Late last week, Pro Football Newsroom had the opportunity to speak to a couple members of the DC Defenders organization. Head Coach Shannon Harris and QB Jordan Ta’amu were made available to the media, providing us with insight into DC’s locker room as they prepare to run it back.
Both Harris and Ta’amu have been a part of DC since the very beginning. The two have won – and also lost – a championship together. 2025 told an incredible success story, surging late to claim a trophy.
Now, Harris and Ta’amu look to lead the Defenders back to glory – with a massive bullseye on their backs. Despite a complete UFL re-draft, and some restructuring across the board, the two are confident that DC will be positioned to run it back.
“Of course we’ve got a lot of new faces, but the biggest thing is that we kept a lot of core pieces here. Not just from a player, but also from a coaching standpoint. These guys are coming in hungry. For the new guys, we’re letting them know that the standard is the standard. We’re going to be a hard working team, and we’re still going to be violent. There is no settling to be mediocre. We’re a blue collar type team. Last season was last season, that’s over with.” – HC Shannon Harris
Jordan Ta’amu echoed exactly what Coach Harris said. He’s been encouraged by what DC has been able to put together through two weeks of practice, especially with some of the new faces on both sides of the ball:
“The first two weeks have been nothing but great. We’ve got chemistry with the old guys who have come back, rehashing the playbook. The new guys have come in and are learning, adding firepower to what we’ve got. Everyone’s flying around, and they’re hungry. Coaches have been good at getting us ready. Harris gets us hyped up to fight for him.”
Offensive Line Improvement
One of the areas that both Harris and Ta’amu emphasized: their confidence in the O-Line. The Defenders lost a couple of quality pieces to the NFL (i.e. Liam Fornadel, Yasir Durant) – but have stacked up on former NFL talent, such as Jaelyn Duncan, Trey Wedig, Solomon Kindley, and Gottlieb Ayedze just to name a few.
“Right now, for us, from an offensive line standpoint – we feel good about it. We’ve got really good depth there. These guys are battling it out, the competition is unbelievable. I love how physical we are up front. How athletic we are. These guys are very smart, with a lot of playing time under their belts. They make Jordan feel comfortable.” – HC Shannon Harris
Both Ta’amu and Harris were thrilled to retain Mike Maietti. He continues to receive glowing praise from this Defenders organization – as one of the top centers in the UFL.
“We have great, talented guys coming in, who are learning the offense. They’re doing a really good job protecting. Our #1 goal was to bring Mike Maietti back. He’s the leader of our offense, and our O-Line. Bringing back people who would protect, and run downhill – especially with Abram and Deon in the backfield. We’re unstoppable.”
Mike Repole’s Impact
For Coach Shannon Harris, he’s grateful to be back – preparing to maintain the terror. With all of the changes in the UFL this offseason, Harris was one of just two coaches brought back by new Co-Owner Mike Repole. That says something. Shannon’s culture may have been built in DC, but he is now a foundational piece for the entire league as they enter a new era.
“I’m blessed for sure. Definitely don’t take these opportunities for granted. For him [Mike Repole] to have the belief in me, to take DC back to where we want to go, to be a part of that vision – you don’t take it for granted. It makes me want to work even harder. Our coaches, man, again, it wasn’t so much for me that I was more thankful for. It was more so for them to give them that opportunity to be back as well.”
Harris also highlighted Repole’s engaging personality. The coaches and players across the league love what he brings to the table, being an “involved and hands-on” owner, something the UFL hasn’t exactly had for a couple of years.
“He’s brought a lot of new energy into the league. I love his approach, I love his thought process. Everyone – all the coaches, and guys on our staff – we see how he’s heavily involved. The players love it. We love what he brings from that aspect. With the new rules, too.”
Standouts From Camp
Both Harris and Ta’amu also filled us in about who has stood out to them in camp so far. While Coach Harris avoided answering the question directly, he did shed some light on the linebacker unit. They’ve brought in former 3rd round NFL draft pick Brandon Smith, alongside another Penn State backer in Curtis Jacobs.
“Our linebacker room is so athletic, and explosive. I’m excited for that room there. We brought in a lot of new guys, strategically, to have a primary position – and a secondary position. One of our linebackers has been practicing playing free safety, and he made a play and got a pick. So that’s the type of players we’ve got on our team now. That’s what we’re excited about the most.”
Jordan is most looking forward to working with his new receivers. The Defenders brought back Keke Coutee, who was a member of their unit in 2024. Ta’amu mentioned that it’s been a blessing to have him back on the roster. He also told us to keep an eye out on Erik Ezukanma and Montrell Washington – two speedy receivers who have flashed in camp.
Assessing The Defense
This is the first season that the DC Defenders are entering without Gregg Williams at the helm of the defense. DC is incredibly confident in this unit, though, with his son Blake taking the reins. Blake was promoted to the position early in the 2025 season. With a full offseason to prepare, his group has looked sharp, physical, and fast in camp:
“Blake is very detail oriented. Beyond happy for him. I’m glad that he got a chance to come back. His dad, of course, has been a long-term NFL Coordinator, and for us the last few years. But now, for Blake to have that opportunity, to create value for himself, he’s helped me out a lot on clock management and things like that. Very smart guy. The players play hard for him.” – HC Shannon Harris
There aren’t many quarterbacks in the UFL who can dissect a defense better than Jordan Ta’amu. But, even he can tend to struggle against Williams’ defense – a unit that is simply unpredictable.
“They’ve been looking good. It’s so hard to predict what they’re going to do in practice. I love going against that, because it gets me ready for the game. Being able to see what coverage they get into in the end, it’s gotta be something. Because they run all over, they blitz all over, it’s hard to keep up. I’m grateful that they’re on our team. It’s getting us better as a whole.” – Jordan Ta’amu
Final Thoughts
Jordan’s focus remains crystal clear: being the best version of himself every day. He’s currently focused on improving his accuracy, something he feels held him back a bit in 2025, despite the Championship victory:
“This year I want to focus on more completions. Just being better than last year. Coach Harris and David have done a good job of breaking down my incompletions from last year, and getting me prepared. If I put those little things into practice, we’re going to be unstoppable as a whole.”
While there were some moving pieces this offseason, the DC Defenders have been able to keep their main core intact. Fans of the organization should expect the same style of play in 2026 – with some added speed, if you can believe that. With Shannon Harris and Jordan Ta’amu leading the way for DC – the sky is the limit for what DC can accomplish in 2026.
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