Going to high school just 10 minutes apart from each other, it seemed to be destiny that Brian Dooley's and Gunnar Oakes’ paths would cross.
The two high school football standouts saw this happen at Eastern Michigan University, where they both suited up for the Eagles between 2018-22. Just a few short years later, they have reunited to play for Michigan’s United Football League team, the Panthers.
“[Gunnar] would text me about playing in the UFL. Almost every week, he was talking to me about working out; he was big in the process of getting me down here,” Dooley said.
Dooley was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans at the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft, but a few months later, he was also selected by the Michigan Panthers in the fourth round of the UFL College Draft.
With his future in the NFL uncertain and some urging from his former college teammate, the all-time leader in career games and starts at Eastern Michigan moved down to the UFL base of operations in Texas, his roommate being none other than Gunnar Oakes.
Being seven months older than Dooley, Oakes had already been with the Panthers for a year at the time, playing in all nine regular season games as well as the team’s USFL championship game.
Oakes had only posted three catches for 35 yards in his debut season with Michigan’s hometown squad, but he saw his role drastically increase during his sophomore campaign. The 26-year-old posted 14 catches, 162 yards and two touchdowns in 2025 and was named to this year’s All-UFL team.
“Year two has been a lot easier,” Oakes said. “I know what I’m getting into. I know a lot of the guys; they’ve become like my home away from home, family."
The Swanton, Ohio native and Dooley both cite Maxx Crosby as a huge inspiration in chasing their NFL dreams. Both players faced off against the now Raiders superstar during their early years at EMU.
“[Crosby] was a big part of my development because, my freshman year, when I redshirted, I was going against Maxx every day in practice. If you want to work on perfecting your craft, that’s a guy that’s going to help you do it,” Oakes said.
Dooley offered a similar perspective.
“Seeing Maxx [Crosby] go to the NFL and what he’s done now coming out of Eastern, it drove me every single day,” he said.
The offensive tackle had a chance to face off against one of professional football’s highest-paid players while participating on the scout team in 2018, citing that as his breakthrough moment with the program.
“That’s just how my mindset is to this day, whatever I need to do to help the team,” Dooley added.
Being a former Disney Spirit Award winner thanks to his selfless act of giving up his scholarship to a walk-on teammate in 2023, Dooley embodies his mentality on and off the field.
The redshirt senior took out student loans his final year at EMU to allow Zack Conti, a fellow senior offensive lineman at the time, to complete his last year with the team on a full ride.
“I’m always about giving back; that’s why I wanted to give my scholarship. I wish I could give 20 scholarships if I had that money,” Dooley said on why he did it.
“If you’re putting in that work, then you deserve a scholarship hands down,” he added.
Looking ahead, both of the former EMU Eagles and current Michigan Panthers still hold ambitions of making it to the NFL someday.
“I do want to get back to the NFL, and this league [the UFL] will help me and anybody else on our team get up there. We’re playing really good football right now – and for how we’ve been playing, I think NFL teams will look at how our team is playing and [understand], ‘These guys are winning for a reason,'” Dooley remarked.
“I’m hoping [an NFL team] gives me a shot after the season,” Oakes said. “But as long as I’m here, I’m gonna do everything I got and try to win as many games as we can."
Having already clinched a playoff berth, the Michigan Panthers hope to keep their UFL Championship hopes alive on the road facing off against the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL Conference Championship game on Sunday, June 8, at 3 p.m. on ABC.
