kerr, Matt Russnogle, and a rejuvenated Jace Duennebeil are running with abandon on offense, and Salt Lake is reminding the entire association why they have back-to-back-to-back 10-win regular seasons. — AR
Best Team
Boston Glory
With the speed, size, patience, and playmaking to overwhelm opponents, Boston has looked more or less untouchable this season, with a slow-paced playstyle that allows them to control every game and limit opponents to an average of 14.5 scores. Tobe Decraene and Jeff Babbitt are headlining as expected, but this team’s depth shines every week and their defense is playing lights out. — DC
Boston Glory
They’ve had a relatively friendly schedule, carelessly gave away a four-goal lead late against New York, and are still finding their top form. But they are also tantalizingly talented, with height, speed, skill, and swagger up and down the roster. The UFA’s fortunate to have tremendous parity atop the league at the moment, with close to a dozen contenders still very much in the mix amongst the league’s elite; but forced to select the top team at the midway mark, I’m riding with Boston. — EL
(Editor's note: We really had to twist Evan's arm to get him to commit to Boston.)
Boston Glory
There's been a clear, mappable trajectory for Boston's ascent over the last three years, and their transformation is equal parts roster supersizing—can't hurt to add Jeff Babbitt and Tobe Decraene—and lessons learned from incubating inside the league's toughest division; Glory weren't assembled, they were forged. Boston doesn't give up many turnovers, and they have numerous athletes in coverage that are a threat to get a block on any given throw. Add in the imposing physicality and size of the 2025 Glory, and it's hard to deny them as visible frontrunners in mid June. — AR
Best Offense
Atlanta Hustle
Still a legit contender despite three straight losses, Atlanta’s offense just has too many ways to beat opponents. Any one of Hayden Austin-Knab, Brett Hulsmeyer, Adam Miller, and Austin Taylor can go off any game, and that quartet is as comfortable slashing through defenses with small ball as they are taking shots downfield. This O-line goes at least 10 deep, with “role players” like all-time goal leader Cam Brock and 2024 goal leader Alec Wilson Holliday, allowing their rotations to stay fresh and maintain consistency on a weekly basis. — DC
Atlanta Hustle
Even after three straight losses, the Hustle’s offensive statistics still reign supreme. Between Austin Taylor, Adam Miller, Hayden Austin-Knab, and Brett Hulsmeyer, Atlanta has four different dudes that could lead the way on any given day. This unit has all the tools to deliver the franchise’s first-ever trip to Championship Weekend, but let’s be clear: ultimately, Atlanta’s O-line will need to handle the heavy pressure of the playoffs. For better or worse, that’s how this group will be measured. — EL
Carolina Flyers
Call me crazy, but if you remove the Flyers abysmal season opener at Atlanta, when they were integrating four new players in their offensive rotation, this Carolina O-line would rank second in offensive success rate (60.3 percent over their last six games). Laviolette is the best scorer in the league, Jacob Fairfax is still a force anywhere on the field, Grayson Sanner is one of the best kept secrets in the UFA, and college teammates and multi-time champions Rutledge Smith and John McDonnell have xeroxed (too old of a reference?) their chemistry into the pro format, providing a nuclear-grade engine in the red zone for the Flyers attack. — AR
Best Defense
Minnesota Wind Chill
Minnesota is allowing opposing O-lines to convert on just 34.6 percent of possessions, the lowest rate in the league. Sure, the number has been boosted a bit by two Pittsburgh games and a matchup with the AlleyCats, but Justin Burnett and James Pollard have been as advertised and this is a unit that limited the best offense in the league to a 44 percent conversion rate in Week 6. Their schemes are top notch, they’ve got the most break train potential of any team I’ve seen this year, and they boast the ideal mix of defensive playmakers and offensive firepower after the turn. — DC
Boston Glory
This group is already really good and poised to get even better, though it doesn’t help that Tannor Johnson-Go—maybe the league’s premier puller this season—is going to miss this coming weekend’s doubleheader north of the border. But no other D-line in the league has the ability to cross over the two-time reigning MVP in pivotal situations, and the Glory have depth, experience, and seemingly limitless potential. — EL
Minnesota Wind Chill
