DC Defenders
Professional American football team playing in the United Football League. Originally, founded by Vince McMahon and Alpha Entertainment before being acquired by the XFL ownership group in 2020.
DC Defenders Coaching Staff
Harris led the Defenders to a championship during the 2025 spring football season and was also named the UFL’s Coach of the Year.
He has also previously worked as the Offensive Coordinator for Tennessee State University under Reggie Barlow.
- Coach: Shannon Harris
- Offensive Coordinator: Fred Kaiss
- Defensive Coordinator/DL: Blake Williams
- Quarterbacks: David Johnson
- Offensive Line: Brian Baswell
- Linebackers/Special Teams: Jerod Kruse
- Defensive Backs: Vernon Dean
- Stadium: Audi Field
- Owners: United Football League*
* Note: United Football League ownership group is a consortium of Mike Reople, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, RedBird Capital Partners, and Fox Corporation.
DC Defenders Roster
Last Updated October 20,2026
| B. Abraham | LB | University at Albany | 26 |
| D. Anderson | SAF | Houston | 28 |
| J. Antonio | WR | Colorado | 27 |
| M. Ayers | MLB | UMASS | 25 |
| D. Baker | CB | Georgia | 29 |
| T. Barry | TE | Boston College | 28 |
| B. Basham | DE | Wake Forest | 28 |
| LB | LSU | 27 | |
| QB | Kansas | 27 | |
| CB | Kansas State | 26 | |
| G | Maryland | 28 | |
| TE | Vanderbilt | 25 | |
| T | Auburn | 26 | |
| P | Tennessee | 26 | |
| CB | Ohio State | 31 | |
| WR | Texas Tech | 29 | |
| G | Southern Miss | 27 | |
| CB | Virginia State | 26 | |
| T | Maryland | 26 | |
| T | Missouri | 28 | |
| WR | Texas Tech | 26 | |
| TE | Kansas | 25 | |
| LB | Louisiana | 29 | |
| CB | Lincoln (PA) | 29 | |
| CB | UCLA | 27 | |
| LB | Texas A&M | 27 | |
| RB | Duke | 27 | |
| LB | Penn State | 24 | |
| OLB | Liberty | 28 | |
| CB | Houston | 30 | |
| NT | Grand Valley State | 28 | |
| SS | James Madison | 27 | |
| G | Vanderbilt | 25 | |
| C | Missouri | 29 | |
| DT | Chattanooga | 27 | |
| K | Kansas State | 32 | |
| DE | Vanderbilt | 28 | |
| TE | Kansas State | 28 | |
| DE | Houston | 27 | |
| QB | Brown | 28 | |
| WR | Clemson | 28 | |
| DE | Sam Houston | 30 | |
| DT | Oregon | 27 | |
| WR | Ole Miss | 27 | |
| QB | Oklahoma State | 26 | |
| WR | Missouri State | 27 | |
| LB | Penn State | 25 | |
| RB | Baylor | 28 | |
| QB | Ole Miss | 28 | |
| T | Oklahoma | 25 | |
| CB | Rice | 25 | |
| CB | Tennessee | 27 | |
| RB | Arizona State | 28 | |
| DT | Sam Houston | 28 | |
| T | Indiana | 24 | |
| WR | Auburn | 26 |