Nearly six years after he wore a Utah State jersey, Siaosi Mariner is still finding ways to dominate on the football field. Mariner, currently a member of the Michigan Panthers of the United Football league, or UFL, is the leading receiver for both his team and the league as a whole. His play has helped lead Michigan to a 6-3 overall record ahead of its regular season finale against the Houston Roughnecks.
Mariner currently has 528 total receiving yards, ranking first among all players. His 31 receptions ranks eighth, his yards per game and yards per reception rank second behind Deon Cain, the former Clemson receiver and five-year NFL veteran. For reference, Mariner’s 58.7 yards per game would put him right on the brink of a 1,000-yard campaign in a 17-game NFL season.
According to James Larsen of Pro Football Newsroom, Mariner said he feels as though he’s one of the best pass-catchers in the UFL.
“I feel like my name doesn’t get brought up enough. I think I’ve put myself in a position to be All-UFL. Our team success has triumphed a lot of that, and that’s fine,” Mariner said. “But I think I’m definitely one of the best, if not the best, receivers in this league.”
Along with leading the league in production, Mariner is responsible for one of the more improbable catches of the season — literally as the UFL tracks unlikely catches through the use of Tru Stats. In Week 4 of the season, Mariner reeled in a 38-yard reception between two defenders, ranking as the 10th most unlikely catch with a probable completion of just 25.29 when the ball was released.
Mariner played one season for Utah State in 2019 after spending three years at the University of Utah. In that lone season he was the favorite target of Jordan Love, catching 63 passes for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns (the 10 TDs tying for sixth-most ever by a USU wide receiver).
After his time with the Aggies, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad for 2020, then with the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad in 2021. He then went and played two seasons (2022 and 2023) with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League, catching 23 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns. In 2024 he signed with the Michigan Panthers, but appeared in just one game due to injury. In that one game, though, he caught four passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.
