With the first week of UFL Training Camp winding down in Arlington, we have plenty of news to cover and break down as we inch closer to the start of the 2026 season.
Training Camp Roster (3/2)
(Credits: Nick Thorn)
Day One/Two/Three: Onboarding
After countless phone conversations and Zoom calls over the winter months, players and coaches finally met up in Arlington on Feb. 20th for initial onboarding, which included medicals and physicals/conditioning. Fortunately for DC, they have a significant portion of their 2025 roster returning this season and the ‘meet and greet’ segment is kept to a minimum.
During the late hours on Feb. 21st, the UFL Communications X account announced DC Defenders tight end Briley Moore and cornerback Deandre Baker were removed from the team’s roster. Moore and Baker were major starting contributors in last season’s championship campaign.
One day later, Defenders defensive back Trey Dean was also removed from the roster, via the transaction wire.
Defenders HC Shannon Harris spoke about the situation during his Wednesday media presser this week, stating the team expects Baker and Dean to return soon. It is uncertain whether Moore will return.
Jordan Ta’amu Media
Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu was doing his media rounds this week, which started by hanging out with the Around The UFL crew from PFN, then meeting with DC media a few days later on Zoom.
Ta’amu talked about plenty of different subjects during his media tour, including the rule changes coming to the UFL. Ta’amu noted the importance of having a strong kicker with the new four-point field goal rule, citing his confidence in Matthew “Matty Ice” McCrane. He also mentioned his excitement about the new rule that forces teams to go for it on fourth down if they pass the 50-yard line.
Ta’amu also reflected on his ultra-successful 2025 season, and looking ahead to this spring.
Rest of Week: Initial On-Field Practice
The initial on-field work for DC included uppers (helmets and shoulder pads) with light contact, as it will continue to ramp-up over the next week.
The emergence of wide receiver Montrell Washington will be one we continue to track throughout the 2026 season. We asked Coach Harris about Washington during his presser, who cited his “speed and explosion” as a difference maker. In the same response, Harris mentioned the glaring loss of Chris Rowland and how Washington could also impact the return game on special teams in a similar way.
Pro Football Newsroom’s on-site coverage at training camp has confirmed Washington is “heavily involved” with the starters in the first week of camp, alongside Ty Scott. Keke Coutee appears to be picking up where he left off from last season, remaining a down-field target in the passing game. Cornell Powell reportedly tweaked a muscle early in camp, and has been on the side-field working indy since.
It is also worth noting that running back Abram Smith is reportedly looking much sharper and quicker compared to last season around this time when coming off of a torn ACL injury. The XFL 2023 rushing leader is hoping to make up for lost time this upcoming year.
On the defensive side, Sam Kidd and Gareon Conley will continue to be staples on the backend as they get used to a few new names around them, including Leon O’Neal Jr. and Azizi Hearn. All four players had an impressive first week of camp, according to James Larsen on-site.
One of the most intriguing stories to follow throughout camp will be defensive back Gabe Taylor and his quest to crack the 50-man roster ahead of Week 1.
Gabe, the younger brother of Washington Redskins legend Sean Taylor, played at Rice for his entire five-year college career before going pro. There is already a palpable buzz around the DMV area with another Taylor potentially hitting the gridiron this spring.
Moving onto another Gabe, on Friday evening Defenders linebacker Gabriel Murphy was moved to the UFL’s Retired List, alongside his twin brother and Storm linebacker Grayson Murphy. While the reasoning is currently unclear, we wish the best to the Murphy brothers moving forward.
A Look Ahead…
Next week, the Defenders will be in full-pads as they gear-up for their first scrimmage of training camp against the AJ McCarron-led Birmingham Stallions.
The scrimmage is set to take place at 10:00am on March 7th, and it remains unlikely that it will be broadcasted.
What do you expect from the DC Defenders in 2026? Will they become back-to-back UFL Champions? Let us know down in the comments below!