Following two productive seasons with the United Football League’s Michigan Panthers that saw the Eastern Michigan University alumnus secure All-UFL honors this year, Gunnar Oakes has received the NFL opportunity he had longed for.
“I’m hoping [an NFL team] gives me a shot after the season,” Oakes said in an interview with The Eastern Echo just over three months ago.
That shot has now come with the Detroit Lions. The team announced on Aug. 10, 2025, that they have signed the former Eagle to their 90-man preseason roster ahead of the team’s third preseason game against the Dolphins.
Oakes posted 14 catches, 162 yards, and two touchdowns for the Michigan Panthers in 2025 and will now join the likes of Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and others in a crowded Lions tight end room.
Now 26 years old, Oakes played in 49 games while at Eastern Michigan, starting 15 of them. He posted 56 receptions for 621 yards and two touchdowns during his time as an Eagle from 2017-22.
The former Michigan Panther now becomes the 43rd UFL player signed to an NFL team, according to UFL analyst Michael Del Negro.
