The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Mortensen, Burton & Esonwune to Represent UAB at American Kickoff
7/14/2026 1:00:00β―PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. β UAB head coach Alex Mortensen and student-athletes Ryder Burton and Ike Esonwune will represent the Blazers at the 2026 American Kickoff, held July 23-24 at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Fla. The annual event serves as the American Conference's football media days and features all 14 head coaches and 28 student-athlete representatives ahead of the 2026 season.
Mortensen, Burton and Esonwune will participate in media interviews, press conferences and breakout sessions during the two-day event. Fans are invited to attend the American Kickoff, which includes opportunities for photos, autographs and meet-and-greets with players and coaches. Commissioner Tim Pernetti will address the media on Friday morning, while live coverage of the event begins Friday, July 24, at 6:50 a.m. CT on ESPN+ with interviews featuring coaches and student-athletes from all 14 schools.
Burton enters the 2026 season after emerging as UAB's starting quarterback during the second half of last season. In nine appearances with two starts, Burton completed 57-of-98 passes for 708 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding 251 rushing yards and three rushing scores. He led the Blazers to a win over No.22Β Memphis, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Burton's performance earned him recognition on the Davey O'Brien Award's "Great 8" list and as one of the Manning Award's "Stars of the Week."
One of the leaders of UAB's defense, Esonwune joined the Blazers after spending the 2025 season at Oklahoma State. He appeared in all 12 games for the Cowboys, recording 31 tackles, including 17 solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble. The veteran linebacker brings valuable Power Four experience to a UAB defense that returns several key contributors in 2026.
Burton is one of six projected starting quarterbacks scheduled to attend this year's American Kickoff, joining Florida Atlantic's Caden Veltkamp, Navy's Braxton Woodson, Rice's Jacurri Brown, Tulsa's Baylor Hayes and UTSA's Owen McCown. Five of the conference's 28 student-athlete representatives earned all-conference honors in 2025, highlighting one of the nation's deepest collections of returning talent.
2026 American Kickoff Representatives
| School | Head Coach | Student-Athletes |
|---|---|---|
| Army | Jeff Monken | Brady Small (C), Owen Walter (LS) |
| Charlotte | Tim Albin | Derrick Eley (WR), Kadin Schmitz (LB) |
| East Carolina | Blake Harrell | Brock Spalding (WR), Jasiyah Robinson (DL) |
| Florida Atlantic | Zach Kittley | Caden Veltkamp (QB), CJ Doggette Jr. (DL) |
| Memphis | Charles Huff | Maarten Woudsma (OL), Mike Montgomery (LB) |
| Navy | Brian Newberry | Braxton Woodson (QB), Giuseppe Sessi (S) |
| North Texas | Neal Brown | Max Reese (TE), Aaron Alexander (LB) |
| Rice | Scott Abell | Quinton Jackson (RB), Jacurri Brown (QB) |
| South Florida | Brian Hartline | Wyatt Sullivan (TE), Grayson "Pup" Howard (LB) |
| Temple | K.C. Keeler | Peter Clarke (TE), Eric Stuart (LB) |
| Tulane | Will Hall | Chris Rodgers (LB), Jack Tchienchou (S) |
| Tulsa | Tre Lamb | Baylor Hayes (QB), Devin Robinson (STAR) |
| UAB | Alex Mortensen | Ryder Burton (QB), Ike Esonwune (LB) |
| UTSA | Jeff Traylor | Owen McCown (QB), Owen Pewee (LB) |
American Kickoff Information
The 2026 American Kickoff will be held July 23-24 at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida. Thursday's schedule features student-athlete interviews and fan engagement activities, while all 14 head coaches will participate in press conferences Friday morning. Fans may attend the event free of charge with advance registration through The American, and Friday's coverage will stream live on ESPN+.
Fan Registration is available atΒ www.TheAmerican.org/Kickoff.
