Battlehawks clinch playoffs in QB Manny Wilkins’ first start since 2018

The last time Manny Wilkins stepped on the football field as the starting quarterback, he led the Arizona State Sun Devils past the Fresno State Bulldogs in the 2018 Las Vegas Bowl.

Six years later, Wilkins was called upon to lead a team under center, and he delivered the St. Louis Battlehawks a place in the UFL Playoffs with a 26-21 win over the DC Defenders on Sunday, May 19, at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.

The Battlehawks (6-2) returned the favor after being swept by the Defenders (3-5) last season, which ultimately cost them a spot in the playoffs last year.

“This is a rivalry,” Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said. “This is a team that we built for in the offseason.”

Wilkins completed 9-of-18 passes for 126 yards without a touchdown or an interception.

“I felt super comfortable,” Wilkins said. “I think I got to do a better job of getting us in position early, really throwing the ball a little bit better but I felt really comfortable. I had the utmost confidence in my teammates, I think going into this, and everybody really patted me letting me know they believed in me and they were ready to go with me. That was something that made me go into it very comfortable.”

What he lacked as a passer, he more than made up with his mobility, as he scrambled around for 80 yards, leading a ground assault that amassed 143 yards and led to three touchdowns.

"He's fearless," Battlehawks linebacker Mike Rose said of Wilkins. "He definitely played like he had nothing to lose."

His scrambling led to the Battlehawks’ first two rushing touchdowns, by both Jacob Saylors and Wayne Gallman II, each score leading to a lead change.

When the Defenders led 21-20 late in the fourth quarter, Wilkins dumped a screen pass to Gallman, who ran for 38 yards and later scored his second rushing touchdown of the game and gave St. Louis the lead for good.

“I think the best thing I saw about Manny’s performance is as the game went on, he got a little better,” Becht said. “He had more confidence and that’s kind of what you expect. I knew it wasn’t going to be fireworks. I hope it would be but he’s smart.”

Despite his accolades at Arizona State, Wilkins went undrafted and spent 2019 in the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. He was released in April of 2020 right when the world was engulfed in the coronavirus pandemic.

Wilkins embarked on a music career soon after under the moniker “5IVE”. While he was making music during those absent years prior to signing with the Battlehawks in 2023, he also remained active in the gym, under the radar, readying himself for whenever the next opportunity arrived.

“My mind was in a different place when it came to football,” Wilkins said. “I think the biggest thing was just staying and having faith throughout those years. I always knew I could go out here and play this game at a high level.”

Even in the XFL and UFL, Wilkins sat behind AJ McCarron in the depth chart. As McCarron was establishing himself as the league’s best passes, Wilkins was preparing himself for the possibility that he would have to temporarily take his place.

Wilkins saw playing time for the first time at DC in Week 5, where he rushed twice from under center and scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter of a 45-12 win. The goal for Wilkins going into his first start was to make sure the Battlehawks didn’t miss McCarron.

“When I go in there, you don’t want things to feel different,” Wilkins said. “You want there to be some continuity. You want guys to feel comfortable out there and I think we did a really good job. It’s a testament to our coaches. There was no panic when he went down. It’s just next man up.”

The status for McCarron remains up in the air, and with a road game against the last lace Arlington Renegades coming up — which given the league’s central hub system, feels like a home game — Wilkins will likely be under center to start a second consecutive game for the Battlehawks.