Atlanta was playing like the Globetrotters on offense through their first six games of the season, and then they ran into a Wind Chill defense that eliminated their explosives and disarmed virtually the entire Hustle attack. Whether it's with schemes or personnel, Minnesota has a champion's earned confidence that they can matchup with anyone across the board. Free agent Justin Burnett is playing like a DPOTY finalist in his first year in the land of 10,000 lakes, and they're about to get an injection of top college talent as well. — AR
Best Thrower
Allan Laviolette, Carolina Flyers
This Allan Laviolette season is the closest thing I’ve seen to Ryan Osgar’s MVP season since he last played in 2023. The ability to paint the field with any throw at any time, crossfield, over the top, doesn’t matter, Jacob Fairfax is often waiting and Laviolette has the vision, power, and talent to get the disc wherever it needs to go. — DC
Austin Taylor, Atlanta Hustle
Whether he’s calmly connecting with a cutter on a 10-yard under, artfully swinging the disc to reset the stall count, or decisively ripping a 75-yard bomb toward one of his many athletic deep threats, Taylor plays with an authoritative demeanor that tells everyone he’s in complete control of the offense. He’s got pinpoint precision, a tireless motor, and a keen situational awareness that few, if any, handlers currently in the league can match. — EL
Allan Laviolette, Carolina Flyers
I'm going to echo what I wrote above: There's a lot of players in this league with extensive throwing repertoires, but nobody is making decisions at the cybernetic speed Laviolette is currently. He exposes defenses because he's simply playing at a different velocity than the coverages surrounding him, able to slip into space like stiletto as a receiver and then gouge both tight quarters or deep space with his complete bag of throws. Forehand, backhand, hammer, it doesn't matter—Laviolette is letting it go the second he spots his preferred target. — AR
Best Receiver
Tobe Decraene, Boston Glory
Averaging the second most receiving yards per game this season with over 300 in every game, Tobe Decraene has been a force all year. He routinely gets the better of his matchups with both his speed and in-air athleticism, and his involvement in the offense at every level of the field has been a huge asset for this Glory O-line. — DC
Ben Jagt, New York Empire
While the Empire offense has certainly been through its struggles, it’s frankly scary to fathom where the unit would be without Ben Jagt. Set to turn 33 this August, the 6’6” deep threat has not been the multi-dimensional hybrid like he was in 2019 and 2021—when he won MVP honors in both of those years—but he remains an experienced and dynamic downfield receiver, brilliantly setting up cuts and making tough catches look routine on virtually every point he plays. — EL
Tobe Decraene, Boston Glory
As good as he was in 2024, the 2025 version of Tobe Decraene would dust his barely-former self. There's an evolution actively happening with one of the league's youngest and brightest stars, and it begins with his limitless endurance as a receiver. Decraene often initiates Boston offensive possessions in the stack, but can make himself a dual threat as both a thrower in the backfield and the most dangerous breakaway threat downfield. Because Decraene is a threat virtually anywhere on the field, defenders have to stick close and play him honest, a task that is simply not being done; Decraene is eating defenses alive by dragging opponents into the backfield for a brief tour before releasing downfield, wide open for the goal. — AR
Best Defender
Justin Burnett, Minnesota Wind Chill
While he’s yet to take home a Defensive Player of the Year award, 2025 could be the year for Justin Burnett. He’s been named to a UFA All-Defense team each of the past two seasons and is thriving as both a shutdown defender and counterattack weapon in Minnesota. — DC
Tannor Johnson-Go, Boston Glory
Between his huge pulls, his versatile presence, and his efficiency as a thrower and receiver on the counter-attack, Johnson-Go is in the midst of the best season of his career. He’s primarily played offense in the past, but moving him to D has empowered and unleashed him in ways reminiscent of Jagt’s shift to D-line for the Empire in 2022. He’s going to be a really important player for the Glory in their quest to reach the franchise’s first Championship Weekend. — EL
Lukas McClamrock, Atlanta Hustle
Justin Burnett has been fantastic, but Lukas McClamrock is the most disruptive individual force in coverage this season. He has a shadow's ability to mimic footwork and match his matchup step-for-step, and that stickiness has led to a league-leading 13 blocks despite most of his work getting done in the handler trenches. His hawk-like attention in the lanes led to two different break scores that started mini defensive runs for the Hustle against Chicago in Week 6, and collected a self-tipped Callahan to break the game open against the Growlers. — AR
