Five things to watch for in UFL conference championship weekend

Unable to land a roster spot for a full season last year, Rodrigo Blankenship decided to pursue a blueprint to get back his NFL dream job that former UFL kickers Brandon Aubrey and Jake Bates successfully took advantage of in spring football. 

"There’s definitely been a precedence established where if you can kick at a really high level in a spring league, it can definitely provide opportunities for you," Blankenship told FOX Sports. "Jake Bates last year had some really big kicks. Branden Aubrey, when he was with the Stallions, was just automatic for them for a couple [of] years, and then he got his opportunity and is crushing it as well.

"That definitely gave me a lot of hope and a lot of inspiration to see that if you can execute and do your job, then hopefully the opportunities are going to be there for you when it’s all said and done."

Blankenship signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks in January after attending a UFL showcase in San Diego hosted by former NFL kicker John Karney the month prior. His plan has so far worked to perfection.

The Georgia product went 21-for-22 on field goals during the regular season with a long of 56 yards. The only kicker close to achieving those results in the UFL was the Birmingham Stallions' Harrison Mevis, who made 20 of 21 field goals with a long of 54 yards. The lone miss for Mevis was from 63 yards, while Blankenship had a 58-yard field goal bounce short off the crossbar. 

Blankenship won the Lou Groza Award as the best kicker in college football in his final season at Georgia in 2019. He entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Indianapolis Colts, eventually earning the starting job. However, Blankenship suffered a hip injury during his second season that landed him on IR.