The Stuttgart Surge have announced their official 2023 European League of Football roster via their website.
The current roster features a total of 52 players, with four Americans, and three Spaniards, one Italian, one Australian, and the rest German.
New head coach Jordan Neuman takes over for the Surge following a winless 2022 season. Neuman who won three German Bowls in the German Football League with the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorn has recruited at least 23 players who have experience playing for the nearby Unicorns to his ELF squad this season, in hopes of bringing a winning culture to the Surge.
Offensively, Neumann brings in quarterback Reilly Hennessey who just won him and the Unicorns the German Bowl last season. Hennessey will look to get the ball to his teammates from last year in former NFL draft pick Moritz Böhringer, along with Bryce Nunnelly, and Aurieus Minton. The passing game will operate behind an offensive line that features five former Unicorns.
Some new players for Neuman are talented running back duo Kai Hunter and Asnnel Robo. Adding to the receiver core are veteran pass catchers Yannick Mayr and Louis Geyer. The Surge do have some returning offensive talent in receiver Paul Steigerwald and running back Bryan Yankson.
Mortiz Böhringer with the Minnesota Vikings | NFL Undiscovered – https://t.co/smHna5aSSG pic.twitter.com/sSLJMGl5DK
— sohail (@Soamas) October 5, 2016
Defensively, Neuman’s right hand man Johannes Brenner, his former DC of the Unicorns will be signaling in defenses for the Surge this year. Brenner has brought at least 11 former Unicorns including defensive lineman Alexander Kress, Simon Butch, Raphael Zitsler, linebackers Luis Bach and Nicolas Knoblauch, and defensive backs Mitch Fettig, Giuseppe Delle Vecchia, and 2022 ELF standout Goran Zec.
Other than the former Schwäbisch Hall players coming to Stuttgart, former Arizona State (NCAA DI) linebacker Khaylan Kearse-Thomas joins standout Jelvani brothers Sasan and Majan in a talented linebacker room. Former Eastern Michigan (NCAA DI) defensive end Ville Valasti also joins the Surge, as their defense looks to be a formidable group on paper.
Let’s take a look at the Stuttgart Surge’s 2023 squad:
Quarterbacks
- Reilly Hennessey – USA/Italy (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Parma Panthers, Central Washington NCAA DI FCS)
- Janis Kaiser – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
Running backs
- Asnnel Robo – France (CFL – Toronto Argonauts, Calgary Stampeders, University of Montreal)
- Kai Hunter – Germany (Frankfurt Galaxy, Saarland Hurricanes)
- Levin Liebenow – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns U19)
- Bryan Yankson – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Janis Hackenberg – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
French running back Asnnel Robo was drafted in the 2019 CFL Global Draft by the Calgary Stampeders. After a season with Stamps, he signed this year with Toronto Argos. Do you think Robo can make an impact in the CFL in 2021?@CFL @TorontoArgos @blackmamba_v02 pic.twitter.com/lg9B5ZdUS9
— All 22 – The Global Scouting Network (@All22Global) June 21, 2021
Tight ends
- Phillip Eichhorn – Germany (Leipzig Kings)
- Emmanuel Hafele – Germany (Biberach Beavers)
Wide receivers
- Bryce Nunnelly– USA ( UT Chattanooga- NCAA DI, Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Moritz Bohringer – Germany (Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Louis Geyer– Germany (Cologne Centurions)
- Yannick Mayr – Austria (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Raiders Tirol, Vienna Vikings)
- Luca Faschian – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Paul Steigerwald – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Aurieus Minton -Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Florian Lengauer – Germany (Munich Cowboys)
- Joshua Haas – (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Paul Böhringer – Germany
- Emil Rabin – Germany (Graceland University NAIA)
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns TE Moritz Böhringer scores the 27 yard touchdown late in Q3. Great, athletic play from MoBo #GermanBowl
Royals 20-37 Unicorns@DanHanzus 👀 pic.twitter.com/pkjvJpAOuI
— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) October 8, 2022
Offensive line
- Marlon Werthmann– Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Alessandro Vergani – Italy (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Robert Hager– Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Lukas Maier – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Allgau Comets)
- Benhur Ayra – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Stuttgart Surge)
- Luka Jokiel – Germany (Heidelberg Hunters)
- Sascha Beck – Germany (Saarland Hurricanes)
- Markos Dubravkic – Germany
- Lenny Sadzik – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Darnell Minton – Germany (Stuttgart Surge, Frankfurt Galaxy, Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Elias Becher Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
Defensive line
- Ville Valasti – Finland (EMU NCAA DI, Helsinki Wolverines, Frankfurt Galaxy)
- Sercan Vardar– Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Raphael Zistler – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Alexander Kress – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Simon Butch – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Maximilian Dommermuth – Germany (Heidelberg Hunters)
- Brice Tchouadje – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Alexander Christoph Hofer – Germany (Stuttgart Scorpions)
😂
Unicorns DT Raphael Zistler blows up Royals QB Robbie Patterson IV on that option play … pic.twitter.com/g6dWcgpBRn
— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) October 8, 2022
Linebackers
- Luis Bach – Germany (Wyoming NCAA DI, Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Khaylan Kearse-Thomas – USA (Arizona State NCAA DI)
- Nicolas Knoblauch – Germany/Italy (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Frankfurt Galaxy, Stuttgart Surge, Orebro Black Knights, Badalona Dracs, Oslo Vikings, Stockholm Mean Machine, Triangle Razorbacks, Ancona Dolphins)
- Benjamin Speiss – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Allgau Comets)
- Malek Japhet Mbala – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Luca Seibert – Germany
- Sasan Jelvani – Germany (Saarland Hurricanes)
- Majan Jelvani – Germany (Rhein Fire)
- Thomas Frach – Germany (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Lorenzo Deiana – Italy (Hamburg Sea Devils, Swarco Raiders Tirol)
- Lukas Storz – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Jan Bender Germany (Heidelberg Hunters)
Defensive backs
- Mitch Fettig – USA (Eastern Washington NCAA DI FCS, Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns)
- Goran Zec– Serbia (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Wroclaw Panthers, Vukovi Beograd)
- Giuseppe Delle Vecchia – Italy (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, Parma Panthers)
- Konstantin Katz – Germany (Frankfurt Galaxy)
- Ben Wenzler – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Julian Jakob – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Lasse Engel – Germany (San Diego State NCAA DI, Stuttgart Scorpions)
- Nick Wenzelburger – Germany (Stuttgart Surge)
- Maximilian Merwarth – Germany (New Yorker Lions)
- Marin Korber- Germany (Ravensburg Razorbacks)
- Thiago Seibert – Germany
The Stuttgart Surge kick off their 2023 European League of Football schedule on June 10th as they visit the expansion Paris Musketeers.
