D.C. Defenders
Deandre Baker (Georgia Bulldogs) – After helping to put the Georgia Bulldogs back on the map under head coach Kirby Smart , the former Bulldogs defensive back was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants before his legal troubles, which were later dropped forced him out of the NFL.
The DC Defenders are hoping the 2018 Jim Thorpe Award Winner and Consensus All-American can return to his college form and help the team to compete for a championship.
Davin Bellamy (Georgia Bulldogs) – The former Bulldogs defensive back was the first defensive player drafted into the USFL in 2022, and was also selected by the DC Defenders in the first round of the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft.
Bellamy was also named to the 2023 All-XFL team.
D.J. Swearinger (South Carolina Gamecocks) – Swearinger laid the lumber during his time in Columbia under head coach Steve Spurrier.
His 244 tackles and 6.5 sacks in four seasons propelled him to be a second round draft pick in the NFL in 2013. Swearinger would bounce around the league for nine seasons and had been out of football since 2021 before re-emerging with the Defenders in the XFL last season.
Jordan Ta’Amu (Ole Miss Rebels) – The former Rebels quarterback helped get them through some tough times in Oxford after the exit of coach Hugh Freeze. Ta’Amu arguably never reached his full potential in college, but still managed to throw for 5,600 yards and 30 touchdowns with only 12 interceptions during his time in Oxford.
Ta’Amu has bounced between the XFL and NFL since 2019 and was named the XFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 with the Defenders last season.