BY RALPH VENTRE
It’s an all-offensive edition of the weekly United States Football League FCS Fabulous Five and the New Jersey Generals could realistically argue for a clean sweep.
Neither of New Jersey’s two starting former HBCU offensive linemen – tackle Calvin Ashley (Florida A&M) and guard Robert Myers (Tennessee State) — made the list this week, but their performances made it possible for two of the Generals’ offensive skill positions stars to earn USFL FCS Fab Five spots.
David Rivers III was solid in the Generals’ defensive secondary, which limited New Orleans to 4.3 yards per pass attempt in a Week 5 victory. The former Youngstown State cornerback has the potential to pop up in the weekly Fab Five at some point during the second half of the USFL season.
Birmingham Stallions safety JoJo Tillery seems to make a legit case to make the USFL FCS Fab Five week in and week out. The Wofford alumnus made a team-high five tackles to help the Stallions improve to 5-0 in Week 5, but the two-time honoree yields his Fab Five spot to Birmingham’s primary ball carrier.
Although they did not make the final cut, receivers from both sides of the Stallions-Stars match-up jumped onto the FCS Fab Five radar. Stallions receiver Michael Dereus (Georgetown) caught three of his four targets in Week 5, including a 17-yard scoring reception on a broken play during a first-quarter red zone opportunity. Stars pass-catcher Chris Rowland (Tennessee State) netted 39 yards and two first downs on four receptions.
The Talking Pigskin FCS Fab Five for USFL Week 5 features two running backs, two quarterbacks and an Ivy League tight end.
QB De’Andre Johnson, New Jersey Generals (Texas Southern)
De’Andre Johnson earned the Week 5 start over experienced Generals’ signal-caller Luis Perez and the former Texas Southern dual threat looked like the best player on the field at a number of junctures throughout New Jersey’s 27-17 triumph over the New Orleans Breakers.
The 6-foot-2 Johnson averaged 10.1 yards per pass attempt while rushing for two touchdowns as the lone quarterback to take a snap for the Generals in what was the team’s fourth consecutive victory. Completing 66.7 percent of passes, Johnson hooked up with six different receivers for 213 yards through the air.
From FAU to Last Chance U to Texas Southern, Johnson has shown star potential in the USFL. Despite splitting reps with Perez during each of the season’s first four weeks, the native Floridian ranks amongst the USFL’s top-8 leaders in both pass yards and rush yards.
QB Vad Lee, Pittsburgh Maulers (James Madison)
The Maulers kicked off Week 5 by releasing Opening Day starter Josh Love and signing Vad Lee off the street. Replacing Kyle Lauletta in the second quarter, Lee went on to lead Pittsburgh to its first victory of the season. The 2015 Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year finished 19-of-32 passing for 170 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Lee, who twice earned All-CAA honors as James Madison’s signal-caller after transferring from Georgia Tech, also gained 20 yards rushing in the Maulers’ 21-20 last-second win. He engineered a 15-play, 71-yard game-winning drive over the final 3:34 and fired a 9-yard touchdown strike with 00:00 on the clock.
RB C.J. Marable, Birmingham Stallions (Presbyterian/Coastal Carolina)
The 2017 All-Big South Conference ball carrier broke the 100-yard rushing barrier in the Stallions’ Week 5 win. Marable, who rushed for over 1,000 yards as a Presbyterian freshman before transferring to Coastal Carolina, averaged 5.0 yards per carry to help Birmingham improve to 5-0 overall.
Marable rushed 23 times for 114 yards and one touchdown during a 30-17 triumph over the Philadelphia Stars. He also gained 17 yards on two receptions. The 5-foot-11 running back, who spent the 2021 NFL Preseason with the Chicago Bears, ripped off a 29-yard scoring scamper to give Birmingham its first lead of the game on the opening possession of the second half.
TE Ryan O’Malley, Michigan Panthers (Pennsylvania)
Recently activated, the former Penn tight end made an immediate impact in his USFL debut. O’Malley, who has two career NFL regular season appearances to his name, opened the scoring for Michigan in Week 5. On the receiving end of a legally-executed double-forward pass, O’Malley made a 30-yard touchdown catch with 8:41 left in the first quarter.
The two-time Ivy League champion (2012, 2015) tight end finished the game with 55 yards on three receptions. O’Malley (Summit) played his high school ball in North Jersey – a region that was home to memorable tight ends like Greg Olsen (Wayne Hills) and Anthony Fasano (Verona).
RB Darius Victor, New Jersey Generals (Towson)
The former Towson star is becoming a bell cow back for the Generals in his USFL debut season. Victor, who gained 107 yards from scrimmage during New Jersey’s Week 5 win over the New Orleans Breakers, has reached the end zone in four straight games.
Displaying great lower-body strength and breaking multiple tackles, Victor carried 17 times for 95 yards and one touchdown in the Generals’ 27-17 triumph. His 7-yard scoring burst broke a 17-17 tie with 5:25 left in the third quarter. The 2013 CAA Rookie of the Year, who rushed for 3,309 yards and 41 touchdowns in 41 games at Towson, also made one reception for 12 yards.
TALKING PIGSKIN 
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