This is the final part of an eight-part look at each UFL team’s 2025 season
Part Three: Houston Roughnecks
Part Four: Arlington Renegades
Part Five: Birmingham Stallions
Part Six: St. Louis Battlehawks
What went right
It’s been up-and-down for the D.C. franchise across the last three seasons. They reached the XFL title game in 2023 with a 9-1 regular season record, coming up just short of championship glory. In 2024, they missed the playoffs altogether amid a disappointing 4-6 season. This year, the Defenders eked into the playoffs, shining when the lights were brightest, culminating in a dominating UFL Championship victory over the Michigan Panthers. Interim head coach Shannon Harris, tabbed for the spot when Reggie Barlow departed the team a week before the season opener for greener pastures at Tennessee State, exceeded all expectations as the head man, so much so that he was named the permanent head coach moving forward. QB Jordan Ta’amu earned the UFL Championship MVP Award; that and being league champion probably made up for being snubbed for league MVP after throwing 19 touchdown passes to just four interceptions (he was the only QB to throw for double-digit TDs). Deon Jackson was a find at running back and the receiving corps again performed admirably. Andre Mintze and Derick Roberson tied for third in the league in sacks, but it was the offense that was the star of this show.
What went wrong
Barlow’s departure so close to the season opener threatened to throw things into chaos for the Defenders. But he wasn’t the only coach to leave: Offensive line coach Cody Crill took the same position at North Texas after training camp began. And following week three, Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams made an early exit to join Barlow at Tennessee State, leaving his son, Blake, to lead the defense. The distractions didn’t stop there as CB Kelvin Joseph was arrested for DWI after being involved in a fatal collision with a motorcycle just a day before the XFL Conference Championship. There was an adjustment period for the defense immediately after the elder Williams’s departure where they struggled with tackling and generally stopping offenses, though they righted the ship as the season progressed. The Defenders were the most penalized team in the UFL (96), including having the most on defense and special teams. Spring veteran Matt McCrane made just 70% of his field goals, and Paxton Brooks was second-to-last in the UFL in gross punting average. The Defenders didn’t get much out of their kick return game, either.
Stat to note
Speed kills, especially in spring football, which features many players who aren’t in the NFL because they may be a step too slow for that league. Part of D.C.’s success was their team speed. That was shown in Tru Stats’ measure of the top touchdown speeds for scores of 15 yards or more. The two highest speeds on those plays belong to Defenders: WR Ty Scott reached 20.86 miles per hour in the Championship game, while WR Braylon Sanders was second at 20.71 mph. In fact, three of the top five were from D.C. as RB Deon Jackson came in fifth.
Offensive MVP
D.C. and QB Jordan Ta’amu had a bit of a chip on their shoulder heading into the UFL Championship against Michigan: Across the sidelines was the league Offensive Player of the Year and MVP, Bryce Perkins. Defenders coaches and players believed Ta’amu deserved at least one of those recognitions. After all, it was Ta’amu who led the UFL in touchdown passes by a sizeable margin. He finished second in passing yardage and completions – the only place he fell short was completion percentage, where he was last among qualifiers, though Ta’amu defenders will tell you it’s because he took more shots downfield than his counterparts. Ta’amu got his revenge by winning the championship game and the game MVP award, throwing for 390 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensive MVP
After missing the majority of the 2024 season due to injury, DT Joe Wallace came back with a vengeance in 2025. He played in all 10 games, leading the team and finishing second in the UFL in tackles for loss, while also adding 4.5 sacks, a pass break-up and a fumble recovery. He was a part of a fierce defense that lived in the backfield of the opponents. It’s not such a surprise when edge defenders put up big sack or TFL stats; when an interior defender does it, that’s worth noting.
Special Teams MVP
It takes a humble attitude for a former third round draft pick in the NFL to come to the UFL and be willing to ball out on special teams. That’s exactly what CB Michael Ojemudia did for D.C. Ojemudia, drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2020, played the fourth-most special teams snaps of any Defenders player. On coverage teams, he tied for the team lead with nine tackles. All of this in addition to his responsibilities on defense, where he started five regular season games and played over 400 snaps (including playoffs).
Most likely to succeed (in getting NFL opportunities)
A lot of UFL fans will be unhappy that QB Jordan Ta’amu has yet to even get a publicized tryout by an NFL team as of mid-August. It does feel as if the NFL has passed him by at this point. A couple of offensive linemen have been signed, though C Michael Maeitti was not among them. He should be. WR Chris Rowland lacks the measurables NFL teams look for, but his production as a slot receiver and in the return game shouldn’t be ignored. Like Ta’amu, the defense has several players who feel like they’ve cycled out of the NFL ecosystem and when that happens, it’s hard to break back in. Some who are still young enough to where that door hasn’t closed includes LBs Momo Sanogo and Micah Baskerville as well as CB Willie Drew.
QB concern level for 2026 (1-5)
Given that Ta’amu’s NFL window may have closed, it’s fair to wonder how long he’ll stay active in spring football knowing that it’s likely his ceiling. He had a great statistical season and won a championship in 2025 – what more is there for him to accomplish? If Ta’amu decides to hang’em up, Mike DiLiello and Spencer Sanders are next in line, though neither offer Ta’amu’s veteran savvy. D.C. is in a unique position as they have the rights to three quarterbacks currently in the NFL: They drafted Kedon Slovis (Texans) and Tanner Mordecai (49ers) last year and signed Emory Jones before he inked a deal with the Falcons. If any of them become available (Mordecai was recently released by San Fran for the second time this summer), that would create some intrigue on the Defenders depth chart. Right now, if Ta’amu doesn’t return, it’s a bit of a problem, so with his status up in the air, I’ll call it a 3.
Head coach hot seat rating (1-5)
It would’ve been a bad look for the UFL if they weren’t able to retain Shannon Harris, their championship-winning interim head coach. Harris had already agreed to join Barlow’s Tennessee State staff, so it wasn’t as if there were no barriers in place to making that happen. In the end, they came to a resolution that should satisfy everyone, with Harris coordinating Barlow’s offense this fall before then leading the Defenders a few months later. It’s a unique schedule that risks burning Harris out, but he’s young and hungry so if anyone can make it work, it’s him. The players love Harris and he accomplished much more than was expected of him. The challenge will be in duplicating that success, but Harris won’t be under the microscope this season. He’s at a 1.
Offseason needs for 2026
One of general manager Von Hutchins’s strengths has been to find a capable receiving corps each year. He’s had to rebuild that position because the NFL has frequently come calling for Defenders receivers over the past three offseasons. Therefore, receiving depth will likely be on the list. RB Abram Smith struggled in his first year back from an ACL tear in 2024, though he picked up steam in the playoffs. Additional backs could be sought. A few offensive linemen departed for the NFL so they may have some retooling to do there. Defensively, they need to get younger, especially along the line. They also have to find the right mix of defensive backs as they seemed to go through quite a few of them this season.