Earlier today, the XFL announced that 22 players signed letters of intent with the league for its 2024 season. Of the 22 players who signed, the D.C. Defenders have exclusive rights to four:
P Paxton Brooks
DB Bentlee Sanders
TE Josh Falo
PK Enrique Yenny Romero
Paxton Brooks and Bentlee Sanders were both drafted during the Rookie Draft held on Jun. 16. Out of 10 players drafted, Brooks and Sanders are the only 2 so far to formalize their intent to play in the XFL.
Paxton Brooks very well may be the Defenders’ new starting punter, with Daniel Whelan now with the Green Bay Packers. Brooks spent his five-year college career with Tennessee, appearing in 61 career games. His 42.3 average yards per punt rank eighth all-time in UT history. Following his 2022 season, he became 1 of 5 punters selected for the NFL Draft Combine.
Bentlee Sanders adds speed and versatility to a Defenders secondary that struggled during the ladder half of last season. After four seasons at USF, Sanders transferred to Nevada, where he led in tackles (82), interceptions (5), and forced fumbles (3) on his way to First-Team All-Mountain West honors. In addition to his experience playing both the cornerback and safety positions, Sanders has experience in the kick return department. Throughout his college career, Sanders averaged 17.7 yards on 19 kick returns, with a long of 37 yards, and averaged 7.2 yards on 13 punt returns, with a long of 34 yards.
Following the Rookie Draft, D.C. claimed the rights to Josh Falo and three additional rookies. Out of the 4 players added, only Falo has confirmed his intent to play with the Defenders.
Falo spent six years at USC, recording 22 catches for 276 yards (12.5 average) with 5 touchdowns in 24 career games. He never quite lived up to his potential as an effective pass catcher with the Trojans, with his production seemingly plateauing after his best statistical season as a sophomore: 10 receptions for 158 yards (15.8 average). Now, he joins an already-stacked D.C. tight end room with Alex Ellis, Briley Moore-McKinney, and Ethan Wolf, who together made up a solid chunk of the Defenders’ passing attack in 2023.
Lastly, Enrique Yenny Romero was claimed by the Defenders on Jul. 28 and has since signed a letter of intent with the XFL.
Romero will battle for placekicking duties against the likes of Paxton Brooks and Matthew McCrane, with former Defenders placekicker Daniel Whelan in the NFL. Romero has no prior experience with professional football in the United States. Instead, he has spent time in the CFL (Canadian Football League) and LFA (Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional). He was the LFA scoring leader in 2022 with the Dinos de Saltillo, going 5-for-9 on field goals and 14-for-16 on extra points. This performance also yielded All-Star honors for Romero, his second All-Star berth in 4 years. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how his success at the international level translates into the XFL.
