Don’t look now, but one New Orleans Saints quarterback is leading his team into a now-or-never matchup in prime time on Sunday. Hunter Dekkers has climbed to the top of the Houston Gamblers’ (3-5) depth chart, and after stunning the St. Louis Battlehawks (5-3) on the road last week, he’ll have to do so again in front of his home crowd in the penultimate week of what’s been a tough UFL regular season. Dekkers signed with the Saints as a rookie free agent last summer, having transferred from Iowa State to Iowa Western Community College in the wake of an NCAA-disqualifying sports betting scandal. He spent his rookie year on New Orleans’ practice squad but left the team for an opportunity in the upstart spring league.
So how has he done? Dekkers came in off the bench in Week 1 and gave Houston a fighting chance, but his start in Week 2 was cut short by a shoulder injury that derailed his season. He had to miss five weeks and four games before returning to the lineup, falling short in his return by a single-point loss to the Orlando Storm (7-2). After going 1-3 without him, Dekkers has rallied the Gamblers with a slim chance of reaching the four-team playoff tournament.
He’s been Houston’s best option under center, completing 65 of 104 passes (62.5%) for 698 yards and two touchdowns, with five sacks, two interceptions and a fumble. The Gamblers’ other options — Nolan Henderson, Taulia Tagovailoa, and John Rhys Plumlee — combined for 77 completions on 140 attempts (55%), totaling 793 yards and three touchdowns, with a dozen sacks, three interceptions and five fumbles. Dekkers is averaging a full yard more per pass attempt. His coaches have seen the uptick, too.
“He continues to improve. Obviously he has shown that he is talented and can make the throws all over the field. I think the biggest step he’s got to make is just making sure that he’s given us a chance and not — and cut down the negative yardage plays, right? Whether it’s taking a sack or throwing an interception,” Gamblers head coach Kevin Sumlin said during his midweek press conference. He added, “There are things in between that I think seeing the field and being able to adjust and make checks and do things like that. I think he can, and he’s getting better at it because he hadn’t played a lot.”
In a rare scheduling quirk, the Gamblers are hosting the Battlehawks on Sunday for a second gam in as many weeks (they traveled to St. Louis last Saturday and won in a 23-16 upset). This could also be the Gamblers’ final home game in Houston with a loss. Their 10-week regular season comes to an end next Sunday on the road against the Birmingham Stallions. A win on Sunday night keeps their playoff hopes alive, while a loss nearly ends them. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
What does the future hold for Dekker? For now, he’s focused on keeping his team’s season alive. But he’s shown he can spin it and win games against other pros. The Saints have a role in mind for him as a developmental backup, and it says a lot that they didn’t sign a fourth quarterback after trying out veterans like Easton Stick and Kyle Trask alongside rookie free agent Braylon Braxton (Southern Mississippi) at their recent minicamp. They’re keeping the door open for Dekkers. We’ll see if he steps through it.
