August 6, 2026
By Charlie Hoppes

Every season, there are playoff heroes. Orion Cable’s Championship Weekend last year featured arguably his best two-game stretch ever, Will Brandt was clutch time and again during the Wind Chill’s Cinderella run, and Antoine Davis racked up five blocks while holdingKyle Henke and Jordan Kerr to a plus-one combined when he won Championship Weekend MVP. None of these guys were considered their team’s best player during their runs, but without their performances, those titles do not happen. Who are the players that are going to write their names in the book of postseason legends this year? Let’s take a look at potential x-factors for each team, guys who are going to make a difference.

Austin Sol: George Gust

18-year-old George Gust may have just finished up high school a couple of months ago, but he has had an enormous impact on the Sol D-line in his rookie season. He leads the team in D-points played despite missing two games, is tied for the team lead in blocks with 12, punched in 13 goals while turning the disc over only once, and features as the Sol’s primary puller. He’s also shown up in some of Austin’s biggest games, getting three blocks in an overtime win against Atlanta to start his career, and adding two more and two goals in a one-point loss to Carolina a month ago. The Carolina offense has moments of shot-taking, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the All Rookie Team candidate factors into some key moments. If he does, Gust could help Austin blow by the Flyers to reach Championship Weekend for the second time in four years.

Boston Glory: Tyler Chan

The veteran Tyler Chan was one of the playoff heroes for the champion Glory a year ago, with three blocks in the final, including two during the 5-0 third quarter run that proved to be too deep a hole for the Wind Chill to climb out of. Through the years, he’s been an O-line initiator and a D-line sparkplug for the Glory, a consistent, quality player who garnered an honorable mention nod in last year’s All-Defense Team. This season hasn’t been kind to Chan, as he has yet to record a block to go along with only five total scores while bouncing in and out of the lineup. But he is slated to play against New York, a team that he has historically played well against; much of his counting stats production came against the Empire, where he threw two assists and scored once. Chan is a proven performer, and the Glory could use the spark he’s provided them in the past once again against an Empire offense that is among the best in the league’s history.

Carolina Flyers: Drew Swanson

Drew Swanson broke out for the Chicago Union back in 2019, using his lanky frame and a fearless energy to pile up 23 blocks. Despite playing 10 regular-season games in only one season since, he has registered double-digit blocks in all six of his pro seasons, including 17 in 9 games this year, tied for sixth in the league, and at least one block in every regular-season game. Swanson is a high-flyer who closes windows in the air and on underneath cuts faster than most offenses are prepared for. He is as close to a defensive specialist as there is in the UFA, with more blocks (17) than completions (15) during the season. But he’s been incredibly clutch for Carolina; he had three blocks in their first meeting with Atlanta, including a spectacular play in double overtime that gave the Flyers a chance to walk it off, then a month later had a block and the assist for the break in overtime that finished off the Hustle. Against an Austin team that will put the disc in the air, Swanson will be hunting for another big moment. 

Indianapolis AlleyCats: Seth Gudeman

Seth Gudeman was the underrated star of the 2025 AlleyCats, with 19 assists, 27 goals, and 20 blocks for a 4-8 Indy team. With the influx of talent joining the team in the off-season, the ‘Cats captain spent the season preparing to lead the D-line. After a couple of games on that side of the lineup, Gudeman moved to offense to help stabilize a trigger-happy line, and help them earn the disc back. And even on that side of the disc, he has initiated the offense from downfield, acted as a target for Elliot Hawkins and Jake Felton in the deep space, and even spent a game as the center handler after Jonathan Mast was sidelined. His leadership of a talented but very young Indy roster has been apparent both with his play on the field and his energy on the sideline. Even as he has Swiss Army Knife’d all season for the ‘Cats, Gudeman is third in the league in points played, and ninth in goals (35). To pull off the upset in Minnesota, the AlleyCats will need to weather a storm that will surely hit at some point, and Gudeman’s steady hand will be one of the biggest ways through.

Minnesota Wind Chill: Nate De Morgan

The Carleton College star Nate De Morgan did not make his Wind Chill debut until the end of May, and immediately announced his presence on an already-improved Minnesota O-line with five assists, four goals, and 421 total yards. The 5’9” lefty has been a menace in all spaces of the field, and caught nearly as many hucks (14) as he threw (16), while using his left-handed release points to lethal effect in the red zone. The Minnesota offense has been completely different this season from the rest of their time at the top of the Central Division, with virtually every starter sporting a career-high completion percentage. De Morgan has been the most aggressive thrower on the line in terms of both his hucks and breaks, with no games without a turnover and a 92.5 completion percentage that is several points below the next lowest for the offense. If De Morgan’s electric play continues to blend with the suddenly patient Wind Chill O-line, they will be looking at an excellent shot at their second title in three years.

New York Empire: Sam Jonas

Sam Jonas was an unknown when he made the Empire in 2024, a player without high-level experience even in college. All he has done since then is become the most efficient D-line quarterback in the East Division on a star-studded Empire roster stocked with names that were bigger than his. At this point, Jonas has made more than a name for himself–he has 8 blocks this season, and 26 in his three-year career, and is in the midst of his second straight season with a completion percentage over 99 percent, on the second-most completions for a New York D-line player, behind only John Randolph. But even that undersells his value to the Empire. Jonas keeps break attempts alive, constantly free in the reset space, saving countless timeouts from the New York coaching staff. Any Empire win over the Glory will feature a long, grinding break with Jonas keeping it all going.

Oakland Spiders: Raekwon Adkins (Pictured)

Despite his age, Raekwon Adkins sure did collect a lot of medals last year. With Team USA, he won U-24 Worlds in the mixed division and added another gold with the men’s beach team, sandwiched around a club national championship with Revolver. By the time Championship Weekend rolls around, he may have added a club world championship to his trophy case. And for the Spiders, they are crossing all eight legs in hopes that he helps deliver the franchise’s first title since the back-to-back wins in 2014 and 2015. He has only appeared in five games for Oakland this season, and seemed to be dipping his toes in to test things out at first, with a season debut on D-line, then three pedestrian showings as a part of the offense. Then Adkins absolutely exploded in the season finale in Colorado, posting five assists, four goals, two blocks, and 589 total yards, all without a turnover. The Oakland offense was already among the league’s best. If Adkins can find his footing, they could level up one more time, at the exact right part of the year.

Salt Lake Shred: Kimball Pew

A talented and highly-touted young player from the local Utah scene, Kimball Pew is still finding consistent footing on the UFA field. After a 2025 season that saw him earn a spot as Second Team All-Rookie and a SportsCenter Top Ten appearance, blocks, goals, and completion percentage are all noticeably down for Pew this season. But there is no doubt he can change a game with his size and athleticism. And even during an uneven season, Pew saved his best game for crunch time. On the road in the first round, Pew made the most of his 11 points played, with two blocks, two goals and an assist. If he can build on that momentum in Oakland on Saturday, the Shred could be the first team to enter Championship Weekend with a record below .500 in what would be their third appearance in four seasons.

ABOUT CHARLIE HOPPES

Charlie Hoppes has coached ultimate for 20 years, including several stints in the UFA. He was co-head coach of the New York Empire–helping to lead them to undefeated championship seasons in 2022 and 2023–and is currently a coaching consultant for the Indianapolis Alleycats. Hoppes provides individualized coaching services to players, coaches, and teams at all levels through Charlie Hoppes Ultimate Coaching & Consulting (CHUCC). Learn more at charliehoppes.com