Inside the UFL

by Fran Stuchbury
Published on April 30, 2026 under United Football League (UFL)

Through the halfway point of the United Football League season one team looks to be separating itself from the pack: the defending UFL Champion DC Defenders.

Since suffering a week one road loss to St. Louis, the Defenders are riding a four-game winning streak. Three of those victories have come by 17 or more points and the other avenged their setback to the Battlehawks.

This past week DC cruised to a 45-28 victory on the road against the Birmingham Stallions. Jordan Ta'amu tossed four touchdown passes in the win.

"All week we talked to these guys about our backs against the walls," said Defenders Head Coach Shannon Harris. "We know we're still the defending champs. At the same time, we play anyone going forward or even at the beginning of the season, it's everyone's UFL Championship. So that's the mindset going into each game."

DC leads the UFL in rushing yards, averaging 141.4 yards per game, and rushing touchdowns with 10. Deon Jackson has five of those scores and is leads the league with 267 rushing yards.

Improvement on the offensive line has helped. After giving up seven sacks in week one, the Defenders have surrendered just seven more during the current four-game streak.

"Just our run game and our offensive line," added Ta'amu on what's changed. "They've done a great job, week in and week out, controlling that line of scrimmage. Coach Harris said if we get the run game early, the pass game will open up."

The Defenders have scored the most points in the UFL, averaging 34.4 points per game.

"I love our offense," explained Ta'amu. "The way Offensive Coordinator Fred Kaiss calls our plays and dials them up. We go week in and week out just game planning our opponents. We do a great job of finding our matchups."

The DC defense has also been solid. They lead the UFL with 16 sacks, with defensive end Derick Roberson and defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell collecting four apiece. The Defenders sit at +4 in turnover margin, first in the UFL.

DC plays three of its final five games at home.

Top 10 Plays of Week 5

Top Catches from Week Five

Week 6 games

Thursday, April 30th

St. Louis Battlehawks at Louisville Kings - 8 pm est. FS1

Friday, May 1st

Houston Gamblers at Columbus Aviators - 8 pm est. FOX

Saturday, May 2nd

Dallas Renegades at DC Defenders - 12 pm est. ABC

Sunday, May 3rd

Birmingham Stallions at Orlando Storm - 4 pm est. FOX

EXTRA POINTS

1. Friday's DC at Birmingham game was witnessed by 8,120 attendees. Saturday's St. Louis at Orlando contest drew 9,735. Sunday's Columbus at Houston game attracted 5,166, while the Louisville at Dallas weekend finale drew 7,123 spectators.

2. DC Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta'amu, the Louisville Kings defense, and Houston Gamblers linebacker Eugene Asante were named the OurSports Central United Football League Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for week five of UFL season.

3. The United Football League announced that Audi Field, home of the league's defending champion DC Defenders, will host the 2026 United Bowl airing on ABC on Saturday, June 13, at 3:00 p.m. In the weeks leading up to The 2026 United Bowl, the UFL will unveil a new championship trophy.

4. After only throwing two interceptions in the first four games, Dallas Renegades quarterback Austin Reed threw four more in their 47-25 loss to the Louisville Kings, two of which were returned for touchdowns. With Dallas trading away Luis Perez last week, wide receiver Greg Ward, a former college quarterback at Houston, finished the game and threw a 27-yard touchdown strike to Emmanuel Butler in the closing seconds.

5. The Orlando Storm suffered their first loss after the St. Louis Battlehawks started the game scoring 25 unanswered points. The final score was 25-17.

6. Columbus Aviators quarterback Jalan McClendon leads the UFL with six fumbles. Two of them were recovered by the opposition. He had a critical fumble towards the end of his team's 17-13 loss against the Houston Gamblers.

7. Despite playing with a broken finger on his throwing hand, Gamblers quarterback Nolan Henderson threw for 146 yards and led the team with 37 yards on the ground and one score.

8. The Battlehawks signed kicker Ramiz Ahmed and placed kicker Tucker McCann on injured reserve. Ahmed played for the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers in 2022 where he made a 61-yard field goal against the New Jersey Generals. Ahmed also played in the UFL, appearing in six games for the Birmingham Stallions in 2024.

9. My UFL Best Bet Lock of the Week is the DC Defenders -3 over the Dallas Renegades. The hottest team in the UFL, the Defenders defense will try to capitalize on Renegades quarterback Austin Reed who may have lost some of his confidence after tossing four picks last week.

United Football League Stories from April 30, 2026

• ABC/ESPN Beer Booth Broadcast Debuts this Saturday at Audi Field - DC Defenders
• Only in the UFL: Real-Time Metrics Bringing Fans Closer to the Game - UFL
• Inside the UFL - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
• Inside the UFL - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
• Inside the UFL - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.