The DC Defenders had a remarkable first season in the XFL in 2023. Reggie Barlow, served as the head coach, the Defenders showcased strong performance throughout the season. Playing their home games at Audi Field, they finished with an impressive 9-1 record, topping the XFL North division. In the playoffs, they secured a victory in the Division Finals against the Seattle Sea Dragons with a score of 37-21. However, their journey concluded in the XFL Championship game, where they faced a challenging match against the Arlington Renegades, ending with a 26-35 loss.
Kicker
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrique Yenny Romero | Kicker | Tech de Monterrey | - |
| Matt McCrane | Kicker | Kansas State | - |
Quarterback
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deandre Francois | Quarterback | Hampton | - |
| Jordan Ta’amu | Quarterback | Ole Miss | Pearl City,HI |
| Jalan McClendon | Quarterback | Baylor | , |
Tight End
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaden Smith | Tight End | Stanford | - |
| Alex Ellis | Tight End | Tennessee | Delmar,DE |
| Trae Barry | Tight End | Boston College | Summerdale,AL |
| Shaun Beyer | Tight End | Iowa | Shellsburg,IA |
| Briley Moore | Tight End | Kansas State | Blue Springs, MO |
Running back
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cam’Ron Harris | Running back | Miami (Fla.) | , |
| Abram Smith | Running back | Baylor | Abilene,TX |
| Zaquandre White | Running back | South Carolina | - |
| Darius Haggans | Running back | Viginia State | - |
| Tabyus Taylor | Running back | Notre Dame College | - |
Wide receiver
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Hammond | Wide receiver | Florida | Hallandale,FL |
| Vyncint Smith | Wide receiver | - | - |
| Jazz Ferguson | Wide receiver | Northwestern St | St. Francisville, LA |
| Brandon Smith | Wide receiver | Iowa | Lake Cormorant,MS |
| Chris Rowland | Wide receiver | Tennessee State | - |
| Kelvin Harmon | Wide receiver | North Carolina St | - |
| Preston Williams | Wide receiver | Colorado St | - |
| Ty Scott | Wide receiver | Missouri St | - |
| Keke Coutee | Wide receiver | Texas Tech | - |
| CJ Johnson | Wide receiver | East Carolina | - |
Offensive guard
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Carrick | Offensive guard | Michigan St | - |
| Liam Fornadel | Offensive guard | James Madison | Wyckoff,NJ |
Offensive tackle
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Maietti | Offensive tackle | Missouri | - |
| Sadarius Hutcherson | Offensive tackle | South Carolina | - |
| Kyle Murphy | Offensive tackle | Stanford | San Clemente,CA |
| Lamont Gaillard | Offensive tackle | Georgia | - |
| Jean Delance | Offensive tackle | Florida | - |
| Adonis Boone | Offensive tackle | Louisville | - |
| George Moore | Offensive tackle | Oregon | Antioch,CA |
| Tommy Champion | Offensive tackle | Mississippi St | Jackson,MS |
| Greg Long | Offensive tackle | Purdue | El Paso, TX |
| Chidi Okeke | Offensive tackle | Tennessee St | Anambra State, |
| D’Marcus Hayes | Offensive tackle | Georgia | Madison,MS |
| Jack Plumb | Offensive tackle | Iowa | - |
Defensive tackle
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davin Bellamy | Defensive tackle | Georgia | Chamblee,GA |
| Boogie Roberts | Defensive tackle | San Jose St | - |
| Trent Harris | Defensive tackle | Miami (Fla.) | Winter Park,FL |
| Andre Mintze | Defensive tackle | Vanderbilt | Philadelphia,PA |
| TJ Barnes | Defensive tackle | Georgia Tech | Montgomery, AL |
| Niles Scott | Defensive tackle | Frostburg St | Elkton, MD |
| Dennis Johnson | Defensive tackle | Grand Valley St | - |
| Tim Ward | Defensive tackle | Old Dominion | High Point,NC |
| Donovan Jeter | Defensive tackle | Michigan | - |
| Tariqious Tisdale | Defensive tackle | Mississippi | Lexington, TN |
| Joseph Wallace | Defensive tackle | Sam Houston St | Dallas,TX |
| Joe Wallace | Defensive tackle | Sam Houston State | - |
Defensive end
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fadol Brown | Defensive end | Mississippi | Charleston,SC |
| Derick Roberson | Defensive end | Sam Houston St | - |
| Malik Fisher | Defensive end | Villanova | New York,NY |
Middle linebacker
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Sanogo | Middle linebacker | Louisville | - |
| Anthony Hines III | Middle linebacker | Texas A&M | Plano, TX |
| Reggie Northrup | Middle linebacker | Florida St | Jacksonville,FL |
| Jordan Evans | Middle linebacker | Oklahoma | Norman,OK |
| Ferrod Gardner | Middle linebacker | Louisiana Lafeyette | , |
| Francis Bernard | Middle linebacker | Utah | Herriman,UT |
| Momo Sonago | Middle linebacker | Ole Miss | - |
| Anthony Hines | Middle linebacker | Texas A&M | - |
Cornerback
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deontay Anderson | Cornerback | Houston | Houston,TX |
| Mike Joseph | Cornerback | Dubuque | - |
| Gareon Conley | Cornerback | Ohio St | - |
| Montae Nicholson | Cornerback | Michigan St | , |
| Adam Sparks | Cornerback | Louisiana-Monroe | Baton Rouge,LA |
| Anthoula Kelly | Cornerback | Fresno St | Galena Park,TX |
| Deandre Baker | Cornerback | Georgia | - |
| DeJuan Neal | Cornerback | Shepherd | Shady Side,MD |
| Elijah Blades | Cornerback | Buffalo | - |
| Isaiah Johnson | Cornerback | Houston | , |
| D.J. Swearinger | Cornerback | South Carolina | , |
| DJ Swearinger | Cornerback | South Carolina | - |
| Sam Kidd | Cornerback | James Madison | - |
| Nydair Rouse | Cornerback | West Chester (Pa.) | Philadelphia,PA |
Safety
| Player | Position | College | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentrell Brice | Safety | Louisiana Tech | Ruston,LA |
| Santos Ramirez | Safety | Arkansas | Shreveport,LA |
XFL Conference
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  STL | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 260 | 202 | W1 |
| 2 |  SA | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 192 | 153 | L1 |
| 3 | | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 251 | L1 |
| 4 |  ARL | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 247 | 249 | W2 |