Best New Addition
Tobias Brooks, Colorado Summit
I know, I know, it’s been one game. But has there ever been a more impactful debut for a new team? Eight scores, 950 total yards, and a win over the then-undefeated Oakland Spiders—the sky’s the limit for Tobias Brooks leading the Colorado Summit attack and he’s only just getting started. — DC
Tobias Brooks, Colorado Summit
Admittedly, it’s a bit silly. He’s only played one game! But in that game—against a team that was undefeated at the time—Brooks authored the most prolific performance in terms of throwing yards and total yards by any player in the first half of the season. The former Flyer helped lift Carolina all the way to the championship game last August, a feat he’ll look to replicate with the Summit this summer. — EL
Justin Burnett, Minnesota Wind Chill
Every champion needs some added firepower to defend a title, and the Wind Chill landing a former Callahan winner and multi-time All Defense selection Justin Burnett has already been a winning ticket through just five games. Minnesota loves to run in transition, and Burnett's versatility as a thrower and receiver on the counterattack makes him a perfect fit for the league's top defense. There's a "take all comers" mentality in Minnesota, and Burnett is a perfect flag bearer. — AR
Most Improved Player
Jackson Potts, Austin Sol
Surely a midseason MVP candidate, Jackson Potts has come out of nowhere this year as a main engine of the Austin Sol attack alongside Kyle Henke. He’s making plays all over the field with his throws and as a deep receiver, and his versatility is shining for a top 10 Sol offense that basically had to rebuild their identity this year. He’s already set a new single-season career high with 39 scores in six games and ranks top five in the league in plus/minus per game (minimum two games played). — DC
Matt Russnogle, Salt Lake Shred
It’s another tough category, with a couple dozen players worthy of being considered, but I wanted to shout-out Matt Russnogle’s presence as a leader on the Salt Lake offense. The Shred shifted him onto the O-line thinking he could be a valuable finisher, and that’s exactly what he’s been, already scoring more goals in five games this year than he scored in 12 last season. — EL
Jackson Potts, Austin Sol
From an interesting role player with a penchant for a rocket low release flick to a potential MVP candidate, Potts has fully blossomed in his first season as a team captain. This Sol squad is suffused with Potts' harnessed emotion, and his ability to elevate in the big moments for this team alongside Kyle Henke has been a crucial part of Austin's undefeated start. If there's a player open on the break side, Potts is putting the hammer up—no hesitation. — AR
All-UFA First Team
Tobe Decraene, Boston Glory
Walker Frankenberg, Oakland Spiders
Scott Heyman, Philadelphia Phoenix
Ben Jagt, New York Empire
Allan Laviolette, Carolina Flyers
Jackson Potts, Austin Sol
Austin Taylor, Atlanta Hustle
— DC
Tobe Decraene, Boston Glory
Walker Frankenberg, Oakland Spiders
Scott Heyman, Philadelphia Phoenix
Brett Hulsmeyer, Atlanta Hustle
Allan Laviolette, Carolina Flyers
Austin Taylor, Atlanta Hustle
Chad Yorgason, Salt Lake Shred
— EL
Tobias Brooks, Colorado Summit
Tobe Decraene, Boston Glory
Brett Hulsmeyer, Atlanta Hustle
Allan Laviolette, Carolina Flyers
Jackson Potts, Austin Sol
Austin Taylor, Atlanta Hustle
Chad Yorgason, Salt Lake Shred
— AR
All Defense Team
Justin Burnett, Minnesota Wind Chill
Tyler Chan, Boston Glory
Miles Grovic, DC Breeze
Tanner Johnson-Go, Boston Glory
Lukas McClamrock, Atlanta Hustle
Paul Owens, Philadelphia Phoenix
Xavier Payne, Chicago Union
— DC
Justin Burnett, Minnesota Wind Chill
Connor DeLuna, Austin Sol
Miles Grovic, DC Breeze
Tannor Johnson-Go, Boston Glory
Lukas McClamrock, Atlanta Hustle
Paul Owens, Philadelphia Phoenix
Xavier Payne, Chicago Union
— EL
Alex Atkins, Colorado Summit
Justin Burnett, Minnesota Wind Chill
Miles Grovic, DC Breeze
Tannor Johnson-Go, Boston Glory
Lukas McClamrock, Atlanta Hustle
Paul Owens, Philadelphia Phoenix
Xavier Payne, Chicago Union
— AR
All Rookie Team
Conor Belfield, Seattle Cascades
Tom Blasman, Toronto Rush
Leo Gordon, Oakland Spiders
Sam Grossberg, Philadelphia Phoenix
Arvids Karklins, Toronto Rush
John McDonnell, Carolina Flyers
Adam Rees, Oakland Spiders
— DC
Conor Belfield, Seattle Cascades
Tom Blasman, Toronto Rush
Daan De Marrée, Chicago Union
Leo Gordon, Oakland Spiders
Sam Grossberg, Philadelphia Phoenix
John McDonnell, Carolina Flyers
Adam Rees, Oakland Spiders
— EL
Tom Blasman, Toronto Rush
Daan De Marrée, Chicago Union
Leo Gordon, Oakland Spiders
Sam Grossberg, Philadelphia Phoenix
Arvids Karklins, Toronto Rush
John McDonnell, Carolina Flyers
Adam Rees, Oakland Spiders
— AR
