It was the XFL play that made everyone start talking.

In Week 2 of the revamped league’s season, on a second-and-goal play late in the first quarter, Houston Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker took a five-step drop and pumped left. But, as was the case in many of Walker’s other highlight-reel gems, no one was open.

So he manipulated the pocket and lingered.

He saw receiver Cam Phillips break off his route and slip into an open swath of the end zone. In the way stood St. Louis BattleHawks defensive tackle Davonte Lambert, who jumped in the expected path of the pass.

Instead, Walker whipped a sidearm throw reminiscent of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the ball curling just beneath Lambert’s left arm. Phillips stretched his arms out.

“I really didn’t see it until it was in my face,” Phillips told USA TODAY Sports. “I just threw my hands up and tried to turn them just a little bit. And, at that point, I was just trying to hold on.”

Touchdown.

Another quarterback in Houston, Deshaun Watson of the Texans, took note.

But he wasn't the only one.

Walker is a burgeoning star on the XFL stage, though he might soon outgrow that. His seven touchdowns are the most of any player and outpace six teams' totals. Walker has flashed pocket awareness, an ability to extend plays and a penchant for making tight-window throws – all traits valued in modern NFL offenses.

The XFL regular season runs 10 games. Through two, Walker is far and away the leader for the league’s MVP award. And it’s plays like the sidearm score that are grabbing viewers' attention.

“That’s a pretty amazing throw,” Roughnecks coach June Jones told USA TODAY Sports. “I can’t believe he threw it, let alone put it where it could be caught.

“That’s a God-given talent that P.J. is blessed with. He saw Patrick Mahomes making those kinds of miraculous-type throws. You find the kid who has the ability to do that, and you know you’ve got the right kid.”

Walker grew up watching Russell Wilson of the Seahawks and Cam Newton of the Panthers. This fall, while out of football and waiting for a call, he studied up on Watson, Mahomes and Lamar Jackson of the Ravens.

“Knowing that I can do some of those things motivated me to come out here and be that type of player,” Walker told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s great. But I look at it as, ‘I’ve got to do it again next week, and then the week after that.’ I have to continue to progress as a player. But even going back and watching my plays on film, I see things that I missed. So that gives me even more confidence going into the next game ’cause I’m thinking that I have so much that I can improve on. ‘I made a highlight here, but I still missed this right there.’ ”

In Walker, Jones has found a player who seamlessly fits his Run ’N’ Shoot offense.

“It’s so spread out, man,” Walker said. “It’s open. It’s as open as an offense can be. You’ve got a lot of guys out there in space, and it creates open space for me in the pocket to make guys miss. Once I maneuver in and out of the pocket, all I have to do is keep my eyes downfield.”

Walker, who will turn 25 on Feb. 26, has completed 62.3% of his passes for 442 yards. Phillips, Walker's primary receiver, has hauled in 12 of 18 targets for 130 yards and four scores.

It’s that rapport between Walker and his pass catchers that has Houston’s offense clicking. If any receiver senses pressure building, he'll break off his route with one objective: get open.

“Once he breaks the pocket and looks to scramble, you just kind of have a timer in your head of where the ball should be,” Phillips said. “’Cause if it’s not going to me, it’s going somewhere else. So when I don’t see that, it’s ‘Who’s around me?’ And then I look at how much space I have. And if there’s some openings in either zone or man. ‘Can I sell them short and run deep?’ or ‘Can I sell them left and go right?’ Really it’s just a feel.”

The quarterback's connection with his coach, in earnest, dates to Oct. 26, 2013.

Walker was then a freshman for Temple. Jones was the head coach for SMU. When the two teams met that day in Dallas, Walker threw for 293 yards, ran for 92 and notched five total touchdowns in a game in which the Owls had raced out to a 21-point lead in the second quarter. In the end, the Mustangs outran Temple and won in a 59-49 shootout.

“Here’s an 18-year-old on a not-very-good football team who took us right to the very end,” Jones said. “It took us scoring 50-something to win. I remember walking over to him after the game and introducing myself to him. I gave him my name and told him that was as good as I’ve ever seen an 18-year-old freshman play.”

Walker was not invited to the NFL scouting combine in 2017, and he latched on with the Colts in May after going undrafted. For the next two seasons, he remained relegated to the team’s practice squad, with Andrew Luck firmly in place as the team's starter and Jacoby Brissett operating as the backup.

Last September, the Colts waived Walker from the practice squad and opted not to bring him back as they had done before.

As it turns out, Luck was still on Walker’s side.

When the burgeoning league was assessing players to fill the rosters of the eight teams, Luck called his father, Oliver Luck, who serves as the league's commissioner. Oliver Luck told the Houston Chronicle recently that “Andrew had been pushing (Walker) to me,” advocating for Walker to be one of the players available for teams.

When Jones and Roughnecks director of pro personnel Randy Mueller listed Walker as their top target – in large part due to Jones' prior encounter with the quarterback – Oliver Luck assigned Walker to Houston.

The NFL, however, did call once more.

Before the Steelers were set to play the Ravens in Week 5, Pittsburgh reached out to see if Walker would be available for a one-week contract so that he could mimic the play of Jackson on the scout team.

The XFL blocked the move.

Walker stressed he’s not trying to look too far ahead. He has heard the praise and has seen the calls from NFL fans on social media pushing for their teams to consider him but said he’s “taking it day by day” and is focused “on winning a championship.” Still, he acknowledged that the goal is “absolutely” to make it back to the NFL.

“The more team success we have, the more guys we’ll have back in the NFL,” Walker said. “Everyone’s goal is to handle their business here. That’s the first critique we have in our careers right now; we have to handle what’s in front of us right now. ’Cause if we do our part, we’ll get back there eventually.”

If everything breaks right for Walker, maybe NFL players might soon be asked to mimic his style of play.