An offense in the game of football is only as good as its offensive linemen. A team can have the best quarterback and elite weapons to go along with him but without a solid core of beef up front, the offense is doomed for failure. Perhaps the most underappreciated position in the entire sport, the offensive linemen on a team make the offense go. An elite running back cannot succeed with a subpar offensive line, but an average back can look like a star with a solid offensive line. The run heavy St. Louis BattleHawks knew this well, as they pounded the rock more than any other team in the XFL but also kept quarterback Jordan Ta’amu from taking hits when he would drop back to pass.
The anchor of that dominant BattleHawks offensive line was Bruno Reagan, who played guard the majority of the 2020 season but also saw snaps at center as he is a versatile interior lineman. Reagan has been a dominant force in the trenches for quite awhile now, as he started 40 consecutive games for Vanderbilt University dating back from the end of the 2015 season until the conclusion of the 2018 season. Reagan was an anchor at Vanderbilt as well, helping pave the way for running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn to become to sixth 1,000-yard rusher in school history in 2018. Reagan also helped the Commordores average 411.2 yards per game on offense, the team’s highest mark since the 1970’s.
Upon the conclusion of the 2018 college football season, Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Reagan a 75.0 pass block rating, 79.4 run block rating, and an overall rating of 79.4%, the third highest center grade in the Power 5 conferences. Reagan was rated the top center in the SEC, with higher grades than Lamont Gaillard (Georgia) and Elgton Jenkins (Mississippi State), both of which who were both drafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. Despite his dominant performance in his senior year, Reagan was not invited to the NFL combine. When draft weekend in 2019 came, Reagan stated he knew he was a seventh-round pick at best. He ultimately was not drafted but signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on a high priority undrafted free agent contract. He participated in the team’s minicamp but was ultimately not invited to participate in the team’s training camp and was released.
But the XFL was coming, and Reagan was itching to play again, as he stated “The teams I’ve talked with have had great visions and cultures. Any excuse to compete and play the game, you can count me in.” Then in Phase Five of the XFL Draft which was the open draft where teams could select players from any position, the BattleHawks selected Reagan. Fast forward to the season, where Reagan was inserted as the team’s starting left guard. He started all five games at guard and had some snaps at center as fellow OL Brian Folkerts missed some time in the game against the DC Defenders. Reagan was a rock for the BattleHawks in the brief five game season, as he recorded a Quarterback Pressure Percentage of 1.7%, good for 8th best in the XFL.
Despite being the best at his position in the best conference in college football in the SEC and then continuing to be a force on the offensive line for the BattleHawks, NFL teams have still not come calling for Bruno Reagan. It is truly puzzling because there are no size issues as Reagan is an ideal size for an interior lineman at 6’3” 322 lbs., has no character issues, no off field issues, loves the game of football, and is dominant at his position. He is every offensive line coach’s dream and in the NFL, where solid road grating interior linemen seem to come by less and less as years go by, it is truly stunning that no one is even giving Bruno a call. Just get this guy into an NFL training camp and watch him do what he does best.