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Ole Miss’ Jordan Ta’amu adds to underdog legacy with 2025 UFL Championship MVP

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett06/15/25SpiritBen
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Former Ole Miss QB Jordan Ta'amu is the 2025 UFL Championship MVP (Photo credit: D.C. Defenders/X)

Jordan Ta’amu is one of Ole Miss football’s greatest success stories. 

He signed in 2017 as an unheralded junior college quarterback. The only expectation was Ta’amu would at least provide insurance behind former 5-star recruit Shea Patterson. 

Ta’amu stepped in when Patterson went down with injury and outplayed him. He took over entirely once Patterson transferred to Michigan. 

Ta’amu went on to become one of the most productive signal-callers in program history. He was a record-setter in his two seasons, similar in statistical impact to the Mannings (Archie and Eli), Chad Kelly, Matt Corral, Bo Wallace, Jake Gibbs and Romaro Miller.

Ta’amu broke the all-time Ole Miss record for 400-yard passing games (4). He tied Kelly’s previous school record for 300-yard passing games (12) and threw for 3,918 yards and rushed for 342 yards as a senior. 

Ta’amu led the SEC in both passing yards per game and total offense. He was seventh in school history in completion percentage (63.6), eighth in touchdowns responsible for (25) and tied for 10th in touchdown passes (19).

“It’s honestly like my second home,” Ta’amu said previously of Ole Miss. “I still have love and support everywhere.”

Ta’amu guided Ole Miss through one of its toughest periods of the modern era, if ever.

A six-year NCAA investigative farce resulted in a two year Ole Miss bowl ban. The Rebels lost more games (13) than they won (11). Patterson wasn’t the only player to leave, either. Ta’amu, though, was among those who stayed, flanked by AJ Brown, DK Metcalf and others.

All he did was produce and fly under the mainstream radar. Ta’amu still isn’t getting enough credit all these years later. Ta’amu, who’s in his third stint in the UFL, guided the D.C. Defenders to the league championship on Saturday. 

Before he did, however, he was denied league MVP.

“It hurt whenever I got that news last night,” Ta’amu said. “It was a chip on my shoulder, and I knew God had a bigger plan for me. He wanted me to have a different hardware. I would rather have a championship and win with the team than my own self.”

Mission accomplished. 

Ta’amu completed 20 of his 27 passes for 388 yards (the most in a game in UFL history), four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 58-34 win over the Michigan Panthers. The Defenders had 580 total yards of offense and scored the most points in a game in UFL history.

Ta’amu out-dueled UFL MVP Bryce Perkins. He added 28 rushing yards and another score on the ground.

“Such a surreal feeling,” Ta’amu said of winning it all. “I trusted in my coaches, trusted in my o-line and receivers. Could not have done it without Jesus Christ. Could not have done it.”

Ta’amu was named the 2025 UFL Championship MVP. 

He began his professional career with the Houston Texans in 2019. He’s never made a regular-season NFL roster but had brief runs with the Kansas City Chiefs (2020, 2021) Detroit Lions (2020, 2021), Washington Commanders (2021) and Carolina Panthers (2021).

Ta’amu played for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL in 2020 and was Offensive Player of the Year as Defenders quarterback in 2023. Ta’amu led D.C. to the best regular-season record in the league and the title game, completing 62 percent of his passes (144 of 229) for 14 touchdowns and 1,894 yards in 10 games.

He’s now a seasoned veteran of spring football and topped the UFL in touchdown passes (17) this season. He was second in passing yards (2,153) and added 178 rushing yards and two more scores.

Ta’amu has played five UFL/XFL seasons, earning multiple all-league selections.

“It’s the way you look at life and the way you look at things,” Ta‘amu said. “If you just continue to pour good things into people, if you continue to pour good things into yourself, you’re going to get great outcomes. I’m so grateful for this opportunity because a lot of kids want to do this.”

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